How To Delete an Azure Recovery Services Vault with Immutability Enabled

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If you need to remove the immutability lock from your vault, here’s a simple guide to help you through the process. Keep in mind, this process can take around 30 days and involves certain precautions to protect your data.

Firstly, understand that the immutability lock is a security feature designed to prevent accidental or malicious changes to your backup data. Because of this, requests to remove the lock are carefully reviewed to prevent potential misuse or ransomware activity. You might be asked to provide a letter of authorization to confirm that the request is legitimate and not a malicious attack.

To proceed, you will need to submit a consent letter. This letter should include the reason for removing the lock, your subscription ID, the name of the vault, and acknowledgment that you understand the risks, such as losing access to current backup data if policies are changed to shorter retention periods, or if the vault is deleted entirely.

When drafting your consent letter, be sure to include the email addresses of at least two subscription owners or a global tenant administrator in the “To” or “CC” fields. Also, include Microsoft account representatives on the same email thread to keep everyone informed.

Here is a sample of what your letter should look like:

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Hello Microsoft Support Team,

Please find my consent and acknowledgment for support case [insert case number].

Due to [provide the reason for requesting the removal of the immutability lock], we would like to change the lock status on our vault to “Disabled” so we can proceed with organizational tasks.

Subscription ID:
Vault Name:

We understand the consequences (listed below) and accept full responsibility for disabling the immutability lock:

1. We will be able to change backup policies.
2. Existing backup data may be lost if the new backup policy has a shorter duration.
3. We will be able to stop backups and delete existing backup data.
4. The vault can be removed, resulting in the loss of all stored data.

For admin accounts or global administrators, please ensure their contact details are included:

– Name & Office Email:
– Tenant Admin Account:
– Name & Office Email:
– Subscription Admin Account:

Once your email is ready and sent, Microsoft’s support team will begin processing your request. Remember, removing the lock is a delicate process, and it’s important to understand the risks involved.

Lastly, if the information provided has been helpful, please consider upvoting the support response. This helps the community and supports other users needing similar assistance.

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Following these steps carefully helps ensure your request is handled smoothly and securely. Always double-check your letter for accuracy and completeness before sending it to support.