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User already deleted in Azure, Office 365 and Active Directory but still shows up in Content Search in Microsoft Purview?

Hi,


We have a user that has been deleted for more than a year. The account no longer exists in Azure, Office 365, and Active Directory but still appears in Content Search in Microsoft Purview. The user has no litigation hold or reason to be in the system. Does anyone know why this person would still show up as an option if I create a new Content Search in the Microsoft Purview/eDiscovery area?


Thank you!

Answer
Answer

Hello MySocial

Thank you for posting in Microsoft community.

Regarding the issue, did you check if the account is in inactive state and remove the account from RecycleBin?

Image

You will need global admin access to directly remove the user from Azure AD using PowerShell.

++Install the Windows Azure AD Module if you haven’t already. AzureAD Module | Microsoft Learn

++Open PowerShell and connect to Azure AD using the following command:

++Connect-MsolService Connect-MsolService (MSOnline) | Microsoft Learn

++Run the following command to permanently delete the user (replace user@domain.com with the actual user’s UPN):

Remove-MsolUser -UserPrincipalName user@domain.com -RemoveFromRecycleBin

Lastly, Check if the user is assigned a journal rule Get-JournalRule -Identity "Discovery Journal Recipients". Jornal rule usually keep user account active and is typically used to capture copies of messages for compliance or archival purposes.

Please feel free to reach out if you need any further assistance from our side, we will be happy to help you further.

Sincerely,

Bertrand

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Question Info

Last updated March 29, 2025 Views 544 Applies to: