PC Win: Err Msg: Mailbag File Required for Accessing Message..

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

SYMPTOMS

When you access the New Messages option from the View menu in Microsoft Mail for Windows, you may get the following error message:

The mailbag file for accessing your messages is missing or invalid, contact your administrator to restore from a backup.

CAUSE

This is caused by either corruption in the .MBG file or a corrupt message sitting in the Inbox of the Microsoft Mail for PC Networks, MS-DOS workstation.

RESOLUTION

The following procedure will resolve this issue:

1. Run LISTUSER.EXE to determine the hex-id for the user.



2. Check to see if the user's (hex-id).KEY and (hex-id).MBG files are locked open or ownerless. To check if a file is locked open, you can try renaming the file. If it allows you to do so, the file is not locked open. Make sure that you rename it back once tested.



3. Login to mail in the MS-DOS client (MAIL.EXE) as this user and check the messages in the Inbox for possible corruption. You should check for abnormalities such as all fives in the time and date stamp of the message or graphics characters in the subject and/or body of the message.



4. Delete the corrupt messages. If unable to do so, continue to the next step.



5. Reset the user's (hex-id).KEY and (hex-id).MBG files. This can be done with the following two procedures:
   
   
   1. Procedure 1
      
      To manually reset (hex-id).KEY:

      DEBUG (hex-id).KEY [return]
      -f100,32f,0 [return] (this resets the file)
      -w [return] (to write the file)
      -q [return] (to quit debug)m

      The correct filesize should be 560 bytes.
      
      To manually reset (hex-id).MBG:

      TYPE NUL > (hex-id).MBG

      The correct filesize should be 0 bytes.
   
   
   
   2. Procedure 2
      
      
      1. Run ADMIN.EXE and create a test user.
      
      
      
      2. Run LISTUSER.EXE to determine the hex-id of the test user.
      
      
      
      3. Copy (test user).KEY and .MBG to (user).KEY and .MBG.
      
      
      
      4. Run ADMIN.EXE and delete the test user.
      
      
      
   
   
   

Additional query words: 3.00 3.00b 3.20 3.20a reset .key

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