KB135352 - Frequently Asked Questions for Mail for PC Networks

Article ID: 135352

Article Last Modified on 10/30/2006

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Mail for PC Networks 3.5

This article was previously published under Q135352

SUMMARY

Below is a list of frequently asked questions and the answers about version 3.5 of Microsoft Mail for PC Networks.

MORE INFORMATION

Q. What are the most common Mail issues listed in the Microsoft Knowledge Base?

A. 114119: Application Notes Available for Mail for PC Networks
115163: Automating Multiple Mail Logins on NetWare 3.11
99946: Available Modem Scripts
99725: Checking for Ownerless Files in NetWare
103421: Contents of Mail 3.2 Enhancements and Corrections
77926: Description of Mail Database Subdirectories
94259: Err Msg: Could Not Find Mail System Database
111537: Frequently Asked Questions for Mail for Windows 3.2
100826: How External Sends Mail Between Postoffices
103379: How to Create Groups Spanning Multiple Postoffices
96501: Incorrect Unread Message Count
95939: Installing PC Mail 3.0 on a Novell 3.11 Server
97958: Installing Remote and LAN Drivers on One Computer
97080: Mail Installation Prompts for User Data Disk
115162: Microsoft At Work PC Fax with Mail 3.2 Windows Client
97852: Modifying Modem Scripts
104360: New Mail Notification Using a Custom Command
93562: New Mail Notification - Sound Chime & Flash Envelope
92439: Preventing .KEY Files from Locking Up on Networks
94210: Running the Mail 3.0b Windows Client from the Network
99636: Running Windows Client on Windows for Workgroups
105964: Simple MAPI Common Technical Questions and Answers
110733: Summary List of Mail for Windows 3.2 Bugs
111000: Summary List of Mail Remote for Windows 3.2 Bugs
100455 Using Gateway Address Lists
96531: Using Mail Remote with Schedule+
101138: Using the ServerPath Entry in the MSMAIL.INI File
98912: Version 3.2 Postoffice Upgrade Instructions
Q. Is there a list of bug fixes included in version 3.5 of Mail for PC Networks?

A. All files have been upgraded with version 3.5 of Microsoft Mail for PC Networks. A comprehensive list of all files upgraded due to fixes or otherwise revised is as follows:

Client (version 3.5.2000.4086)
MSMAIL.EXE
MAPI.DLL
MSSFS.DLL
SCHEDMSG.DLL
Microsoft Mail (Macintosh workstation)
Server (version 3.5 for .EXE)
ADMIN.EXE
EXTERNAL.EXE
ASYNC.OVL
X25ATLAN.OVL
X25EICON.OVL
IMPORT.EXE
REBUILD.EXE
SRVMAIN.EXE
For more information, see 132059 "Summary List of Mail for PC Networks 3.5 Bug Fixes" in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
Q. Will the MTA and MMTA run under Windows NT?

A. Version 3.2x of the mail transfer agent (MTA) is designed and tested to run on an MS-DOS-based operating system. Version 3.2x of the Mail Multitasking MTA (MMTA) is designed and tested to run on OS/2 and 2.x operating system.

The 3.2x MTA is not supported under any circumstances under Windows NT. The 3.2x MMTA is supported doing LAN-based transfers only under the Windows NT operating system. The MMTA is not supported doing asynchronous transfers because the MMTA must access hardware directly, and this is not possible under Windows NT.

Transferring via X.25 is not supported either for the MMTA on Windows NT, as there was not an X.25 driver for Windows NT. Only version 3.5 of the Mail Multitasking MMTA for Windows NT is supported in an NT environment.
Q. What is the purpose of inbox shadowing?

A. The Inbox Shadowing feature instructs Mail for Windows to synchronize its inbox with the other Microsoft for PC Networks workstations[ASCII 146] inboxes.

For example, Mail marks each inbox message once as synchronized. When you delete a message from the Mail for Windows inbox, it will be deleted from the inbox for each other client.

For more information, see 96718, "Description and Use of Inbox Shadowing," in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
Q. How can I perform maintenance on the Mail for PC Networks database?

A. The "Database Maintenance Utilities" document describes operational details for utilities used to repair and maintain the database for Microsoft Mail for PC Networks. The procedures described apply to versions 2.1 and later of Microsoft Mail except where noted.

To obtain this document and the utilities in the United States, ftp to the following site:
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/mail/pcmail-public/WA0641/
Q. What integrity or diagnostic tests can be run against my mail message file (MMF)?

A. There are two utilities that you can run on the MMF: integrity check and compression.

To run the integrity check:

NOTE: Do not invoke the MMF integrity check unless you know your MMF is corrupt. There is a possibility, depending on the contents of an attachment, that the Mail client will improperly remove part or all of the attachment.
Hold the SHIFT key down while you are entering Mail for Windows to check the integrity of the MMF.
To run the compression:
Hold the F5 key down while you are entering Mail for Windows to recover space occupied by deleted objects in the MMF.
For more information, see 112265, "Using F5 or SHIFT Key to Start Mail Utilities," in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
Q. I have run MOVEUSER.EXE, and now a number of users cannot access the mail server. What is the problem?

A. This problem indicates that an ADMIN.EXE password recover has been executed on the user's mail message file (MMF) before you moved the user with MOVEUSER.EXE. As a result, the password was not carried over to the new mail server.

For more information, see 117650, "MOVEUSER.EXE Causes Invalid MMF After Password Reset," in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
Q. Is there a utility available that will allow me to perform housekeeping on server-based mail message files (MMFs)?

A. Yes. Microsoft provides MMFCLEAN.EXE, a Windows-based application, to purge mail from MMFs.

For more information, see 117693, "Microsoft Mail MMFCLEAN.EXE Utility," in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
Q. How can I optimize Mail connections via Remote Access Service (RAS)?

A. Microsoft Mail for Windows is supported over RAS; although it will be much slower than if you access Mail directly over a network. (Version 3.2 of Microsoft Mail Remote for Windows provides faster access.) If you need to use Mail for Windows over RAS, you should compose and read messages offline.

For more information, see 119581, "Using Mail Over RAS," in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
Q. Why do I get the error "This account is not a valid user of this message file" when I log in to the Windows client?

A. You will receive the error when the criteria contained in the Mail Message File (MMF) does not match your information on the postoffice. When this message is seen, it indicates that you are being properly validated by the postoffice, and the information returned from the postoffice does not match what is in the MMF.

For more information, see 130096, "Err Msg: This Account Is Not a Valid User of this...," in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
Q. Can I have more than one Directory Synchronization (Dir- Sync) server within my organization?

A. No. Requestors can be registered with only one Dir-Sync server. Also, the Dir-Sync server cannot be registered as a requestor with another Dir-Sync server.

For more information about the Dir-Sync process, please see 96060, "Directory Synchronization (Dir-Sync)" in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
Q. Can the MS-DOS Directory Synchronization (Dir-Sync) files be used on the OS/2 platform with the Multitasking MTA (MMTA)?

A. Yes. The Dir-Sync files (IMPORT.EXE, NSDA.EXE, REBUILD.EXE, REQMAIN.EXE, and SRVMAIN.EXE) are "bound" applications. As a result, they can be run on multiple platforms, such as MS- DOS and OS/2.

All Dir-Sync files, except DISPATCH.EXE, can be run in these environments.
Q. What is the MAIL.DAT file?

A. The MAIL.DAT is a file created when Advanced Security is installed on the postoffice. This file contains the location of the postoffice data files. The file is encrypted so users cannot see the location of the data files; thus, they can not tamper with them.

The MAIL.DAT file must reside in the Mail executable directory. If you remove the file, your postoffice no longer has the advanced security features, and users must establish a drive connection to the Maildata share to use the Mail program.

For more information about the MAIL.DAT file, refer to Chapter 2 of the Mail for PC Networks "Administrator's Guide."
Q. How can two or more users run Microsoft Mail from one workstation?

A. To run multiple Mail clients from the same workstation, make the MSMAIL.INI file read-only. As a result, each person who logs in to the workstation will have to enter his or her name and password information to access the Mail account.
Q. How can I create groups on one postoffice that span multiple postoffices?

To set up this environment so that the least amount of maintenance is needed, do the following:
1. Create a group on each postoffice titled, for example,
  All PO# Users
  where # is the postoffice number. Each group should contain ALL local users, but NO external users.
2. Export the updated address lists among all the postoffices (or let the directory synchronization (Dir- Sync) cycle complete).
  
  NOTE: If a group only contains users on the local postoffice, it can participate in Dir-Sync.
3. After the Dir-Sync cycle is complete, from the Administrator program on each postoffice, merge the group names from the other postoffices into the local postoffice address list (POL) using the Address, Create command.
4. Create a group on EACH postoffice, for example,
  All Users at ABC Company
  The group should contain all local users (the same users as in step 1 above) AND the All PO# Users group names from the other postoffices.
  
  Notes:
  - Once the groups in step 4 have been created, you should not export the address list again. Doing so will create duplicate group names on the Global Address List (GAL).
  - Because this group will contain two external addresses, it will not participate in Dir-Sync.
For more information on automating groups, see 103379, "How to Create Groups Spanning Multiple Postoffices" and 124044 "Replicating Postoffice Address List Groups Between POs" in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
Q. How can I create group folders from Mail for Windows?

A. Group folders cannot be created in the Windows client. They must be created in the Microsoft Mail for PC Networks, MS- DOS workstation in order for the Windows client to use them.
Q. My Directory Synchronization (Dir-Sync) cycle is one hour off the week before Daylight Saving Time begins. How can I correct this?

A. The PROCESS.GLB is not Daylight Saving Time (DST) aware, but the Dispatch process is. As a result, when Dispatch queries the PROCESS.GLB schedule table, it calculates each process up to a week (604,800 seconds) in advance. The week before DST, Dispatch interprets the table as one week plus one hour different; however the difference is not noted in the PROCESS.GLB schedule.

To correct this, either re-adjust the times in the Administrator[ASCII 146]s program (ADMIN.EXE) to update the PROCESS.GLB file, or use the TimeZone (-TZ) variable on the External command line.

For more information, see 101753 [ASCII 147]When to Use the Time Zone Option with Dir-Sync[ASCII 148] in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
Q. How do I configure Mail when a shared version of Microsoft Windows is installed on my network server?

A. The information in the Microsoft Knowledge Base article 107444 "Running Windows Client from the Network" outlines the procedures for users to run Mail for Windows from the network without storing Mail files on their local workstations.

The following procedures are outlined in the article so that the network administrator can set up Mail so users can run Mail for Windows from the network without storing Mail files on their local workstations.
- "Running Windows and Mail from the Network--Same Directory" explains how to set up Mail for Windows when users run both Microsoft Windows and version 3.2a of Mail for Windows from the same network directory.
- "Running Windows and Mail from the Network--Different Directories" explains how to set up Mail for Windows when users run both Windows and Mail for Windows from different network directories.
- "Running Windows Locally and Mail from the Network" explains how to set up Mail for Windows when users run Windows locally and run Mail for Windows from the network.
- "Running Windows from the Network and Mail Locally" explains how to set up Mail for Windows when users run Windows from the network and run Mail for Windows locally.
Q. What are the differences between the Windows for Workgroups version of Mail and retail Mail?

A. The Workgroups Mail postoffice architecture is similar to the architecture for Microsoft Mail for PC Networks. This is so users with connectivity needs beyond their workgroup can easily upgrade.

The postoffice structure and Windows client are identical except for the following:
- No Demo files are in the workgroup postoffice. Microsoft Mail for PC Networks does include these files.
- No spell checker is supplied with Microsoft Mail for PC Networks.
- The postoffice in Windows for Workgroups does not support connections to external postoffices or gateways. For example, a Windows for Workgroups postoffice cannot connect to another postoffice or gateway.
- Microsoft Mail for PC Networks includes support for global aliases or network group names while Windows for Workgroups Mail does not.
- The default ADMIN.TPL and ADMIN.INF files in Windows for Workgroups Mail are created with predefined user information in the workgroup postoffice. For example, the user templates included in Windows for Workgroups Mail contain template information regarding Phone number #1, Phone number #2, Office, Department, and Notes. These must be created separately in Microsoft Mail for PC Networks.
- Microsoft Mail for PC Networks includes an administration program not created in Windows for Workgroups Mail. In Windows for Workgroups, the administration program is accessed via the Mail menu in the Windows Mail client.
- Microsoft Mail for PC Networks includes an administration utility that is used to administer and configure the postoffice. The ADMIN.EXE program can be used to configure and administer the postoffice from any workstation on the network running MS-DOS. In Windows for Workgroups, the administration program is accessed via the Mail menu in the Windows Mail client. Only the administrator can log on under his or her account and administer the postoffice on the workstation only.
- The Mail client included with Microsoft Windows for Workgroups version 3.11 is designed to work with Microsoft At Work PC Fax. However, At Work Fax is not supported with version 3.2 of Microsoft Mail for Windows.
For more information, see 94178, "Differences Between Windows for Workgroups Mail & PC Mail." in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.

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