We are NOT using EXCHANGE on the SBS box; it is not in a fully working state.
Can I safely SKIP all steps in the migration guide related to EXCHANGE (other than maybe the shutdown)?
Thanks, in advance.
If you are not using Exchange Server 2007/2010 from your SBS 2008/2011 or mail is already migrated to another solution (Office 365) you still need to uninstall it from the SBS if you want to finish the migration. In the migration kits, we tell you at what moment you must uninstall Exchange Server from the SBS. If the Exchange Server services are disabled you must enable them and reboot the SBS before you start the uninstall sequence as described in Uninstall Exchange Server 2010 from SBS 2011 or Uninstall Exchange Server 2007 from SBS 2008.
If you did not upgrade your Exchange Server 2007/2010 because you did not use it we don't know if the uninstall will succeed as described in the guides. We know that there are issues with certain service pack levels or CU's. Even if you don't use Exchange Server 2007/2010 on your old SBS 2008/2011 you must install the updates as you would normally do on a running version. It is part of the attack surface of your server and even if the services are turned off it could become a security risk.