remove-mailbox fails with DOMAIN\user cannot be found

[woter324]

Hi All,

First time in this forum.

I'm trying to use the

remove-mailbox -identity DOMAIN\fatherc

command to delete a user. It failes with ths following error:

PS C:\> remove-mailbox -Identity DOMAIN\fatherc
Remove-Mailbox : The operation could not be performed because 'DOMAIN\fatherc'
could not be found.
At line:1 char:15
+ remove-mailbox <<<<  -Identity DOMAIN\fatherc
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (0:Int32) [Remove-Mailbox], Manage
   mentObjectNotFoundException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : 3A33D513,Microsoft.Exchange.Management.Recipient
   Tasks.RemoveMailbox

PS C:\>

I am running this from my Windows 7 PC. I have loaded the Exchange snapin:

Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.Exchange.Management.PowerShell.Admin

My PC is in a different AD site to the mailbox server, but I can't see it's an issue with replication as deleting the mailbox from the EMC on my machine works instantly.

When I return to the EMC the user is still present under Recipient Config --> Mailbox. I have refreshed the screen. The user still exists in AD too.

If I run the same command directly from a mailbox server, it works.

I am a domain admin with all the exchange permissions. I tried the same command as a non-admin and it came up with a different error.

I need to to work from a PC as it is part of a helpdesk tool I am writing. I can succesfully create users with a similar PS command.

If anyone has any ideas, I'd be very greatful if you could swing them in my direction.

Many thanks

Tex.