PC Ext: Err Msg: Logging to: Error Writing to Log File

ID: Q147157

3.20 3.20a 3.50 MS-DOS kbenv

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Mail for PC Networks, versions 3.2, 3.2a, and 3.5

SYMPTOMS

When you use the Mail for PC Networks Message Transfer Agent (MTA), you may get the following error on the screen in the upper right hand corner:

   Logging to: Error writing to log file.

CAUSE

The above error is caused because the MTA can not access or create the specified log file.

The above error can be caused by the following:

The system does not have proper access to the file that is indicated as the log file. If this is the case, you will see additional errors in the logging area of the screen:
```
      [15:02] - Unable to access x:\logfilename. Check the access rights.
      [15:02] - Error on log file open.
```
The log file is held open by another process. If this is the case, you will see additional errors in the logging area of the screen:
```
      [15:03] - Error on log file open.
```
You try to specify a path to a log file, but do not give a log filename, and a directory exists with the same name as the directory you specified. In addition, you will see the following errors in the logging area of the screen:
```
      [15:02] - Unable to access x:\logfilename.  Check the access rights.
      [15:02] - Error on log file open.
```
You are running the Microsoft Mail Multitasking MTA for Windows NT (NT MMTA) as an application or as a service, and have used any of the following names for the log file:
```
      AUX
      CON
      COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4
      PRN
      LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, LPT4
```
The above names are reserved words and cannot be used as filenames.
You run the MS-DOS MTA (EXTERNAL.EXE) and use COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4, or AUX for the log in the logging area of the screen. You will also see the following errors:
```
      [15:10] - A critical error has occurred
      [15:10] - Data:  Error Code=bf21, Device Error =000a
```
NOTE: In the upper right hand corner of the screen, the Logging to: line will not display an error, but the log will not be created.
If you use LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, or LPT4, the MTA will run, and the Logging to: line will not display an error, and the log will not be created.
If you use CON for the filename, you will see distortion on the screen, and the log will not be created.
If the directory permissions on an NTFS partition are too restrictive, even though the Share permissions have been configured as Full Control to Everyone, this error condition will occur. Microsoft Windows NT always uses the most restrictive set of permissions when it accesses files/directories across the network.

Additional reference words: 3.20 3.20a 3.50 KBCategory: kbenv KBSubcategory: MailPCExt

Keywords          : MailPCExt 
Version           : 3.20 3.20a 3.50
Platform          : MS-DOS

Last Reviewed: May 23, 1996