DOCUMENT:Q99713 07-NOV-1999 [pcmail] TITLE :SMTP: How Reply Chooses a From Address PRODUCT :Microsoft Mail For PC Networks PROD/VER:MS-DOS:2.1,3.0 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS: ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Mail Gateway to SMTP, versions 2.1, 3.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY ======= Microsoft Mail Gateway to SMTP saves the From field seen in the envelope part (RFC-821) of an incoming message to use in case the Microsoft Mail recipient wants to reply to the message. MORE INFORMATION ================ The Microsoft Mail postoffice database has one From field. This causes the SMTP gateway to choose one of the four possible SMTP From fields to save in the postoffice database. The four possible From fields are explained in the Background section below. By default, the gateway saves the RFC-821 Mail From information in order to ensure that non-delivery replies will always work properly. In most cases, this information is the same as the RFC-822 From field. All four From fields can be viewed in the SMTP gateway log file, SMTPGATE.LOG. You can see the RFC-821 From field in the beginning of a message transmission, on the line that begins: [rx] MAIL From:... The RFC-822 From field is recorded later in the Header lines, and looks like this: Header: From:... Background ---------- SMTP From information is covered by two RFCs: RFC-821 and RFC-822. RFC-821 keeps From information in the Mail From field. This "gives the reverse-path which can be used to report errors." (RFC-821 Section 3.1). RFC-822 has From information in three fields: - Sender: for "notices of any problems in transport or delivery....NEVER in a reply." (This field is only present if its contents are different from the From field below.) - Reply-To: for replies. - From: for replies if no Reply-To field exists. (RFC-822 Section 4.4.4) The four From fields can be organized into two categories: those for replies, and those for non-delivery notices, arranged in the order they should be used. For Replies: - Reply-To - From For Non-Delivery Notices: - Sender - From - Mail From RESOLUTION ========== Version 3.0.9 of SMTPGATE.EXE adds a switch to give an SMTP gateway administrator the choice of which From field to use. If you use the -F switch, the gateway will save the From field in the RFC-822 headers, rather than in the Mail From field. This means replies will always work properly. However, a non-delivery notice might not work if the RFC-821 From field is different from the RFC-822 From field. The RFC-822 From field was chosen because if the Reply-To field is saved in the From field, the recipient will never know who actually sent the mail. To prevent misleading the recipient, you can use the -F switch to save the From information. STATUS ====== Microsoft has confirmed this to be problem in version 3.0 of Microsoft Mail Gateway to SMTP. This problem was corrected in version 3.0.9 of SMTPGATE.EXE. If you do not have version 3.0.9 (or later), you can obtain the latest version from the Microsoft Software Library (MSL). Download SMTPGW.EXE (S14223), a self-extracting file, from any of the following services: - Microsoft's World Wide Web Site on the Internet On the www.microsoft.com home page, click the Support icon. Click Knowledge Base, and select the product. Enter kbfile SMTPGW.EXE, and click GO! Open the article, and click the button to download the file. - Internet (anonymous FTP) ftp ftp.microsoft.com Change to the Softlib/Mslfiles folder. Get SMTPGW.EXE - The Microsoft Network On the Edit menu, click Go To, and then click Other Location. Type "mssupport" (without the quotation marks). Double-click the MS Software Library icon. Find the appropriate product area. Locate and Download SMTPGW.EXE. For additional information about downloading, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Q119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services REFERENCES ========== RFC 821, SIMPLE MAIL TRANSFER PROTOCOL RFC 822, Standard for ARPA Internet Text Messages Additional query words: 2.10 SMTPGATE.EXE -f ====================================================================== Keywords : Technology : kbMailSearch kbMailGateSearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbMailGateSMTP300 kbMailGateSMTP210 Version : MS-DOS:2.1,3.0 ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1999.