HMI WebMail Services Fail with ASP Errors Due to Poor IMAP Response (265388)

SYMPTOMS

The Microsoft Commercial Internet System (MCIS) 2.5 HTML Mail Interface (HMI) fails and returns ASP error messages. Internet Explorer clients that are running HMI WebMail return the following error message:

error 'ASP 0115'
Unexpected error
/email/Messages.asp
A trappable error occurred in an external object. The script cannot continue running.

The MCIS 2.5 HMI server logs the following events in the Application event log:

Asp 5 error; Unexpected error

The HMI service appears to be unresponsive following the occurrence of these error messages.

CAUSE

The IMAP service response for accessing user mailboxes may become slow, resulting in untimely logoff operations due to timeouts. The HMI rendering object Renobj.dll does not handle the timeout occurrences properly. References to the inaccessible mailbox, mail store, current folders, and draft folders fail and access violations result in ASP error messages.

RESOLUTION

A supported fix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Apply it only to computers that are experiencing this specific problem. This fix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next MCIS 2.5 service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS

NOTE: In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The typical support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:

   Date      Time                 Size    File name     Platform
   -------------------------------------------------------------<BR/>
   6/08/2000 5:33PM  8.0.391.0    263,952 Renobj.dll    x86

MORE INFORMATION

If a WebMail user is logged on and attempts to process messages in their inbox when a timeout occurs, the IMAP server may not return the data. The user's browser displays all cached inbox data, including folders, messages, and headers. If these have been successfully downloaded to the HMI download directory, they are available despite any problems accessing the IMAP server. However, if new data is sent to or requested from the mailbox on the IMAP server, and IMAP is unable to return the requested content, then the request timeouts gracefully.

With the latest version of Renobj.dll installed, an hourglass or blank screen is displayed in the user's browser instead of an ASP error message. If the IMAP mailbox becomes accessible again, the data is returned on subsequent refresh requests from the client.

If the IMAP mailbox remains unavailable due to a problem accessing the IMAP server, the user receives the following error message in their browser:

The system could not log you on, error =0

NOTE: This fix supercedes the fix described in the following Knowledge Base article: