Cannot delete legacy mailbox on Exchange 2010 – Access is Denied

Issue

Some mailboxes on Microsoft Exchange 2010 cannot be deleted via Exchange Management Console. Following error is displayed:

Active Directory operation failed on <domain controller>. This error is not retriable. Additional information: Access is Denied. Active directory response: 00000005: SecErr: DSID-033520B4, problem 4003 (INSUFF_ACCESS_RIGHTS), data 0

The affected mailboxes seem to be those that were moved during Exchange Upgrades from Exchange 2003 > 2007 > 2010.

Resolution

To resolve the issue:

• Open Active Directory Users and Computers
• Enable View > Advanced Features
• Double click on the affected user and switch to Security tab
• Click on Advanced button
• Check Include permissions from this object’s parent box and click OK in both open dialogs

Windows Server 2008R2
Microsoft Exchange 2010