Fix ERROR_DS_OBJECT_BEING_REMOVED (0X00002093) Fast

30-Second Fix: Wait and Retry

This error means another domain controller (DC) started deleting the object, but the deletion hasn't finished replicating. The object is in a weird half-deleted state.

What to do: Wait 30 seconds. Then retry your operation. If the deletion completes, the object disappears and your new operation can proceed.

This works because Active Directory uses a tombstone mechanism. The object isn't instantly gone — it's marked as deleted, then replicated. The error code 0X00002093 fires when you try to modify or read an object that's already marked for deletion on another DC.

5-Minute Fix: Use ADSI Edit

If waiting didn't help, the deletion might be stuck — the object is in a state where no DC can finish removing it.

1. Open ADSI Edit (install it via Server Manager if missing).
2. Connect to the domain partition (right-click ADSI Edit → Connect to → Select 'Default naming context').
3. Navigate to the object that's failing. Usually it's under the Users or Computers container.
4. Right-click the object → Properties.
5. Find the attribute isDeleted. If it's TRUE, the object is already marked as deleted. You can't modify it — you need to clean it up.
6. If isDeleted doesn't exist, the object isn't in the tombstone state yet. Check the objectState attribute (if present).

If the object has isDeleted = TRUE, you can force a cleanup by checking the Deleted Objects container (in ADSI Edit, go to View → Filter → check 'Show deleted objects'). Find the tombstone there and delete it permanently. This clears the conflict.

The reason this works: ADSI Edit lets you see hidden attributes and deleted objects that the normal Active Directory Users and Computers tool hides. You're doing surgery directly on the directory database.

15+ Minute Fix: Force Replication and Remove Lingering Objects

If the object is still causing trouble, it's a lingering object — a deleted object that one DC kept around due to replication failures. This happens after a forced authoritative restore or if a DC was offline too long.

1. Open a command prompt as Administrator on the DC where you see the error.
2. Check replication status:

   repadmin /showrepl

   Look for any DCs showing 'last success' more than a few hours ago, or errors like 8456 (replication link broken).

3. Force replication between all DCs:

   repadmin /syncall /AdeP

   The /AdeP flag forces full replication, including deleted objects. This often pushes the tombstone to all DCs.

4. If the error persists, identify the lingering object:

   repadmin /removelingeringobject DC1.domain.com DC=domain,DC=com <object-GUID> /advisory_mode

   Replace DC1.domain.com with your source DC, DC=domain,DC=com with your naming context, and <object-GUID> with the GUID of the stuck object. Find the GUID by running repadmin /showobjmeta * "CN=ObjectName,OU=...".

5. Run the command without /advisory_mode to actually remove the lingering object. This deletes it from the DC that still holds it.

The advanced part: lingering objects happen when a DC misses a tombstone lifetime (default 180 days). The DC keeps the object alive because it never got the delete notification. Using /removelingeringobject is the only safe way to clean that up without restoring from backup.

Warning: Don't manually delete the object from ADSI Edit if it's a system-critical object (like a domain controller or admin account). You'll break things. Always try replication fixes first.

When None of This Works

If you've done all three and still get error 0X00002093, you likely have a deeper replication issue. Check the event logs on all DCs for replication errors (Event ID 1925, 1988, 2042). You might need to demote and re-promote a problematic DC. But that's a last resort — try the steps above first.