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GarryJ's avatar
GarryJ
Copper Contributor
Aug 29, 2025

Delete Old IRM Labels

Hi,

We just started using Purview and I want to set up Sensitivity Labels to protect information. Currently there are no sensitivity labels set up or visible in Purview. 

However, in Office Apps I can still see some Rights Management protection labels which were set up 10 years ago or more. I think these may have been set using AD RMS in our online Microsoft domain but I am not sure. They were never used and there are no documents protected using these labels. (To explain where I can see them: in Excel for example they are listed under File > Protect Workbook > Restrict Access)

I would like to get rid of these old labels so we can start clean using new sensitivity labels in Purview, but I can't find them listed anywhere and I can't find any articles that seem to cover this. 

I would be very grateful if anyone could explain how to list and hopefully delete these old labels so we can start fresh.

Many thanks. 

 

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  • Kidd_Ip's avatar
    Kidd_Ip
    MVP
    Aug 30, 2025

    Below are the steps you may refer to:

     

    1: Identify the Source of the Old Labels

    These legacy labels typically come from:

    • AD RMS templates published in your environment
    • Or Azure RMS templates if you previously used Azure Information Protection (AIP)

    To confirm:

    • Open PowerShell as admin
    • Run this command to list RMS templates:
    Get-RMSTemplate

    If this returns old templates, they’re likely still published and available to Office apps.

     

    2: Remove or Archive Old RMS Templates

    If you're using Azure RMS (part of Microsoft 365), you can manage templates via PowerShell:

    Connect-AipService
Get-AipServiceTemplate

    Then disable or delete unused templates:

    Disable-AipServiceTemplate -TemplateId <GUID>

    Or to delete:

    Remove-AipServiceTemplate -TemplateId <GUID>

    Only remove templates that are truly unused and not protecting any content.

     

    3: Clean Up AD RMS

    If you’re still running an on-prem AD RMS server, try to:

    • Log into the AD RMS admin console
    • Navigate to Rights Policy Templates
    • Delete or archive the old templates

    Then, clear the RMS cache on client machines:

    rd /s /q "%localappdata%\Microsoft\MSIPC"

    This forces Office apps to refresh their available labels.

     

    4: Validate in Office Apps

    After cleanup:

    • Restart Office apps
    • Go to File > Protect Workbook > Restrict Access
    • Confirm the old labels no longer appear

     

    5: Start Fresh with Purview Sensitivity Labels

     

    • Create new Sensitivity Labels in Microsoft Purview
    • Publish them via Label Policies
    • Apply them across Microsoft 365 apps and services
    • GarryJ's avatar
      GarryJ
      Copper Contributor
      Sep 01, 2025

      Thanks Kidd_lp. That worked. But I still have one issue. I can't clear the RMS cache on one PC. 

      I have office running on 3 PCs using the same license. On 2 of them Office apps are loading the templates for Restrict Access and the old ones have disappeared. However, on my main PC they are still showing (and it doesn't seem to load them - they seem to be cached on the PC locally). 

      I have run the command you suggested: rd /s /q "%localappdata%\Microsoft\MSIPC"

      This does delete all files in the MSIPC folder. When I open an Office app again these files are re-created with a new time and date. But the old templates which have now disappeared from the other PCs are still showing in Office. 

      I have also tried logging out of my account before clearing the cache, then restarting, then logging back in again, but the result is the same. 

      There must be somewhere else on the PC that they are being stored. Do you have any idea where and how to clear this?

      Many thanks.

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