PC NTMMTA: Err Msg: Service Instance Not Found

• Microsoft Mail Multitasking MTA for Windows NT, version 3.5

SYMPTOMS

When a Windows NT Multitasking MMTA (NT MMTA) Dispatch or External instance is running, Control Panel, Services shows the instance as started and mail is being moved, or Performance Monitor (PerfMon) shows the appropriate number of OS/2 processes active.

However, when you start a Monitor for the instance from the Mail Service Manager, you will get an MS-DOS box that flashes open and closes. In addition, when you start a Monitor for the instance from the Command window, you will get the following error message:

   Error: Service instance not found. Service may not be running.

CAUSE

The NT MMTA instance was previously stopped while a Monitor was connected to it. The instance was restarted while the Monitor was still open. The running Monitor did not connect to the restarted NT MMTA instance (expected behavior), and the Monitor was closed.

All subsequent tries to start a Monitor for the restarted NT MMTA instance will fail with the symptoms given above.

RESOLUTION

Stop the problem NT MMTA instance, and start it again. Then start a Monitor for the instance; the Monitor should start successfully and connect to the NT MMTA instance.

In the future, if an NT MMTA instance has a Monitor running, make sure the Monitor is stopped when the instance is stopped.