POP3 Email Collection hangs/freezes

[Bob Andersson]

I have now had the POP3 mail collection freeze four times in the first six trial days. The "System Internal Activity pane reports it is collecting 85 of 111 (numbers just as an example) but there is no external network activity and the ISDN connection eventually times out. The only way round this is to Stop/Start the WinGate engine (needed to regain WinGate's ability to collect mail) and/or to collect the mail directly using Outlook which has no problems. If I go the Stop/Start WinGate route then WinGate can collect the same batch of mail without problems. Frankly, neither solution is acceptable as it requires manual intervention.

The problem has occured apparently regardless of the "Block" settings in the Email "Receiving options. The PC has a 600 MHz VIA processor + 512MB of RAM with a new hard disk with a fresh install of XP Pro + SP2 and the Windows Firewall and ICS are off. All mail is delivered to a single POP3 mailbox. The only other "option" selected is the Kaspersky plug-in but without that I might just as well uninstall WinGate.

Has any kind soul out there had and resolved these problems? Help would be welcome.

Bob Andersson.

[Nev]

:d

[Nev]

I have now had the POP3 mail collection freeze four times in the first six trial days. The "System Internal Activity pane reports it is collecting 85 of 111 (numbers just as an example) but there is no external network activity and the ISDN connection eventually times out. The only way round this is to Stop/Start the WinGate engine (needed to regain WinGate's ability to collect mail) and/or to collect the mail directly using Outlook which has no problems. If I go the Stop/Start WinGate route then WinGate can collect the same batch of mail without problems. Frankly, neither solution is acceptable as it requires manual intervention.

The problem has occured apparently regardless of the "Block" settings in the Email "Receiving options. The PC has a 600 MHz VIA processor + 512MB of RAM with a new hard disk with a fresh install of XP Pro + SP2 and the Windows Firewall and ICS are off. All mail is delivered to a single POP3 mailbox. The only other "option" selected is the Kaspersky plug-in but without that I might just as well uninstall WinGate.

Has any kind soul out there had and resolved these problems? Help would be welcome.

Bob Andersson.

Hi Bob,

This should be easy to sort out for you.

To track it down go to the SMTP server in GateKeeper's control panel and enable Debug logging with all options.

Run as session of POP3 Collection until the error develops then post the POP3 Collection log that will be created here so some of the talented people at Qbik can analyse it for you.

Logs are located below the \Program Files\Wingate\Logs\Pop3 Collection directory.

Good luck.

Nev.

[Bob Andersson]

Thanks for the quick response. Debug logging is now enabled in the SMTP Server so I'll wait for the next freeze.
Now why didn't it occur to me to enable Debug logging in SMTP to track down a problem with POP3 collection???

Bob.

[Nev]

Thanks for the quick response. Debug logging is now enabled in the SMTP Server so I'll wait for the next freeze.
Now why didn't it occur to me to enable Debug logging in SMTP to track down a problem with POP3 collection???

Bob.

Pleasure Bob, as for the shortcuts to diagnose any new software, well 'I've been there' many a time and overlooked them, so hoping it is sorted soon.

Nev.

[Bob Andersson]

Here are some excerpts from the logs which may be relevant to the POP3 collection hanging

From the end of the POP3 Collection log

10/26/04 10:58:47 127.0.0.2 0000000004 Debug: andersson-design@pop.mistral.co.uk ==== Message 0000001487 received for delivery
10/26/04 10:58:47 127.0.0.2 0000000004 Debug: andersson-design@pop.mistral.co.uk C=>: DELE 100
10/26/04 10:58:47 127.0.0.2 0000000004 Debug: andersson-design@pop.mistral.co.uk <=S: +OK Done.
10/26/04 10:58:47 127.0.0.2 0000000004 Debug: andersson-design@pop.mistral.co.uk C=>: UIDL 101
10/26/04 10:58:47 127.0.0.2 0000000004 Debug: andersson-design@pop.mistral.co.uk <=S: +OK 101 9be79cf90241838b6df6d6ca33e2bf7c
10/26/04 10:58:47 127.0.0.2 0000000004 Debug: andersson-design@pop.mistral.co.uk C=>: RETR 101
10/26/04 10:58:47 127.0.0.2 0000000004 Debug: andersson-design@pop.mistral.co.uk <=S: +OK Message follows
10/26/04 10:58:48 127.0.0.2 0000000004 Debug: andersson-design@pop.mistral.co.uk ==== Message 0000001488 received for delivery
10/26/04 10:58:48 127.0.0.2 0000000004 Debug: andersson-design@pop.mistral.co.uk C=>: DELE 101
10/26/04 10:58:48 127.0.0.2 0000000004 Debug: andersson-design@pop.mistral.co.uk <=S: +OK Done.
10/26/04 10:58:48 127.0.0.2 0000000004 Debug: andersson-design@pop.mistral.co.uk C=>: UIDL 102
10/26/04 10:58:48 127.0.0.2 0000000004 Debug: andersson-design@pop.mistral.co.uk <=S: +OK 102 67d2c2984da80f3b606284e7a9c2de44
10/26/04 10:58:48 127.0.0.2 0000000004 Debug: andersson-design@pop.mistral.co.uk C=>: RETR 102
10/26/04 10:58:48 127.0.0.2 0000000004 Debug: andersson-design@pop.mistral.co.uk <=S: +OK Message follows
10/26/04 11:03:49 127.0.0.2 0000000004 Traffic 2728 246819 0 0

From SMTP Server Log spanning the time above when email collection hung

10/26/04 10:58:46 127.0.0.2 0000000096 Requested: SMTP Local: Message 0000001481 from barney.perez_xw@atlas.cz to bob delivered
10/26/04 10:58:46 127.0.0.2 0000000096 Requested: SMTP Local: Message 0000001482 from tjcbwhwccr@cgocable.com to bob delivered
10/26/04 10:58:47 Error: Message 0000001445 could not move .msg file error 2
10/26/04 10:58:47 Error: Message 0000001445 msg file not found, rcp file moved to dead
10/26/04 10:58:47 Error: Message 0000001447 could not move .msg file error 2
10/26/04 10:58:47 Error: Message 0000001447 msg file not found, rcp file moved to dead
10/26/04 10:58:47 Error: Message 0000001449 could not move .msg file error 2
10/26/04 10:58:47 Error: Message 0000001449 msg file not found, rcp file moved to dead
10/26/04 10:58:47 Error: Message 0000001462 could not move .msg file error 2
10/26/04 10:58:47 Error: Message 0000001462 msg file not found, rcp file moved to dead
10/26/04 10:58:48 Error: Message 0000001445 could not move .msg file error 2
10/26/04 10:58:48 Error: Message 0000001445 msg file not found, rcp file moved to dead
10/26/04 10:58:48 Error: Message 0000001447 could not move .msg file error 2
10/26/04 10:58:48 Error: Message 0000001447 msg file not found, rcp file moved to dead
10/26/04 10:58:48 Error: Message 0000001449 could not move .msg file error 2
10/26/04 10:58:48 Error: Message 0000001449 msg file not found, rcp file moved to dead
10/26/04 10:58:48 Error: Message 0000001462 could not move .msg file error 2
10/26/04 10:58:48 Error: Message 0000001462 msg file not found, rcp file moved to dead
10/26/04 10:58:49 Error: Message 0000001445 could not move .msg file error 2
10/26/04 10:58:49 Error: Message 0000001445 msg file not found, rcp file moved to dead
10/26/04 10:58:49 Error: Message 0000001447 could not move .msg file error 2
10/26/04 10:58:49 Error: Message 0000001447 msg file not found, rcp file moved to dead
10/26/04 10:58:49 Error: Message 0000001449 could not move .msg file error 2
10/26/04 10:58:49 Error: Message 0000001449 msg file not found, rcp file moved to dead
10/26/04 10:58:49 Error: Message 0000001462 could not move .msg file error 2
10/26/04 10:58:49 Error: Message 0000001462 msg file not found, rcp file moved to dead
10/26/04 10:58:49 127.0.0.2 0000000096 Traffic 0 0 0 0 3s
10/26/04 10:58:50 Error: Message 0000001445 could not move .msg file error 2
10/26/04 10:58:50 Error: Message 0000001445 msg file not found, rcp file moved to dead
10/26/04 10:58:50 Error: Message 0000001447 could not move .msg file error 2
10/26/04 10:58:50 Error: Message 0000001447 msg file not found, rcp file moved to dead

I have already temporarily stopped the WinGate engine in order to clear out the contents of the WinGate\Mail\Spool subfolders so that the wretched "could not move .msg file error 2" errors stop filling up the logs. Could this error sequence be started by my having to Stop/Start the WinGate engine in order to recover from the POP3 collection hanging?

This still begs the question of why the email collection hangs at all. As mentioned before, I can happily collect all the emails if I use Outlook to talk directly to my ISP without using the WinGate server. At this rate I will have to consider buying a site licence for a client side firewall for each PC on the network and getting rid of WinGate altogether. Shame!

Hope the above Log excerpts help some kind and knowledgable soul to find that Eureka moment!

Bob.

[Bob Andersson]

An addendum to the email collection hanging: If it does so and I have to Stop/Start the WinGate engine (so far the only way I have found to regain control other than a reboot) then subsequent email collections, while picking up from where the last collection left off, FAIL to delete any of the messages from the server on any subsequent session. This despite the appropriate radio-button being selected in the configuration.

I completely uninstalled and reinstalled WinGate yesterday just in case I had screwed up somehow. The first email collection (254 messages) hung TWICE!

Does ANYBODY use this email collection "feature" successfully?

Bob.

[Nev]

An addendum to the email collection hanging: If it does so and I have to Stop/Start the WinGate engine (so far the only way I have found to regain control other than a reboot) then subsequent email collections, while picking up from where the last collection left off, FAIL to delete any of the messages from the server on any subsequent session. This despite the appropriate radio-button being selected in the configuration.

I completely uninstalled and reinstalled WinGate yesterday just in case I had screwed up somehow. The first email collection (254 messages) hung TWICE!

Does ANYBODY use this email collection "feature" successfully?

Bob.

Hi Bob,

Yes I have configured collection for a number of accounts from different hosts on the one machine, it worked well on dial up type connections.

One issue that can stall it is if you have any resident AntiVirus scanning those folders in the mail\spool as Wingate needs exclusive access to them.

There is another thread about this down the forum which could be found by keyword search perhaps.

Hope this helps!

Nev.