Problem with POP3 Connector

I am having problems with Exchange Server 2003 with SP2 applied.

The delivery of email stalls with a stuck message in C:\Program
Files\Microsoft Small Business Server\Networking POP3\Incoming mail

If I attempt to stop the Microsoft Connector for POP3 mailboxes service, it
takes a good two minutes and eventually times out.

Having successfully stopped the POP3 Connector service, I still can't delete
the stuck message in the Incoming mail folder.

I have found the only way to temporarily resolve this problem is to set the
POP3 connector service to 'disabled', reboot the server and remove the stuck
message before restarting the POP3 collector sevice.

After 15 minutes, another inbound email gets stuck in the Incoming folder
again!

I have read the 'Microsoft Troubleshooting tips for POP3 connectors
(885655)' bulletin and I am no further forward.

I have set the diagnostics logging in ESM to maximum and there are no errors
generated - email is collected and delivered as far as the event viewer is
concerned.

Can anyone help me here?

TIA

Maurice

Not a true answer but is there a specific reason you can't use SMTP instead
of POP3 for your incoming mail? The POP3 connector in SBS was never designed
for long term use.

"Maurice Bishop" <> wrote in message
news:eulKu$...
>I am having problems with Exchange Server 2003 with SP2 applied.
>
> The delivery of email stalls with a stuck message in C:\Program
> Files\Microsoft Small Business Server\Networking POP3\Incoming mail
>
> If I attempt to stop the Microsoft Connector for POP3 mailboxes service,
> it takes a good two minutes and eventually times out.
>
> Having successfully stopped the POP3 Connector service, I still can't
> delete the stuck message in the Incoming mail folder.
>
> I have found the only way to temporarily resolve this problem is to set
> the POP3 connector service to 'disabled', reboot the server and remove the
> stuck message before restarting the POP3 collector sevice.
>
> After 15 minutes, another inbound email gets stuck in the Incoming folder
> again!
>
> I have read the 'Microsoft Troubleshooting tips for POP3 connectors
> (885655)' bulletin and I am no further forward.
>
> I have set the diagnostics logging in ESM to maximum and there are no
> errors generated - email is collected and delivered as far as the event
> viewer is concerned.
>
> Can anyone help me here?
>
> TIA
>
> Maurice
>
>
>
>

There is a malformed email in the original mailbox you are trying to pop
down from. The pop3 connector only deletes the email from the host after a
successful transfer and since this message is "sticking" it isn't successful
and the problem will re-occur until you remove the offending message. The
easiest way to do this is if you have a web interface to the original host
mailbox.

....just one of many reasons not to use the pop connector long-term.

-Cliff


"Maurice Bishop" <> wrote in message
news:eulKu$...
> I am having problems with Exchange Server 2003 with SP2 applied.
>
> The delivery of email stalls with a stuck message in C:\Program
> Files\Microsoft Small Business Server\Networking POP3\Incoming mail
>
> If I attempt to stop the Microsoft Connector for POP3 mailboxes service,
> it takes a good two minutes and eventually times out.
>
> Having successfully stopped the POP3 Connector service, I still can't
> delete the stuck message in the Incoming mail folder.
>
> I have found the only way to temporarily resolve this problem is to set
> the POP3 connector service to 'disabled', reboot the server and remove the
> stuck message before restarting the POP3 collector sevice.
>
> After 15 minutes, another inbound email gets stuck in the Incoming folder
> again!
>
> I have read the 'Microsoft Troubleshooting tips for POP3 connectors
> (885655)' bulletin and I am no further forward.
>
> I have set the diagnostics logging in ESM to maximum and there are no
> errors generated - email is collected and delivered as far as the event
> viewer is concerned.
>
> Can anyone help me here?
>
> TIA
>
> Maurice
>
>
>
>

Hello Maurice,

Thanks for your post and others' input.

First of all, as you know POP3 connector in SBS is not designed for long term use. If you have not hosted your Exchange server as mail server, please consider migrating
from POP3 to SMTP with Exchange mail server when convenient.

Regarding this POP3 connector issue, I agree with Cliff that it possibly caused by certain or some corrupted or malformed emails in the original POP3 mailbox on the ISP mail
server that you are trying to pop down from. Please first disable the POP3 Connector service and clean up the stuck messages(Incoming Mail and Failed Mail folders), then
use web browser to logon the POP3 mailbox account and check if there is any abnormal/odd or big emails and delete all of them if any.

Then on your client computer, configure Outlook Express(OE) POP3 account to verify if you can download and view POP3 mails now. If OE works, then enable POP3
Connector service and see if the issue still occurs now.

Meanwhile, read and try the "Troubleshoot the CDO transfer process" part of KB885685 if you have not tried yet:

How to troubleshoot the POP3 Connector in Windows Small Business Server 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/885685/en-us


More information about migrating from POP3 to SMTP with Exchange mail server:

Migrating from POP3 to SMTP
http://www.amset.info/exchange/pop3-smtpswitch.asp

Switching from POP3 to SMTP
http://msmvps.com/blogs/javier/archi.../25/16621.aspx

Hope this helps. Also, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to let me know.




Best regards,
Robbin Meng(MSFT)
Microsoft Online Newsgroup Support

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