HOW TO - Properly remove Entra AD Connect

Synopsis: Outlines the steps to properly remove Entra Connect

Intro: There are some additional steps required to 'neatly' clean up the Entra Connect ( Formerly Azure AD Connect.) These steps are listed below.

Quick Run Down:

1.) Audit Current Environment

2.) Uninstall Application from Server

3.) Use Powershell to turn off directory Sync from the O365 Tenant

4.) Remove Sync Service from Entra

 1.) Audit Current Environment 

For a sanity check of successful removal, you can note the ratio of current user objects in Azure AD, and number of current users syncing from on-prem.  

This can be found easily by filtering the users list by ‘On-premises sync’ :  

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. 2.) Uninstall Application from server 

 

1. Log into the Domain Controller you wish to remove AAD sync from 

2. Navigate to Add/Remove Programs in the control panel, or open Appwiz.cpl 

3. Locate ‘Microsoft Azure AD Connect’ 
    

4. Select Uninstall 

5. A new screen asks which components to remove. Select all unless you are aware the additional services are needed elsewhere.  
    

6. Hit “Remove”  

7. Wait for the uninstaller to finish. 

 

 

3.) Use PowerShell to turn off Directory Sync from the O365 / Azure Tenant 

 

1. Download & Install the Microsoft Azure Active Directory Module for Powershell.  

2. Open Powershell 

3. Run ‘Connect-MSOLService' | Sign in with the clients 365 creds 

4. Run ‘Set-MsolDirSyncEnabled -EnableDirSync $false’ | Select Y (Default) to confirm

5. 
   

6. 
   

4.) Remove service from Entra AD

4. 
   

5. Log into 365 Admin, navigate to Entra ID 

5. Navigate to Entra Connect Health 

6. Click on "Sync Services" and then click on the Service Name: 
   Click on the Domain Controller you've decommissioned and then click "Delete": 

OPTIONAL:

Head back to Entra Connect Health, click on Sync Errors and then click on "Notifications Settings": 

 

 

... 

9. Click "Off" and then click "Save": 

 

 

Verify Success: 

 

1. In Entra AD, refresh the ‘On-Premises-Synced' Users list and confirm no users are listed. All user objects should convert, and the total user count noted in the earlier audit is the same. 

 

2. Review the ‘Deleted Users’ section in Azure AD. Verify no cloud objects were lost in translation. 

 

3. Review the ‘Deleted Groups’ section in Azure AD. Verify no group objects were lost in translation.