PRODUCT :exchange
TITLE : XFOR: IMC May Lose Messages if Code Pages Incorrect on Embedded Messages

OP SYS(S) :WINDOWS
SECURITY :PUBLIC 


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This information applies to:

- Microsoft Exchange Server, version 4.0 Service Pack 2
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SYMPTOMS
========

Inbound messages may be accepted by the Internet Mail Connector (IMC), and recorded
in the protocol log, and yet not successfully submitted to the Information Store.  In this
case, you will not find any mention of the inbound messages in the message tracking
log, assuming you have message tracking turned on, nor are they saved in the
\exchsrvr\imcdata\in\archive directory.  


CAUSE
=====

An incoming MIME message may contain embedded messages using character sets that are not
supported or correctly configured on the IMC server.  This only happens under certain timing
conditions. The message fails to convert due to the unsupported character sets, and the IMC
performs an extra release of the message to the Information Store (IS).  The IS may then error
on every attempt thereafter made by the IMC to submit messages to the IS, and the IMC would
handle the failure by simply deleting the message.

Note: this problem may also occur when the store shuts down due to low disk space.


STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Exchange Server, 4.0, Service Pack 2.
A supported fix is now available. Microsoft recommends that all customers running the
IMC from SP2 should install this fix immediately.


STEP TO INSTALL
==============

1. Stop the IMC Service.
2. Go to the \\exchsrvr\connect\msexcimc\bin directory
3. Rename the old MSEXCIMC.EXE file to MSEXCIMC.BAK
4. Copy the new MSEXCIMC.EXE into the directory.
5. Go to the \\exchsrvr\res directory
6. Rename the old IMCMSG.DLL file to IMCMSG. BAK
7. Copy the new IMCMSG.DLL into the directory.
8. Restart the IMC Service.

If you have the Exchange symbols installed replace the old IMCMSG.DBG
and MSEXCIMC.DBG with the newer versions in the \systemroot\symbols directory.