Outlook\Exchange Mac Client Hangs Workstation While Attempting to Find Server

• Microsoft Outlook, versions 97, 98
  on the following platforms: MACINTOSH

SYMPTOMS

When the Outlook for PowerMacintosh, Exchange Server edition client is running on a Macintosh computer, the system may periodically stop responding (hang).

CAUSE

The Exchange client (in this case Outlook) initiates a poll for new messages (this occurs approximately every 70 seconds). The above behavior is caused when the client is waiting for, and does not receive, a response from the Exchange Server computer.

STATUS

This is a limitation of the Apple, Inc. transport APIs. Microsoft is cooperatively working with Apple to create a solution to work around these limitations.

MORE INFORMATION

Outlook for PowerMacintosh and all other Exchange/Outlook clients use synchronous calls to communicate with the Exchange server. When the Macintosh client polls the server for new messages and the net/server is "down" or very busy, the EcDoRPC call the client initiates will be blocked and "lock" the operating system. When the net/server is "back on line" or not as busy, the call will complete and normal operation of the operating system will continue. The current implementation includes a timeout method, that depends on the Apple Inc, provided API. Limitations in the API cause the timeout not to work as designed.

Additional query words: Outlook MAC client hangs.

Keywords          : 
Version           : WINDOWS:97,98
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbbug 

Last Reviewed: July 15, 1999