Q111558: PC Ext: Microsoft Mail EXTERNAL.EXE Version 3.2.18 Update

Article: Q111558
Product(s): Microsoft Mail For PC Networks
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.2,3.2a
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbgraphxlinkcritical
Last Modified: 21-DEC-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Mail for PC Networks, versions 3.2, 3.2a 
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SUMMARY
=======

Microsoft provides a replacement for the External Mail program files that are
included with versions 3.2 and 3.2a of Microsoft Mail for PC Networks.

For complete information about obtaining and installing the External Mail program
files, see the following sections:

- To download the updated file

- To update your MS-DOS EXTERNAL.EXE file

MORE INFORMATION
================

This update contains the External Mail program (EXTERNAL.EXE), a replacement for
the External Mail program files that are included with version 3.2 of Microsoft
Mail for PC Networks. This update resolves the following problems:

- NetBIOS notification does not work when the sender and receiver are on
  different postoffices and there are multiple External Mail programs running.
  The only time notification works is if the first External Mail program that
  was started up dispatches mail between the sender's and receiver's
  postoffices.

- On Novell networks, the RNETWORK.GLB file is not updated at 4:00 A.M. on any
  drives that are dynamically attached.

- In low-memory conditions, the External Mail program deletes mail from the
  outgoing mail queue without returning that mail to the sender. There are
  error messages in the SESSION.LOG and SYSTEM.LOG, but the mail file is still
  deleted. In most cases, the sender is not notified that the mail was not
  delivered. With the updated External Mail program, the mail message is not
  deleted but remains in the outgoing queue, and the External Mail program
  still attempts to deliver the mail. Because there is not enough memory to
  return the message to the sender, there is no entry in the SYSTEM.LOG. The
  administrator can return the mail from the queue.

- When the EXTERNAL.INI parameter MinKDiskFull is not included in the
  EXTERNAL.INI file, the default value of 0 is used. This causes the External
  Mail program to attempt to deliver mail to a postoffice that has no disk
  space. The default value for MinKDiskFull has now been changed from 0 to
  100K.

- When the External Mail program marks a dynamic drive as being full (no disk
  space), it is not checked again until the External Mail program is restarted.
  The External Mail program now checks dynamic drives that are full on every
  cycle and changes their status if disk space becomes available.

- Messages transferred asynchronously or through an X.25 connection do not get
  time stamped. Therefore, when you view the received message in Mail for
  Windows, the received date/time is actually the date/time it was composed,
  not the date/time it was received by External. The External Mail program now
  time stamps all messages.

- The External Mail program sometimes hangs when CommType=X25EICON. The
  CommType setting can be specified in the .INI file or on the command line for
  External.

- Versions 3.2.5 and 3.2.6 of the External Mail program mark a static drive as
  being full (no disk space) and the drive is not checked again until the
  External Mail program is restarted. The External Mail program now checks
  static drives that are full on every cycle and changes their status if disk
  space becomes available.

- Mail sent to Remote Mail users would not be recorded in the SENT.LOG file if
  the LogSent option was specified in the EXTERNAL.INI file or if the -ms
  command-line option was included when the External Mail program was started.
  Version 3.2.9 of the External Mail program will correctly log mail sent to
  Remote Mail users in the SENT.LOG file.

- When the Import utility is run with the autocreate function, and the External
  Mail program is also run against the same postoffice across a wide-area
  network (WAN) connection or in a high mail traffic situation, the Import
  utility may report "Fatal [59] Error autocreating postoffice: XXXXXXXXXX."
  This error occurs because of .XTN file contention between the External Mail
  program and the Import utility. Under normal circumstances, the External Mail
  program holds an .XTN file open for a very short interval and file contention
  is not an issue. Version 3.2.9 of the External Mail program now allows the
  Import utility to have write access to the .XTN file.

- The External Mail program now determines and uses the appropriate
  international date format when the MS-DOS country command is used in the
  CONFIG.SYS file of the workstation running External.

- The MinKDiskFull and MinKDiskNotFull parameters and their specified values
  are now recorded in the SESSION.LOG file and are displayed on screen in the
  External Mail program's LAN Postoffice Mail Activity display area when you
  use EXTERNAL.INI file entries and the undocumented -q1 command-line switch.
  Previously, logging of these parameters and their specified values would only
  occur when you used command-line parameters and the undocumented -q1 command-
  line switch.

This replacement file also resolves the following problems that can occur when
you use version 3.2 or 3.2a of Microsoft Mail for PC Networks:

- The External Mail program fails to lock the queue when another instance of
  the External Mail program requests two-way asynchronous communication,
  including X.25. If a third instance of the External Mail program tries to
  service the same queue to deliver a message that was already deleted by the
  second instance, the following message may appear in the SYSTEM.LOG file:

  [16] Message was not sent due to missing message file.

- The External Mail program may hang or create incorrect entries in the
  SYSTEM.LOG file if External encounters mailbag contention when it tries to
  deliver a single message to multiple users on a single postoffice. Under
  these conditions, the External Mail program may add the following entry to
  the SYSTEM.LOG file

  [008] Failure delivering mail due to mailbag contention.
  Mail item was not delivered to: <Friendly-Name>

  where <Friendly-Name> may list recipients who actually did receive the
  message, rather than listing only the recipient whose mailbag could not be
  accessed. It is also possible that no entries will be added to the SYSTEM.LOG
  file and External may stop responding. Under Windows NT, the External Mail
  program may return a general- protection fault (GP fault) and exit, or
  External may continue processing and add the following entry to the
  SYSTEM.LOG file on the destination postoffice:

  [012] This corrupt message cannot be delivered. Contact your Administrator.

- Multiple message attachments can now be sent successfully over an X.25
  connection.


- Two entries are now placed in the SENT.LOG file for each message that is
  transmitted asynchronously between postoffices.


- The Echo command for modem scripts now works with EXTERNAL.EXE versions 3.2.x
  and Mail Remote for Windows.

  NOTE: The Echo command is restricted to the Send command and does not affect
  the Display command.


- The System log now returns the name of the Invalid Address user after an
  error 002 (Unknown Address) occurs.


- In some instances, External would call Mail Remote for MS-DOS or Mail Remote
  for Windows, make the connection, send mail, but not receive any queued mail
  for the user. The External Mail program now transmits any queued mail.


- External was generating an extra P1 file when Mail Remote for Windows
  attempts to receive mail. These extra P1 files were not being deleted
  properly, and they were locked open until External was stopped. Although mail
  was still delivered, the P1 directory could have several stranded P1 files.
  The External Mail program now deletes the extra P1 files.


- If a message is sent to another postoffice via asynchronous communication
  with the Useful Life of the message exceeded and no connection is made, two
  entries are added to the SYSTEM.LOG. One has valid information, and the other
  is a blank entry containing no message information.


- External may report a "Circular route detected" error in the SYSTEM.LOG. This
  happens when the PO where mail is processed has a 9 character postoffice name
  that matches the first 9 characters of a 10 character PO name in the hop
  trace.


- External stops delivering mail after it receives a NetBIOS datagram (for a
  priority 5 mail message) from a user on a PO connected using the DrivesWAN
  option.


To download the updated file
----------------------------

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:

  DownloadDownload Extupd.exe now
  (http://download.microsoft.com/download/pcmail/Update/2/DOS/EN-US/Extupd.exe)

For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click
the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services

Microsoft used the most current virus detection software available on the date of
posting to scan this file for viruses. Once posted, the file is housed on secure
servers that prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.

After you download EXTUPD.EXE to a clean directory, run it (by typing "extupd"
(without the quotation marks) at the MS-DOS prompt) to extract the contents of
the file. You should receive the following files:

  EXTERNAL.EXE ( 57,551 bytes, dated 04-14-95, 5:54 P.M.)
  ASYNC.OVL (371,978 bytes, dated 04-14-95, 6:13 P.M.)
  X25ATLAN.OVL (376,970 bytes, dated 04-14-95, 6:16 P.M.)
  X25EICON.OVL (395,978 bytes, dated 04-14-95, 6:18 P.M.)
  README.TXT

To update your MS-DOS EXTERNAL.EXE file
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At the MS-DOS command prompt, type the following and press ENTER after each line

  " copy <path>:\external.exe <destination>

  copy <path>:\*.ovl <destination>" (without the quotation marks)

where <path> is the drive and directory where you ran the self- extracting
EXTUPD.EXE file and <destination> is the drive and directory where your
EXTERNAL.EXE and *.OVL files currently reside. For example, if you ran the
self-extracting file from the TEST directory on drive D, and your EXTERNAL.EXE
and *.OVL files are located in the MAILEXE directory on drive C, type the
following commands:

  " copy d:\test\external.exe c:\mailexe

  copy d:\test\*.ovl c:\mailexe" (without the quotation marks)

NOTE: The EXTERNAL.EXE and *.OVL files typically reside on the postoffice server
in the Mail executables directory, as well as on the machine transferring
messages to and from the database. Make sure you update all copies of the
EXTERNAL.EXE and *.OVL files.

Additional query words: 3.20

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Keywords          : kbgraphxlinkcritical 
Technology        : kbMailSearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbMailPCN320 kbMailPCN320a
Version           : WINDOWS:3.2,3.2a

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