Take a look at http://www.iea-software.com/lists/ntisp and read through
several messages regarding this, dated 3/15/99 and 3/16/99 (some written by
me). The Subject line contains "Post.Office / Outlook Express issues".
Josh
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ronnie D. Franklin <ronnie@itexas.net>
> To: ntisp@iea-software.com <ntisp@iea-software.com>
> Date: Monday, August 02, 1999 3:39 PM
> Subject: RE: [NTISP] PostOffice 3.5.3 & Outlook again!
>
>
> >Software.Com has had a patch for this problem for about a year... you
have
> >to pressure them to get the patch... basically what the patch does is it
> >modifies the Email by replacing the single dot with a space.. yes, it
could
> >cause a problem with an attachment, but the percentage is extremely
low....
> >
> >
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: ntisp-request@iea-software.com
> >> [mailto:ntisp-request@iea-software.com]On Behalf Of WayneG
> >> Sent: Monday, August 02, 1999 3:04 PM
> >> To: ntisp@iea-software.com
> >> Subject: Re: [NTISP] PostOffice 3.5.3 & Outlook again!
> >>
> >>
> >> Following are some notes about the "Outlook Express/Post.Office stuck
> >> mail bug." These were submitted to BUGTRAQ in May, 1999 by Miquel
> >> van Smoorenburg, miquels@CISTRON.NL. I have found, prior to Mike's
> >> submission to BUGTRAQ, that every stuck mail message had a single
> >> dot on a line by itself. I've found these messages are often
> >> formatted in
> >> a text format that has been wrapped inserting a =20 at the end of each
> >> wrapped line.
> >>
> >> Miquel van Smoorenburg <miquels@CISTRON.NL> wrote:
> >>
> >> There is a bug in Outlook Express delivered with Windows '98, at least
> >> version 4.72.3110.1 (4.01 SP1) and 4.72.3120.0 (4.01 SP1 + oepatsp1)
> >>
> >> Windows '95 updated with MSIE 4.01 has Outlook Express 4.72.3612.1700,
> >> which doesn't show the problem. OE from MSIE3 and MSIE5 don't have the
> >> problem either. There might be versions of MSIE4 included with Windows
> >> '98 that don't show the problem either, but I don't have a stack of
> >> Windows CDs to test against.
> >>
> >> We have talked to Microsoft NL about this, tracking number S2134 T6142.
> >> However they either deny there is a bug ("sorry sir, this product has
> >> been available for a year now so there cannot be any bugs in it") or
> >> they do not understand what we are talking about. They also claim to
> >> have not received any mail we sent to them, so I am giving up on that.
> >> We did send them this bug report by fax, perhaps that technology is
> >> stable enough to work for them, I don't know.
> >>
> >> Description of the problem:
> >>
> >> A dot on a single line means EOM in the POP3 protocol. If a message
> >> contains that it must be escaped by adding an extra dot, so we have 2
> >> dots on a single line - which is OK. However if on the TCP level the
> >> line after this double-dot crosses over to the next packet, Outlook
> >> Express will interpret the double-dot as a single dot, switching back
to
> >> POP3 command mode and interpreting the rest of the message as a
response
> >> from the POP3 server. Result is an error message and usually a hanging
> >> POP3 session.
> >>
> >> Perhaps it's not really a bug in Outlook, but the Windows I/O library
> >> or the TCP implementation.. which is scary.
> >>
> >> So at the TCP packet level it looks like this:
> >>
> >> packet1: [message data]
> >> packet1: \r\n..\r\nthis is a line that
> >> packet2: continues in the next packet
> >>
> >> The double-dot on the 2nd line will be interpreted as a single dot.
> >>
> >> It occurred to me that it might not be clear from the original message
> >> but because the POP3 session is hanging, the message will not be
removed
> >> from the server and the next time mail is check the same thing will
> >> occur. This is an effective DOS attack against the mailbox.
> >>
> >> The only way to solve this is to remove the message with another
> >> POP3 email program (Eudora, Pegasus) or to ask the sysadmin of the POP3
> >> server to remove the message manually (look for a message that has a
line
> >> starting with a dot).
> >>
> >> Upgrading to MSIE 5.0 will also solve the problem, but there is no
> >> simple/small bugfix from Microsoft available (an MSIE 5.0 download is
> >> what - 20 MB at least?) yet for as far as I know.
> >>
> >> So, ISP helpdesks - take note. This is at least one of the causes of
> >> the problems all these people have been having with their "blocked
mail".
> >>
> >> Mike.
> >>
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Patrick Patterson <pj@ctt-inc.com>
> >> To: ntisp@iea-software.com <ntisp@iea-software.com>
> >> Date: Monday, July 26, 1999 9:30 AM
> >> Subject: RE: [NTISP] PostOffice 3.5.3 & Outlook again!
> >>
> >>
> >> >Well, I have to concur that this is a problem. I also run
> >> Post.Office, and
> >> >I have seen this problem a number of times. It typically occurs with
> >> >Outlook Express users, although a few Outlook users and actually one
> >> >Netscape user as well. Deletinging the offending message from
> >> the mailbox
> >> >directly always fixes the problem, but I have not been able to find a
> >> >consistant trigger for the problem. While it does seem to occur
> >> more often
> >> >with larger files, it is not every large file. The only thing I have
> >> >noticed is that in every case the message was SPAM, but that could
simply
> >> >be a coincidence.
> >> >
> >> >I hope PostOffice gets moving on this - I was already unhappy with the
> >> >pricing changes in the last few versions. It is a nice product, but
the
> >> >company behind it seems to be degrading...
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >At 09:41 PM 7/25/99 -0400, you wrote:
> >> >>I just wonder why we haven't seen it. I also support
> >> post.office at about a
> >> >>half dozen other pops and businesses and have never run across
> >> the problem
> >> >>myself so it's not persistent among ALL post.office installations...
God
> >> >>knows we have lots of outlook users... and a lot of our users
> >> are engineers
> >> >>and architects who absolutely insist on clogging their pipes with
large
> >> >>drawing files sent as attachments in outlook.
> >> >>
> >> >>Not doubting what you say, just trying to help out. I don't
> >> have a dog in
> >> >>this hunt... I support lots of other packages and they all have
their,
> >> >>ahem... "features".
> >> >>
> >> >> )
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>Good luck
> >> >>
> >> >>> -----Original Message-----
> >> >>> From: ntisp-request@iea-software.com
> >> >>> [mailto:ntisp-request@iea-software.com]On Behalf Of Geoff
> >> >>> Sent: Sunday, July 25, 1999 9:49 PM
> >> >>> To: ntisp@iea-software.com
> >> >>> Subject: Re: [NTISP] PostOffice 3.5.3 & Outlook again!
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>> This problem is persistent with Post.Office and we contacted
> >> them with an
> >> >>> Email petition. The President responded that he would have his
> >> >>> tech support
> >> >>> work on this problem till resolved. Well, that was three
> >> months ago and
> >> >>> they still have not fixed the problem.
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>> ----- Original Message -----
> >> >>> From: rkm <rkm@marshall.net>
> >> >>> To: <ntisp@iea-software.com>
> >> >>> Sent: Sunday, July 25, 1999 6:26 PM
> >> >>> Subject: RE: [NTISP] PostOffice 3.5.3 & Outlook again!
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>> > We use ASCEND MAX's here.. could it be your terminal servers?
> >> >>> >
> >> >>> > > -----Original Message-----
> >> >>> > > From: ntisp-request@iea-software.com
> >> >>> > > [mailto:ntisp-request@iea-software.com]On Behalf Of Dan Waldron
> >> >>> > > Sent: Sunday, July 25, 1999 9:26 PM
> >> >>> > > To: ntisp@iea-software.com
> >> >>> > > Subject: Re: [NTISP] PostOffice 3.5.3 & Outlook again!
> >> >>> > >
> >> >>> > >
> >> >>> > > The only thing between our Max terminal server and our mail
> >> >>> server is a
> >> >>> > > 100Mbps ethernet cable. We get the same problem at both of our
> >> >>> > > POPs, however
> >> >>> > > after saying that, we don't seem to suffer the problem with
local
> >> >>> network
> >> >>> > > e-mails so I don't think the server is overloaded at all, and
the
> >> >>> terminal
> >> >>> > > servers are way under utilised. It seems to happen far too
often
> >> >>> > > and there's
> >> >>> > > no correlation between peak and off peak period either.
> >> >>> > >
> >> >>> > > Outlook 5 seemed to help, but it's still a definite problem.
> >> >>> > >
> >> >>> > > Regards
> >> >>> > > Dan
> >> >>> > >
> >> >>> > > ==========================
> >> >>> > > Dan Waldron
> >> >>> > > Internetworx Pty Ltd
> >> >>> > > dan@internetworx.com.au
> >> >>> > > http://www.internetworx.com.au
> >> >>> > > Ph: 1300-300-005
> >> >>> > > Fax: 1300-302-270
> >> >>> > >
> >> >>> > >
> >> >>> > > ----- Original Message -----
> >> >>> > > From: rkm <rkm@marshall.net>
> >> >>> > > To: <ntisp@iea-software.com>
> >> >>> > > Sent: Monday, July 26, 1999 10:28 AM
> >> >>> > > Subject: RE: [NTISP] PostOffice 3.5.3 & Outlook again!
> >> >>> > >
> >> >>> > >
> >> >>> > > > We run post.office at three locations and we have no problems
> >> >>> > > with outlook
> >> >>> > > > and large attachments.
> >> >>> > > >
> >> >>> > > > My guess is you have a system latency somewhere that is
causing
> >> >>> > > a timeout?
> >> >>> > > >
> >> >>> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> >> >>> > > > > From: ntisp-request@iea-software.com
> >> >>> > > > > [mailto:ntisp-request@iea-software.com]On Behalf Of
> >> Dan Waldron
> >> >>> > > > > Sent: Sunday, July 25, 1999 8:57 PM
> >> >>> > > > > To: ntisp@iea-software.com
> >> >>> > > > > Subject: Re: [NTISP] PostOffice 3.5.3 & Outlook again!
> >> >>> > > > >
> >> >>> > > > >
> >> >>> > > > > We've had enough of spending all day deleting emails,
> >> >>> it's very fast
> >> >>> > > > > starting to look like we dump post.office in search of
> >> >>> > > greener pastures.
> >> >>> > > > > Lately the support has been pathetic, I don't think
> >> two or three
> >> >>> > > > > weeks for a
> >> >>> > > > > reply to a support query is reasonable, fair enough
> >> perhaps if it
> >> >>> > > > > were free
> >> >>> > > > > support!
> >> >>> > > > >
> >> >>> > > > > Maybe we need an electronic petition! :-)
> >> >>> > > > >
> >> >>> > > > > Rregards
> >> >>> > > > > Dan
> >> >>> > > > >
> >> >>> > > > > ==========================
> >> >>> > > > > Dan Waldron
> >> >>> > > > > Internetworx Pty Ltd
> >> >>> > > > > dan@internetworx.com.au
> >> >>> > > > > http://www.internetworx.com.au
> >> >>> > > > > Ph: 1300-300-005
> >> >>> > > > > Fax: 1300-302-270
> >> >>> > > > >
> >> >>> > > > >
> >> >>> > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> >> >>> > > > > From: Christian Schmit <cschmit@vo.lu>
> >> >>> > > > > To: <ntisp@iea-software.com>
> >> >>> > > > > Sent: Saturday, July 24, 1999 2:41 AM
> >> >>> > > > > Subject: [NTISP] PostOffice 3.5.3 & Outlook again!
> >> >>> > > > >
> >> >>> > > > >
> >> >>> > > > > > Hi,
> >> >>> > > > > >
> >> >>> > > > > > We still have a lot of problems with Outlook customers
> >> >>> > > > > > when they get large mails on our PostOffice server.
> >> >>> > > > > > (around 2-3 MB or more)
> >> >>> > > > > >
> >> >>> > > > > > These customers use Outlook 5 which comes with IE 5.
> >> >>> > > > > > I thought software.com said Outlook ver. 5 would solve
> >> >>> > > > > > the problems they have with Outlook clients. To me
> >> >>> > > > > > it seems that the problems are not solved.
> >> >>> > > > > >
> >> >>> > > > > > Hopefully the next version of postoffice solves these
> >> >>> > > > > > problems. Anyone knowing when version 4 of PostOffice
> >> >>> > > > > > will be released? What features will it have?
> >> >>> > > > > >
> >> >>> > > > > > Christian
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