Microsoft KB Archive/94259

= PC DB: Err Msg: Could Not Find Mail System Database =

Article ID: 94259

Article Last Modified on 10/30/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Mail for PC Networks 2.1
 * Microsoft Mail for PC Networks 3.0

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This article was previously published under Q94259



SYMPTOMS
When Microsoft Mail cannot find the postoffice database that stores the mail messages, one of the following error messages may be displayed:

MS-DOS clients (all versions) and Mail Administrator program version 2.1:

Could not find mail system database.

Mail Administrator program version 3.0:

Could not find mail system data files on drive 'M:'

Windows client version 3.0:

Mail could not connect to your Mail server. The Mail server path in your MSMAIL.INI file is missing or invalid.

Windows client version 2.1:

The mail database cannot be reached. The server that contains the database needs to be running, and you need to either connect to it on drive M: or state its location in the WIN.INI. Please see your network administrator if you need assistance.



CAUSE
The above error messages indicate that the mail program cannot read the database files. Typically, this occurs because of one or more of the following five reasons:


 * 1) A previously installed security feature is overriding other, more current settings, or the MAIL.DAT file is not in the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.
 * 2) The mail program is looking for the files in the wrong location.
 * 3) The drive where the mail program is looking does not exist because it has not been mapped or mounted.
 * 4) The person trying to access the postoffice database does not have sufficient rights or privileges to the MAILDATA directories.
 * 5) The MASTER.GLB file does not exist, is hidden, or is locked open.



RESOLUTION
Following are resolutions for each of the five above causes:

 Check for the existence of a MAIL.DAT file on both the server and the workstation. If you find any occurrences, delete them or rename them to MAILDAT.OLD. If any MAIL.DAT files exist, they can override all other settings pointing to the postoffice database.

To locate any copies of MAIL.DAT from within Windows, use File Manager and choose Search from the File menu.

To locate any copies of MAIL.DAT from the MS-DOS prompt, run the following command from the root directory:

attrib mail.dat /s

NOTE: For more information on advanced security and the MAIL.DAT file, see the &quot;Microsoft Mail 3.0 Administrator's Guide,&quot; pages 14-17, and 51.

To re-enable Advanced Security, either rerun setup for that workstation and select Advanced Security, or if it had been previously renamed (to disable AS), rename the file to MAIL.DAT in the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.   Unless told otherwise, the ADMIN.EXE and MAIL.EXE programs for MS-DOS assume that the current directory of drive M is the root of the database (..\MAILDATA). If the database resides on another drive, add the -Dm switch to the command line (where M is the alternative drive letter).

For example, use the following command if the current directory of drive R is the root of the database:

admin -dr

Note: The current directory of the drive letter used must be the root of the database (for example, ..\MAILDATA).

For example, in the list below, if the directory on the left is the current directory when you run a Mail program, the Mail program will give you the error message shown on the right:    Current Directory        Error Message -   M:\APPS\MAIL             Could not find mail system database M:\APPS\MAIL\EXE        Could not find mail system database M:\APPS\MAIL\DATA\LOG   Could not find mail system database M:\APPS\MAIL\DATA       (Correct directory -- no error message) You can verify that the root of the postoffice database is in the current directory of the drive by changing to that drive and running the MS-DOS DIR command. If the Mail database is there, you will see directories named ATT, GLB, MBG, and so forth.

Following are examples of the commands used to map to the root of the postoffice database for Novell and LAN Manager networks:    Novell --   map m:= /sys:apps\mail\data map root r:=/vol1:maildata

LAN Manager ---   net use m: \\ \maildata   The Windows workstation software also assumes the database is in the current directory of drive M unless told otherwise. It does not require that the directory be the current directory, but it does require that you specify the full path to the postoffice database. In Mail for Windows, version 3.0, this is done in the MSMAIL.INI file. In Mail for Window, version 2.1, the setting is in the WIN.INI file. Usually, you can find MSMAIL.INI and WIN.INI in your WINDOWS directory.

To specify the path to the postoffice database for Mail for Windows, version 3.0, include a &quot;ServerPath=&quot; line in the [Microsoft Mail] section of MSMAIL.INI. To do the same for Mail for Windows, version 2.1, include a &quot;Path=&quot; line in the [Mail] section of WIN.INI. Following is an example of each type of entry:    MSMAIL.INI (Mail for Windows, Version 3.0) --      [Microsoft Mail] ServerPath=m:\apps\mail\data

WIN.INI (Mail for Windows, Version 2.1) ---      [Mail] Path=m:\apps\mail\data Note: The system administrator can simplify Windows workstation installations by using drive M as everyone's database mapping or by editing the MSMAIL.INI file (Mail 3.0) located in the MAILEXE directory on the server to include a standard &quot;ServerPath=&quot; line. Mail 2.1 administrators can create a WINMAIL.INI file containing a &quot;Path=&quot; line (see the &quot;Microsoft Mail 2.1 Administrator's Guide,&quot; pages 183-187). </li></ol> </li> The settings in an INI file may appear correct, but the drive may not exist. It may not have been mapped or mounted, or it may have been disconnected. Verify that the drive and path is valid by using the MS-DOS DIR command.</li>  Following are examples of the rights needed on different file servers.

The rights needed for a Novell 3.11 server are as follows: <pre class="fixed_text">      Rights       Directory --

[ RWCEM ]   ..\MAILDATA directory [ RWCEMF ]  ..\MAILDATA\KEY, \MAILDATA\FOLDERS, and \MAILDATA\CAL directories [ R   F ]   ..\MAILEXE directory

R Read (Open and read files) W Write (Open and write to the file) C Create (Create a directory) E Erase (Delete a directory or file) M Modify (Change attributes or rename directory or file) F File Scan (See the filename when viewing directory) Note: Macintosh and OS/2 clients need File Scan (F) rights to the entire database (..\MAILDATA).

The rights needed for a Novell 2.15 server are as follows: <pre class="fixed_text">      Rights        Directory --

[ RWOCDM ]   ..\MAILDATA directory [ RW0CDMS ]  ..\MAILDATA\KEY & \MAILDATA\FOLDERS directories [ R O  S ]   ..\MAILEXE directory

R Read W Write O Open C Create D Delete M Modify S Search You can set up a Microsoft LAN Manager server with share level security or user level security with the following permissions: <pre class="fixed_text">      Rights        Directory --

RWCDA        ..\MAILDATA directory R            ..\MAILEXE directory

R Read W Write C Create D Delete A Attribute </li> If the MAILDATA\GLB\MASTER.GLB file does not exist, restore it from the latest backup.

If it is hidden, make it viewable it by changing to the MAILDATA\GLB directory and typing the following MS-DOS 5.0 command:

attrib -h master.glb /s

If the file is locked open, close the file using whatever tools are available on your network. The following are Novell and LAN Manager examples:

Novell

Console => Monitor => File Locking => Directory => File LAN Manager

Net Admin => Status => Open Files => Select File => Close

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Additional query words: 2.10 3.00 permission Mail cannot connect to your server

Keywords: KB94259

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