PC DirSync: Err Msg: Fatal [ 7] Error Renaming File

• Microsoft Mail for PC Networks, versions 3.0, 3.2, 3.2a, and 3.5

SYMPTOMS

During a postoffice Directory Synchronization (Dir-Sync), the DIRSYNC.LOG may indicate one of the following errors:

   06/12/95 16:52:14 | Status       Microsoft (R) Mail Import V3.2a
   06/12/95 16:52:23 | Fatal  [  7] Error renaming file: M:INF\IMPORT.INF

   06/08/94 02:47:52 | Status       Microsoft (R) Mail Import V3.2.6
   06/08/94 03:13:25 | Fatal  [  7] Error renaming file: M:USR\IMPORT.USR

CAUSE

In general, IMPORT.EXE generates the above error message when it is unable to rename the temporary IMPORT.* file to the appropriate <hexid>.INF or <hexid>.USR file.

RESOLUTION

Generally, this inability to properly rename the files is caused by that particular file (INF or USR) being inaccessible for some reason. These reasons may include any of the following:

• The INF is locked open.
• The user account logged into the network and running the Dir-Sync processes (DISPATCH.EXE) does not have sufficient rights to the postoffice or its subdirectories.
• Insufficient file handles in the CONFIG.SYS of the MS-DOS machine running the DISPATCH.EXE process.
• One or more INF (or USR) file in the INF subdirectory is marked as read-only.
• Anti virus software operating in "real time" on the server.
• Because of oplocks on the Windows NT server, the reads and writes are cached. Removing Opportunistic Locking on the Windows NT server experiencing the fatal 7 has been known to resolve this issue. To remove Oplocks from the server use REGEDT32.EXE, and change the following key;

  WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious, system-wide problems that may require you to reinstall Windows NT to correct them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use this tool at your own risk.

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer \Parameters

MORE INFORMATION

Any single postoffice refers to each of the externally defined postoffices by a hexadecimal identifier (hex-id). For example, one particular postoffice might refer to another postoffice by identifying it with the hex- id of 00000005. Therefore, the MBG and KEY files for all outbound mail to this externally defined postoffice will be 00000005.MBG and 00000005.KEY. The external user list will exist in 00000005.USR, and any template information will exist in 00000005.TPL and 00000005.INF (the template format and information files, respectively). Each of these files will reside in their appropriate subdirectories.

When IMPORT.EXE processes during the Dir-Sync cycle, it creates temporary files to store the completed updated files; two examples of these temporary files are the IMPORT.INF and IMPORT.USR files. Once the process is complete, IMPORT.EXE attempts to rename the temporary file to the actual file name. In this case, IMPORT.EXE would try to rename IMPORT.INF to 00000005.INF or IMPORT.USR to 00000005.USR. The previously listed error messages are generated in the DIRSYNC.LOG if this renaming process can not be completed.

NOTE: The Fatal 7 error is often followed by several Warning 90 messages.

After the Dir-Sync process completes and one of these error messages is generated, the IMPORT.INF or IMPORT.USR file may exist in the INF or USR subdirectory. The mail administrator may wish to attempt to complete the Dir-Sync process manually.

First, ensure that none of the problems listed above exist on this postoffice. Next, run a manual Import by typing in the following command against the problem postoffice:

   IMPORT -D<drive> ADMIN -P<password> -Y -Q