WFWG: Cannot Connect to Local Postoffice

• Microsoft Windows for Workgroups versions 3.1, 3.11

SYMPTOMS

If a Windows for Workgroups mail administrator sets up the Workgroup Postoffice (WGPO) on another Workgroup user's machine, that other user cannot connect to the postoffice, and receives one of the following error messages:

   The selected network path cannot be found

   This operation is not supported on this machine

CAUSE

WFWG Mail defaults to uniform naming conventions (UNC) to specify the location of the postoffice. UNC cannot be used to connect a user to a share on his/her local machine. Browsing for the WGPO share on the local machine results in the "not supported" error message. Manually typing in the UNC name of the share (<machinename>\WGPO) results in the path not being found, as does typing in the local path (F:\WGPO).

WORKAROUND

Use one of the following workaround options to edit or reconstruct the user's MSMAIL.INI file, allowing the user to logon to the postoffice on his/her local machine.

Option 1

1. Copy the MSMAIL.INI file from a machine that is already connected to the WGPO.

2. Edit the MSMAIL.INI file for Machine1:

   a. Change the "serverpath=" statement to reflect the local path.

   b. Change the "login=" statement to reflect the Machine1 mailbox

         (as setup by the Mail Administrator).
   

3. Copy the newly edited MSMAIL.INI file to the WINDOWS directory on Machine1.

Option 2

To create the Machine1 MSMAIL.INI file from scratch:

1. Create a file in a text editor (such as note pad).

2. Type the following:

[Custom Commands] IMEX=3.0;File;;10 ;Please note that the following set of lines should be typed as two ;lines -- one beginning EXF= and one beginning IMF= EXF=3.0;File;&Export Folder...;11;IMPEXP.DLL;0;;Exports folders to a backup file;MSMAIL.HLP;2860 IMF=3.0;File;&Import Folder...;12;IMPEXP.DLL;1;;Imports folders from a backup file;MSMAIL.HLP;2861

[Custom Messages] ;Please note that the following set of lines should be typed as a ;total of 5 lines, each beginning IPM.Microsoft Schedule. IPM.Microsoft Schedule.MtgReq=3.0;;;;SchedMsg.DLL;;1111100000000000;;;; IPM.Microsoft Schedule.MtgRespP=3.0;;;;SchedMsg.DLL;;1100100000000000;;;; IPM.Microsoft Schedule.MtgRespN=3.0;;;;SchedMsg.DLL;;1100100000000000;;;; IPM.Microsoft Schedule.MtgRespA=3.0;;;;SchedMsg.DLL;;1100100000000000;;;; IPM.Microsoft Schedule.MtgCncl=3.0;;;;SchedMsg.DLL;;1100100000000000;;;;

1. Save the file as MSMAIL.INI in the WINDOWS subdirectory of the postoffice machine.