PC Win: Err Msg: Mail Failed to Relocate Your Message File

ID: Q105175

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Mail for Windows, versions 3.0, 3.0b, 3.2

SYMPTOMS

In versions 3.0, 3.0b, and 3.2 of Microsoft Mail for Windows, when a user tries to move the Mail message file (MMF) from the postoffice to the local computer (or vice versa), the following error message may be displayed:

Mail failed to relocate your message file

This error message may occur if there is insufficient free disk space on the target drive or if the MSMAIL.INI file is marked as Read Only.

RESOLUTION

If there is insufficient disk space, you can resolve the problem by freeing disk space on the target drive.

If the MSMAIL.INI file is marked as Read Only, simply changing the properties of the MSMAIL.INI file will not resolve the problem. After changing the properties of the MSMAIL.INI file, another error message will be displayed the next time the user logs into the Windows client:

Your message file could not be found

The user is then prompted for the location of an .MMF file.

Mail for Windows uses the MSMAIL.INI file to write intermediate information while the .MMF file is being transferred. Because the MSMAIL.INI file is marked Read Only, this information cannot be written and hence the error occurs. Even though the .MMF file was not relocated, the ACCESS3.GLB file was changed to reflect the intended new location.

If the .MMF file is on the postoffice, perform the following steps:

Determine the user's 8-digit ID number. You can determine this number in one of two ways:
- Use USRDUMP.EXE or LISTUSER.EXE.
- Log in to the MS-DOS client and move the user's folders to Private-Storage. This creates an .IDX file with the same filename as the user's 8-digit ID. After the user's ID has been determined, the user's private folders should be moved back to the server.

Copy the user's .MMF file (<user's 8 digit ID>.MMF) from the MMF directory on the postoffice to the user's local computer.

The exact location of the .MMF file is now known.

Start Microsoft Mail. After the user signs in, the following error message is displayed:

Your Message file could not be found

The Open Message File dialog box will then be displayed.

Select the correct .MMF file.

The user should now be able to move the .MMF file to or from local storage.

MORE INFORMATION

The LISTUSER utility is included as part of the Database Maintenance Utilities document. To obtain these utilities, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q99419 PC DB: Database Maintenance Utilities (Complete)

Additional query words:

Keywords :
Version : WINDOWS:3.0,3.0b,3.2
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type :