PC Adm: Message Stuck in Queue--Sent Multiple Times

• Microsoft Mail for PC Networks, version 3.2

SYMPTOMS

When you run the version 3.2 Mail Administrator program and choose the Queue option to check mail queued for an external postoffice, there may be mail messages that have not been deleted from the queue, even though the External Mail program (EXTERNAL.EXE) has successfully delivered the message to the external postoffice. Because the mail message remains in the queue, it will be delivered repeatedly until the administrator deletes the message from the queue. This symptom has been noted specifically with external postoffices defined as direct via modem.

CAUSE

Once a message is successfully delivered, the External Mail program updates the delete bit in the .KEY file to mark the header in the .MBG file as deleted. If the <HEXID>.KEY file (<HEXID> is the 8-digit ID that corresponds to the external postoffice) is not updated, the symptoms described above may occur. This problem can be caused by a lack of sufficient file handles.

RESOLUTION

Confirm that there is a FILES line in the CONFIG.SYS file and that it is set to 30 or more.

The default number of files allocated in MS-DOS is 20. The first 5 of these 20 are always assigned to the standard devices, which default to the CON, AUX, and PRN character devices. This leaves 15 for the External Mail process.