Mailtraq writes serious problems it encounters to the Event Log.
Examining the Event Log is the first step to resolving problems that you might have.
Event Log - viewer
Mailtraq presents a live, rolling view of the Event Log in the Console, and also from the Monitor at the icon in the System Tray (on the Desktop, down by the clock).
This live view is very useful for monitoring transactions, but when Mailtraq starts, the Event Log is empty and, to conserve memory, the data in the event log rolls off after approximately 700 lines. So it is less useful in diagnosing an underlying intermittent problem.
Disk Event Log
Mailtraq also writes a semi-permanent record of all Mailtraq activity to file in real time.
The default location is at:
C:\Program Files\Mailtraq or C:\Program Files(X86)\Mailtraq
Mailtraq writes one file per day in the format LOG_31.TXT, over-written on a monthly cycle. The file name corresponding to the day of the month.
Tip
It is often the case that Logs have been set to be stored in a non-default location - you can see in the Console where that location is by opening the dialog at Options | Server | Logs
The log files are simple text files and can be opened and examined in Notepad, or any other simple text viewer. We recommend not opening them in MS Word, or other 'word processing' software as you may impose unwanted formatting on the data that will make analysis harder.
Examining the Log
Use the Edit | Find function in Notepad to search the log file for the word: exception
Each exception to normal events is flagged with that word, and a brief description of the event.
Most exceptions are easy to understand, for example if you see entries similar to:
>[date] [time] EXCEPTION (NexusDB: ...variable text ... Recursive call (3 times):
with the 'variable text' containing a description of an event with a reference to a 'jdoe.afx'
then that indicates the mailbox DB database file for John Doe has a corruption issue.
This KB Article explains how to fix that problem - KB08040101 Repairing a corrupt AFX 'mailbox'
If you see exceptions of the type:
17.10.2004 20:02 EXCEPTION (I/O error 103)@ Error Closing File: C:\Program Files\Mailtraq\database\mail\pending\LPT048C7250 [0079AB58] Recursive call (3 times)
or
17.10.2004 20:02 EXCEPTION (Cannot open file "C:\Program Files\Mailtraq\database\mail\pending\LPT048C7250
then that normally indicates a problem with an anti-virus, or back-up program that is locking a file that Mailtraq is trying to use. This KB article explains how to fix that - KB04102101 EXCEPTION & Error 103
Getting more information - The Exceptions Log
Each exception that Mailtraq encounters and logs is also entered into a special exceptions log.
This file is also located in the program folder and is called:
mailtraq.exc or MailtraqService.exc - note that extension is exC
This is also a simple text file. Entries are appended to this file, so the most recent event is at the bottom. Examining the exc entry for an 'exception' will give more details.
Getting more help
If you are encountering 'exceptions' that you do not understand and cannot resolve yourself, you can get help from Support. They will ask you to send them an extract of the Event Log showing examples of the exception, together with the matching entries from the exc file.
Tip
If you have to send Event Logs and EXC files to Support, be sure to zip them before sending. If the zip files are bigger than 1MB be sure to email Support before sending otherwise they may be rejected.
You must have valid Upgrade Protection to receive individual support of this nature. You can check on your support status in the About dialog and if necessary you can Renew your Upgrade Protection.
