Unable to Uninstall Exchange 2010 ("Internet Newsgroups" public folder)

Question

I am trying to uninstall Exchange 2010, before installing a new instance of Exchange 2010 SP1 on a different server. (Our production Exchange server is 2003) We have met all of the Mailbox uninstall prereqs except for the following:

Error: Uninstall cannot continue. Database 'Public Folder Database 1579722947': The public folder database "Public Folder Database 1579722947" contains folder replicas. Before deleting the public folder database, remove the folders or move the replicas to another public folder database. For detailed instructions about how to remove a public folder database, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=81409&clcid=0x409. Recommended Action:

We have been able to delete all Public Folders in the 2010 storage group except for the one (previously replicated) folder - "Internet Newsgroups".

How can I delete this folder without impacting public folders on the production Exchange 2003 server?

We have:

• verified permissions to the public folder
• removed replication for the folder on (on the Exch 2010 server)

• tried PowerShell scripts:

  RemoveReplicaFromPFRecursive

  Get-PublicFolder -Server "\" -Recurse -ResultSize:Unlimited | Remove-PublicFolder -Server -Recurse -ErrorAction:SilentlyContinue

Solution

Use adsiedit.msc to manually remove the Public Folders:

1. Open Adsiedit.msc from run command
2. Connect to your server (right-click on ADSI Edit, then Connect). Select Configuration for the well known Naming Context
3. Expand to CN=Services/CN=Microsoft Exchange/CN=your organization name/CN=Administrative Groups/CN=Exchange Administrative Group/CN=Servers/CN=Your MailBox Server. Expand it and then locate Information Store.
4. Locate particular storage group where is Public Folder Store. On the right pane, delete the public folder store (storage group).

Comments

[helplessITguy]

Thank you. Manually removing the reference to the Public Folders store in ADSIEDIT worked, and I was able to uninstall Exchange 2010.