Apologies for the mini essay, but please bear with me.

For the last 6 months we’ve been having a problem with our emails.

Background info: We’re using Windows Server 2003 SP2 with Exchange Version Version: 6.5.7638.1. Client machines are using Outlook 2007. The Exchange Server sits on the domain controller.

The problem: Basically, the client will suddenly get the following message:



Upon getting this message the Outlook session will freeze, the screen will go transparent or white (ie, not responding), and it will be a good 1-2 minutes before the action attempted is performed. Then everything will be fine for a few minutes, but then on trying to perform another action, like opening up an email for example, it will happen again.

At present, this is happening on average of about once a month, and there is no particular pattern that I can see to it happening. What makes this quite odd is that it won't happen to everyone in one go. Some users will get hit with this and others won't.

The only way to resolve this problem at present is to reboot the server with Exchange on it, which is far from ideal. Not even stopping and restarting Exchange related services works.

I’ve googled the message and have discovered that this incredibly vague error message in Outlook could be literally anything. Memory leaks, poor exchange performance, global catalog problems, etc. There is nothing in the event viewer on the server, nor the client machine that relates to the problem.

My question to the people with server troubleshooting experience is, where would you start with regards to troubleshooting this particular issue? Please include any tools / applications you might use.

Thanks tranceaddict.com people.

Last edited by DJ Mikey Mike on Jan-11-2010 at 21:25

My server troubleshooting knowledge isn't brilliant, so I'm not in a position to advise on this. But it sounds like it could be anything, especially considering you havent noticed any correlation between these events.

However, if you contact Microsoft and explain whats going on, they will probably reply to you with instructions on how to send them a form of log, which will give them a detailed view of whats going on. They should be able to help from there.

But maybe someone on here knows .

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Is your outlook in cache mode or are all of your mails read directly from the server? How big is your mailbox size?

We have a Terminal Server where approximately 30 users log onto. All of these users have cache mode switched off (I don't think you actually can have it switched on, on a Terminal Server, can you?) Either way, they are not in cache mode.

In the office however cache mode is turned on for all users with the exception of maybe 3 or 4 of them.

The Terminal Server users are always hit by this problem, as are the 3 or 4 users in the office who have cache mode turned off. However, several users who have cache mode turned on still receive the problem too, which is why I've never though too much of it. However, you're not the first person to mention the cache mode so perhaps you're onto something here. What are you thinking?

The mailboxes are currently about 18 Gig, and that's divided between about 100 users.

quote:

Originally posted by Acton My server troubleshooting knowledge isn't brilliant, so I'm not in a position to advise on this. But it sounds like it could be anything, especially considering you havent noticed any correlation between these events. However, if you contact Microsoft and explain whats going on, they will probably reply to you with instructions on how to send them a form of log, which will give them a detailed view of whats going on. They should be able to help from there. But maybe someone on here knows .

My experience with dealing directly with Microsoft in the past has been quite a frustrating one at best. I will perhaps do this as a last resort

You get that error if the response from exchange server for a request is not answered within 5/8 seconds(depending on the edition). Thus if there is a huge mailbox (lots of items inside), and its not in cache mode, outlook will query the server for updating itself with all the mails, which would cause a huge network traffic (when lot of users with the same problem even more huge network traffic). And as a result you get that error.

http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2.../14/395229.aspx

http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2.../25/405353.aspx

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=839862

Oh right, well that would make sense. A lot of our T/S users have very large mailboxes so they’d be querying the server every time on a pretty regular basis.

But why would we be able to get away without the problem occurring for over a month before it starts happening? Does it really take that long before the resources required become depleted? If this was the problem I’d have thought it’d happen much more frequently than it already does.

Thanks for your input with this.

A further development on this. I've just checked out some of the peoples mailboxes who have cache mode turned on and who are still experiencing the problem, and it turns out that they are only receiving the error when accessing another persons mailbox.

So I think you're definitely right with this. Are there any ways around this. Is it possible to turn cache mode on, on a terminal server?

Cheers again.

It seems you can't use terminal services and cached mode.

I think you should force a limit on the mailbox sizes for the people who use terminal services. It should cure some network latency. Less items to be downloaded faster the response. Do people really need 2-3 year old messages? Can they save them on a harddrive or (private) network space?

Easier said than done really. Some of the users with a Terminal Services account are board directors, the chief exec, head of op's, etc. Trying to cap these type of people with even a generous limit is a nightmare in itself.

Thanks for your advice, at least I have a better idea now of why this is happening.

Oh, that shit happens in my office all the time although the freeze is not general and only affects Outlook. One way to minimize the time it freezes up is to right click the Outlook icon on the taskbar and select "Cancel server request".

I asked the IT dept and I remember they said the main reason it's happening here is due to short breaks on the connection to the server and peaks in bandwidth. I can ask them again if you want.

Also, the solution we have here for people that need a remote connection is Outlook Web Access through a VPN.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/ha010860351033.aspx

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well atleast decrease deleted items retention period, but remember to backup always first. Less deleted items to be saved in mailbox, but you still have backups just in case.