CONN: "Mail Failure" Responding to Unlabeled Return Receipt (119047)

SYMPTOMS

The differences in the Return Receipt option in Microsoft Mail for PC Networks and MS Mail for AppleTalk networks may result in "Mail failure" error messages.

The "Mail Failure" error occurs if an AppleTalk Mail user sends a message to a PC Mail user with the return-receipt option turned on. If the PC Mail user reads or deletes the message, the return receipt comes back to the Mac account addressed from POSTOFFICE. Since it is not a return-receipt message, the AppleTalk Mail user can reply to it; however, doing so results in a "Mail failure" message.

CAUSE

This problem occurs because of the difference in functionality between the AppleTalk and PC Mail systems. On the AppleTalk Mail side, you cannot reply to a return-receipt message, but in this instance the Mail Connection Gateway creates the message without labeling it as type "return receipt." As a result, the AppleTalk Mail user can reply to the message. The reply goes to the user POSTOFFICE, resulting in the "Mail failure" message.

RESOLUTION

You can avoid the "Mail failure" message by not deleting the message that is sent from a Macintosh to a PC with a return receipt. Since you may not want to keep that message around forever, you can delete it and ignore the "Mail failure" message. You can also avoid using the Return Receipt feature when mailing to combinations of AppleTalk Mail and PC Mail mailboxes.

MORE INFORMATION

The following is an example of the "Mail failure" message from the MSGATE.LOG file:

Mac-PC From: johndoe.al Date: 10-22-92 16:19:00 Subject: From Mac Side
PC-Mac From: POSTOFFICE Date: 10-22-92 16:15:00 Subject: Registered: Joh
Mac-PC From: johndoe.al Date: 10-22-92 16:22:00 Subject: RE: Registered:
170 - # - # - Bad address NETWORK/POSTOFFICE/POSTOFFICE -- ignored.
PC-Mac From: POSTMASTER Date: 10-22-92 16:19:00 Subject: Mail failure