XIMS: Logging On Using IMAP with Extended Character in the Password (289855)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Commercial Internet System 2.0
  • Microsoft Commercial Internet System 2.5
This article was previously published under Q289855

SYMPTOMS

If you use either Microsoft Commercial Internet System (MCIS) 2.5 HTML Mail Interface (HMI) or a later version of Microsoft Outlook Express (for example, Outlook Express version 5.50.4133.2400), you may not be able to log on by using Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) if your password contains extended characters.

CAUSE

This issue occurs because strings that are specified in IMAP commands can be expressed in either literal or quoted form. The Request for Comments (RFC) 2060 specification states that a quoted string (for example, TAG LOGIN "User" "Password") cannot contain 8-bit characters. The MCIS 2.0 IMAP service rejects any quoted string that contains an extended character, in accordance with the RFC specification. Some IMAP clients (which include MCIS 2.5 HMI and some versions of Outlook Express) do not use the literal form if the password contains an extended character.

RESOLUTION

A supported fix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Apply it only to computers that are experiencing this specific problem. This fix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next Microsoft Commercial Internet System service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS

NOTE: In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The typical support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:
   Date       Time   Version       Size     File name    Platform
   ----------------------------------------------------------------
   03/02/2001 12:35  5.5.1877.70  302864    Imapsvc.dll  i386   
   03/03/2001 12:24                53008    Smtpmd.exe   i386

After you apply this fix, you can configure the MCIS 2.0 IMAP server to accept an extended character in a quoted string. You can add the ImapAllowExtendedChar metabase value to allow an IMAP server to accept an extended character on a specific IMAP server instance. You can use the SmtpMd.exe utility that this fix provides to define this property.

For example, the following command allows the IMAP server to accept extended character on the IMAP instance number 2:

smtpmd set imapsvc\2\ImapAllowExtendedChar 1

You need to stop and restart the MCIS 2.0 IMAP service for the changes to take effect.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:10/6/2005
Keywords:kbHotfixServer kbQFE kbbug kbfix kbQFE KB289855
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