Knowledge Base

"Failure to Initialize Modem Session" When Restarting External

Article ID: 180361

Article Last Modified on 10/30/2006

Microsoft Mail for PC Networks 3.5

This article was previously published under Q180361

SYMPTOMS

When you are running an async instance of External as a service on Windows NT 4.0, stopping the service does not release the referenced modem. Subsequent attempts to restart the service result in "Failure to Initialize Modem Session" error messages in the Session.log file. ECHO to the modem's COM port fails as well. The computer must be restarted in order for the modem to be used again.

CAUSE

Xtsrv32.exe does not recognize the escape code that Windows NT 4.0 passes when the service is stopped. So, even though the service is stopped, External is left running.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, do the following:

Restart the computer and monitor the instance from Microsoft Mail Service Manager.
Press the ESCAPE key and Y to exit. This releases the modem properly.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Mail for PC Networks, version 3.5. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Keywords: kbprb KB180361