PC Gen: README.TXT: Mail 3.5 Diagnostics Utility

ID: Q134753

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Mail for PC Networks, version 3.5

The following is the README.TXT from the version 3.5 Microsoft Mail for PC Networks Mail Diagnostics disk.

MICROSOFT MAIL POSTOFFICE DIAGNOSTICS UTILITY

THIS UTILITY IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

WARNING: In order to avoid any risk of loss of data or data corruption, please make a backup copy of your Microsoft Mail postoffice. DO NOT RUN THIS UTILITY ON A PRODUCTION POSTOFFICE WITHOUT A BACKUP BEING AVAILABLE.

Introduction

The Microsoft Mail Postoffice Diagnostics utility is a Windows-based utility that checks Microsoft Mail databases on version 2.1, and 3.x postoffices. Microsoft designed this utility to enable you to better administer and maintain your postoffice without relying on Microsoft Product Support Services.

WARNING: Before you use the Diagnostics utility to fix the database, make an ADDITIONAL backup copy of your Microsoft Mail postoffice. If an error occurs during a fix, you can restore the backup made immediately before you used the Diagnostics utility to perform the fix. In all other circumstances, you should restore the database from your most recent regularly scheduled backup.

You can use the Diagnostics utility tools to diagnose and resolve potential corruption problems on the postoffice. The Diagnostics utility contains a General Postoffice Summary tool and four tools that check:

* Address and group files

* User mail files

* Server folder files

* Directory synchronization (Dir-Sync) files (version 3.x postoffices only)

The utility adds to the utility log file any problems it finds in the database. You can also use the Diagnostics utility tools to check and fix the database. When you use the check and fix tools, you decide which problems the utility fixes.

WARNING: If you use the Diagnostics utility to check and fix the database, no users or programs should access the postoffice while the utility is running. It is also best to check the database when there is little or no activity on the postoffice; checking the database when users are logged on to the postoffice can cause inaccurate error reporting.

Requirements

To use this utility, you must have:

* Microsoft Mail postoffice version 2.1 or 3.x

* Administrator access rights to the postoffice

* Full network operating system access rights to the postoffice and all its subdirectories

* Hardware and software required for Microsoft Windows

Installing and Starting the Diagnostics Utility

To install the Diagnostics utility

Start Windows.

In the Windows Program Manager, choose Run from the File menu.

Insert the disk into your floppy disk drive.

In the Command Line box, type the following and press ENTER
<drive>:setup
where <drive> is the floppy disk drive containing the MS Mail PO Diagnostics 3.5 Setup Disk. For example, if the MS Mail PO Diagnostics 3.5 Setup Disk is in drive A, type the following command:
a:setup

To start the Diagnostics utility

* In the MS Mail PO Diag 3.5 group, double-click the MS Mail PO Diagnostics 3.5 icon. The Microsoft Mail Postoffice Diagnostics dialog box appears.

WARNING: Do not use the Diagnostics utility to check and fix the database unless you have a recent backup of the postoffice. Not all problems can be fixed by the utility, and maintaining a good backup schedule is essential to restoring postoffice operation, especially in cases where the database is corrupt.

Be aware that the size of your postoffice affects the time required to check and fix the database. You may notice this when running the Address and Group or User Mail tools--checking and fixing the database with these tools may require several hours to complete.

Fixing Database Errors

DO NOT use the Diagnostics utility to fix the database errors while other programs or users are accessing the postoffice database. This may cause improper fixes or corruption to the postoffice database.

It is recommended that you should run Diagnostics utility to check the postoffice database first before fix. This will allow you to analyze the database problems encountered and decide which database errors that you should fix.

Finding Information About the Diagnostics Utility

The documentation for the Diagnostics utility is online Help.

To view the table of contents for Help, choose Contents from the Help menu.

To view Help instructions, choose How To Use Help from the Help menu.

Maintaining the Network Connection

It is important to maintain the network connection to the postoffice when using the Diagnostics utility. If you are disconnected from the network while the Diagnostics utility is running, the tools may report missing files or directories.

Additional Information About Error Messages

Error 117

When you fix the database, and the following error message appears

Detected an incorrect value in file <filename>. The value will be reset to its default. Do you want it corrected? [117]


If <filename> is      Do this
----------------      ---------
ACCESS.GLB            After the fix, a user may have been reset to the
or                    default user attributes, or may have lost the
ACCESS2.GLB           ability to create and access private, group or
                      shared folders.

                      Check the user access privileges and folder
                      privileges for every user in your postoffice. You
                      can print the user report (using the Administrator
                      program Local-Admin Print commands) to check the
                      user access and folder privileges for users in your
                      postoffice. If you find the privileges for a user
                      are not correct, you can then change the user access
                      or folder privileges using the Administrator program
                      Local-Admin Modify commands.

ACCESS3.GLB           If there are any DOS Remote users who are set to
                      CALL/REQUEST remote user type, ensure that their
                      remote user access times are correct (using the
                      Administrator program Remote Modify commands).

                      If there are any DOS Client users, request them
                      to check the location of their folders (using the
                      Mail program Options Folders Private-Storage
                      commands). The location of the folders may have
                      been reset to the server.

                      If there are any DOS Client users, request them to
                      check their logfile paths for compose messages and
                      read messages (using the Mail program Options
                      Configure commands). These may have been changed.

GLOBAL.GLB            Check the Mail default options for creating users
                      in your postoffice (using the Administrator program
                      Local-Admin Options commands). These options may
                      have been reset to the initial defaults.

MASTER.GLB            Ensure that the hop count for indirect postoffices
                      is correct (using the Administrator program Config
                      Hop count commands).

                      If the postoffice accesses a SNADS gateway, ensure
                      that the address mappings are correct.

PROCESS.GLB           If the postoffice is configured for directory
                      synchronization, ensure that the schedule for
                      directory synchronization processes is correct:
                      - schedule for Server (using the Administrator
                        program Config Dir-Sync Server Schedule commands)
                      - schedule for Requestor (using the Administrator
                        program Config Dir-Sync Requestor Schedule
                        commands)

REQCONF.GLB           If the postoffice is configured as a Requestor
                      in directory synchronization, ensure that the
                      requestor configuration is correct:
                      - registration (using the Administrator program
                        Config Dir-Sync Requestor Registration commands)
                      - address types (using the Administrator program
                        Config Dir-Sync Requestor Types commands)
                      - configuration (using the Administrator program
                        Config Dir Sync Requestor Options commands)

SRVCONF.GLB           If the postoffice is configured as a Server in
                      directory synchronization, ensure that the server
                      configuration is correct:
                      - configuration (using the Administrator program
                        Config Dir-Sync Server Options commands)
                      - requestor list (using the Administrator program
                        Config Dir-Sync Server Requestors Modify commands)

Error 129

The utility available from Microsoft Product Support Services is called FIXFLD, not FOLDFIX, as described in the online Help.

Unknown or inaccessible address -- User Mail/Blank Message Creation

The User Mail Check and Fix detects missing .MAI files if under "Details of Check" you selected "Mailbag Pointers." When the utility recreates the .MAI file, the mail is addressed with a TO and FROM of TESTNET/TESTPO/Admin.

When the user opens this mail message, he or she is instructed to resubmit it. If the user replies to this message, the Mail program will issue the following message:

Unknown or inaccessible address:
TESTNET/TESTPO/Admin
Press any key to continue...

To resolve this problem, ask the user to forward this message to the recipient, not create a reply. (The recipient's name can be found on the message header in the Inbox.)

Problems with Directory Synchronization

The instructions for error 161 incorrectly states that the utility will detect a missing MSTTRANS.GLB file. The Directory Synchronization Check does not detect a missing MSTTRANS.GLB file on a directory server postoffice. If Directory Synchronization does not work, check to see that the MSTTRANS.GLB file is in the GLB subdirectory. If the MSTTRANS.GLB file is missing, ignore the instructions for resynchronizing and call Product Support Services.

Additional query words:

Keywords :
Version : WINDOWS:3.5
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type :