XCON: Zero Byte Attachments Cause NDRs from Exchange 5.5 SP1

ID: Q193762

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.5 and 5.5 SP1

SYMPTOMS

Using the following diagram to aid explanation:


   MS Mail ------> Exchange Server A <-----------------> Exchange Server B
                                    '88 X400 - NO D/REP

When messages with zero byte files are sent from Microsoft Mail to Exchange Server B, Exchange Server B sends non-delivery reports on the messages.

Typical events seen in the event logs (generated by the message transfer agent or MTA) include:


  Event: 210
   Description: An internal MTA error occurred. Content conversion for
   message C=US;A= ;P=Microsoft;L=SERVERB-980805135302Z-7 failed.
   Conversion error: 4096, Object at fault: 0600002F, Original content
   type: 2A864886F7140501, New content type: 56010A01. PDU dump reference
   1 [MTA DISP:FANOUT 13 112] (14)

  Event: 290
   Description: A non-delivery report (reason code unable-to-transfer and
   diagnostic code content-syntax-error) is being generated for message
   C=US;A= ;P=Microsoft;L=SERVERB-980805135302Z-7. It was originally
   destined for DN:/o=MICROSOFT/ou=SHELLKEEP/cn=RECIPIENTS/cn=MSMailA§
   (recipient number 1), and was to be redirected to
   DN:/o=MICROSOFT/ou=SHELLKEEP/cn=RECIPIENTS/cn=MSMailA§C=US;A=
   ;P=Microsoft;O=ShellMSMI;S=Admin;G=MSMail;. [MTA DISP:RESULT 18 136]
   (12)

CAUSE

This problem is caused by a boundary condition bug in the MTA.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Exchange Server version 5.5. For more information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q191014 XGEN: How to Obtain the Latest Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack

The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:

Component: Message Transfer Agent (MTA)


   File Name      Version
   -------------------------
   Dbserver.sch   5.5.2391.0
   Dcprods.cat    5.5.2391.0
   Ems_rid.dll    5.5.2391.0
   Emsmta.exe     5.5.2391.0
   Info4log.cfg   5.5.2391.0
   Infodlog.cfg   5.5.2391.0
   Infollog.cfg   5.5.2391.0
   Infotlog.cfg   5.5.2391.0
   Mtacheck.exe   5.5.2391.0
   Mtamsg.dll     5.5.2391.0
   P2.xv2         5.5.2391.0
   X400om.dll     5.5.2391.0
   X400omv1.dll   5.5.2391.0

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.5 and 5.5 Service Pack 1. This problem was first corrected in Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 2.

Keywords : exc55sp2fix XCON
Version : WinNT:5.5,5.5SP1
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbbug