Monday, November 24, 2025

SCCM/MECM Package cleanup PowerShell automation scripts

 

Title Options

  1. Automating SCCM Package Cleanup with PowerShell: Step-by-Step Script Explained

  2. How to Remove Packages from MECM Automatically Using PowerShell

  3. PowerShell Script to Clean Up SCCM Packages and DP Groups: A Complete Guide

  4. Streamline Your SCCM Environment with This Package Removal Script

SEO Keywords

  • SCCM package cleanup

  • MECM PowerShell scripts

  • Remove-CMContentDistribution

  • SCCM automation

  • MECM package removal

  • Cleanup unused packages in SCCM

  • PowerShell SCCM examples

Meta Description

Learn how to automate SCCM/MECM package cleanup using a PowerShell script. This guide walks you through removing Distribution Point groups, clearing content, and deleting packages from the MECM database.

Automating SCCM/MECM Package Cleanup Using PowerShell

Managing and maintaining a clean Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (MECM/SCCM) environment is essential for performance, disk optimization, and operational efficiency. Over time, unused or outdated packages accumulate in the SCCM database and Distribution Points (DPs), leading to unnecessary clutter.

To help streamline this process, here’s a PowerShell script that automates the cleanup of SCCM packages—removing DP group associations, clearing content distribution, and deleting the package from the MECM database.

Why Automate SCCM Package Cleanup?

Manual cleanup takes time and is prone to errors. Automation helps you:

  • Remove outdated packages quickly

  • Maintain a clean MECM database

  • Eliminate orphaned content on DPs

  • Reduce overhead on administrators

  • Improve overall SCCM environment performance

If you're dealing with a long list of packages, this script can save hours of manual work.

PowerShell Script for SCCM Package Cleanup

Below is the script used for the cleanup operation:

$PKGID=get-content "C:\Cleanup\Package-List.txt"

Write-Host "Package removal initiated, Please wait**" -BackgroundColor -DarkMagenta
Remove-CMContentDistribution -Packageld $Packageid DistributionPointGroupName "Distribution Point Group1" -Force

foreach ($Packageid in $PKGID)
{

    # Removing associated DP's group from the Packages
    Write-Host "Removing associated DP's group from the Packages:-" -BackgroundColor Gray

    Remove-CMContentDistribution -Packageld $Packageid -DistributionPointGroupName "Enter the Dp group Name" -Force 
    Remove-CMContentDistribution -PackageId $Packageid -DistributionPointName "Enter the DP Name" -Force

    Write-Host "$Packageid, Associated DP's group removed" -BackgroundColor Green

    Write-Host "Please wait... " -BackgroundColor Gray

    # Removing the Packages from SCCM DB
    Write-Host "Removing Package from MECM DB......" -BackgroundColor Gray

    Remove-CMPackage -Id $Packageid -Force

    Write-Host "Successfully removed PackageID $Packageid from MECM..."  -BackgroundColor Green
}

How the Script Works

1. Importing the Package List

The script begins by reading a text file that contains a list of Package IDs to remove.

$PKGID=get-content "C:\Cleanup\Package-List.txt"

This allows bulk operations instead of manually entering each package.

2. Initial Cleanup Message

A simple status message notifies the admin that the removal process has started.

Write-Host "Package removal initiated, Please wait**"

3. Removing Content Distribution

Before a package can be removed, you must clear it from Distribution Point Groups or individual DPs.

Remove-CMContentDistribution -PackageId $Packageid -DistributionPointGroupName "Distribution Point Group1" -Force

4. Looping Through Each Package

The script iterates through every Package ID in the input file:

foreach ($Packageid in $PKGID)

Inside this loop, it performs:

a. Removing DP Group associations

Remove-CMContentDistribution -PackageId $Packageid -DistributionPointGroupName "Enter the Dp group Name" -Force

b. Removing DP-specific content

Remove-CMContentDistribution -PackageId $Packageid -DistributionPointName "Enter the DP Name" -Force

5. Removing Packages from MECM Database

Once DP cleanup is complete, the script deletes the package entirely from MECM:

Remove-CMPackage -Id $Packageid -Force

This ensures a clean database without orphaned references.

Benefits of This Script

  • Time-saving: Removes hundreds of packages in minutes

  • Prevents human error: Avoids accidental deletion of wrong packages

  • Keeps DPs clean: Ensures no leftover content remains

  • Improves SCCM performance: Reduced clutter leads to faster operations

  • Fully automated: Run it once, and it handles everything

Important Notes Before Running

✔ Ensure you have appropriate SCCM permissions
✔ Test in a LAB environment
✔ Backup package info before bulk deletion
✔ Verify Distribution Point names and DP group names
✔ Ensure the path to the package list file is correct

Conclusion

A clean and optimized SCCM/MECM environment ensures smoother deployments and fewer system issues. This PowerShell script greatly simplifies the package cleanup process by automating removal from Distribution Points and the MECM database.

If you manage large-scale SCCM infrastructures, automating repetitive cleanup tasks like this can significantly reduce administrative overhead and improve overall environment health.

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Saturday, November 22, 2025

Bulk Remove SCCM Applications and Their Distribution Points Using PowerShell

Managing applications in Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (MECM/SCCM) can become time-consuming—especially when you need to remove multiple applications along with their associated Distribution Points (DPs) or DP Groups.

To simplify this process, here’s a PowerShell script that:

✔ Reads application names from a text file
✔ Removes associated Distribution Point Groups
✔ Removes individual Distribution Points
✔ Deletes the application from the MECM database
✔ Displays progress and success messages in the console

This script is very helpful during environment cleanups, migrations, or when retiring large numbers of outdated applications.

PowerShell Script: Bulk Application & DP Cleanup in SCCM

$application = Get-Content "C:\applicationlist.txt"

Write-Host "Application removal initiated, Please wait..." -BackgroundColor DarkMagenta

foreach ($applicationname in $application)
{
    # Removing associated DP group from application
    Write-Host "Application Name: $applicationname" -BackgroundColor Blue

    Write-Host "Removing associated DP group and DP from the application..." -BackgroundColor Gray

    Remove-CMContentDistribution -ApplicationName $applicationname -DistributionPointGroupName "Enter the distribution group Name" -Force
    Remove-CMContentDistribution -ApplicationName $applicationname -DistributionPointName "Enter the DP Name" -Force

    Write-Host "$applicationname - Associated DP group and DP removed successfully." -BackgroundColor Green

    Write-Host "Please wait..." -BackgroundColor Gray

    # Removing application from SCCM DB
    Write-Host "Removing application from MECM database..." -BackgroundColor Gray

    Get-CMApplication -Name "$applicationname" | Remove-CMApplication -Force

    Write-Host "Successfully removed application: $applicationname" -BackgroundColor Green
}

📂 Preparing the Application List

Create a simple text file at:

C:\applicationlist.txt

Add each application name on a new line—names must match exactly as shown in MECM:

Google Chrome
Mozilla Firefox
Adobe Reader
WinRAR

▶️ How the Script Works

1. Load application names

The script reads each application from the text file using Get-Content.

2. Remove DP Group & DP associations

It removes:

  • The assigned Distribution Point Group

  • The assigned Distribution Point

This ensures MECM doesn’t block deletion due to content distribution.

3. Remove the application from MECM

After cleanup, the script removes each application using:

Remove-CMApplication -Force

4. Shows clear status messages

Colored console messages indicate progress and completion.

⚠️ Important Notes Before Running

  • Run this script in the Configuration Manager PowerShell environment.

  • Replace the placeholders:

    • "Enter the distribution group Name"

    • "Enter the DP Name"

  • Ensure you have Application Administrator or higher permissions.

  • Test the script in a non-production environment first.

  • This script permanently deletes applications, so proceed cautiously.

✔️ Benefits of Using This Script

  • Saves hours of manual cleanup

  • Automates DP and DP group removal

  • Avoids MECM dependency errors

  • Ensures consistent and repeatable cleanup

  • Ideal for large-scale environment maintenance

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How to Retire the SCCM/MECM application by using PowerShell command line

Retire Multiple Applications in SCCM Using PowerShell

Managing applications in SCCM (ConfigMgr) can become time-consuming when you need to retire multiple apps one by one. To simplify this process, you can use a PowerShell script that reads application names from a text file and retires them automatically.

This script uses the Suspend-CMApplication cmdlet to retire each application listed in applist.txt. It’s a fast and efficient way to bulk-retire applications—perfect for cleanup tasks, environment restructuring, or decommissioning outdated software.


PowerShell Script: Retire Applications

Suspend-CMApplication -Name $applicationname

PowerShell Script: Retire Applications in Bulk

$appname = Get-Content "C:\applist.txt"

foreach ($appname1 in $appname) 
{
    Suspend-CMApplication -Name $appname1
    Write-Host "$appname1 has been retired successfully" -BackgroundColor Green
}

How It Works
  1. Input file:
     Create a text file named applist.txt at C:\ containing the list of application names—one per line.

  2. Load the list:
     The script reads each line of the file using Get-Content.

  3. Retire the applications:
     For each app name, the script runs Suspend-CMApplication, which retires the application in SCCM.
  4. Status message:
 After each retirement, PowerShell displays a green success message.
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