Deleting Single and Bulk Collections in SCCM Using PowerShell

Managing collections in Microsoft Configuration Manager (SCCM) is a routine task for administrators. When collections become outdated or unnecessary, removing them helps keep your environment clean and organized. Instead of manually deleting each collection one by one, PowerShell makes the process faster and easier — whether you’re deleting a single collection or hundreds at once.

In this post, we’ll look at two simple PowerShell methods for removing SCCM collections: single deletion and bulk deletion.

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Deleting a Single Collection

If you want to remove just one collection, PowerShell provides a straightforward cmdlet:

Remove-CMCollection -Name $collname -Force

• Replace $collname with the exact name of the collection you want to delete.

• The -Force parameter ensures the command runs without asking for confirmation.

This is ideal for quick, one-off cleanup tasks.

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Deleting Multiple Collections (Bulk Delete)

For larger cleanup efforts, you can automate the process by reading a list of collection names from a text file and removing them all at once.

$coll = Get-Content "C:\Collection_list.txt"
foreach ($collname in $coll)
{
    Remove-CMCollection -Name $collname -Force
}

How it works:

• Collection_list.txt contains the list of collection names, one per line.

• PowerShell loops through each entry and removes the collection automatically.

• This approach is perfect for retiring outdated device groups or cleaning up test collections.

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Why Use PowerShell for Collection Cleanup?

• Fast and efficient

• Reduces manual work

• Eliminates the risk of deleting the wrong collection

• Ideal for large-scale or recurring maintenance

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PowerShell continues to be an invaluable tool for SCCM/MECM administrators, enabling quick automation and consistent results. Whether you're removing one collection or hundreds, these scripts help keep your SCCM environment lean and well-organized.