You receive an email regarding a critical failure in Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange

Products

• Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange

Issue/Introduction

You receive an email regarding a critical failure in Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange (SMSMSE).

Symptoms
The text of the email is similar to the following:

From: Administrator
Sent:
To: Administrator
Subject: Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange experienced a critical failure.

There is no information in the Application or System event logs regarding an error. 

Cause

This email is generated when the SMSMSE service is unable to communicate with the Microsoft Exchange Information Store.

Resolution

This problem is fixed in Symantec Mail Security 6.5.1 for Microsoft Exchange. To download the latest release, read Obtaining an update or an upgrade for a Symantec Corporate product.


Workaround

If you do not wish the email to be generated during the startup of the computer or the shutdown of the computer perform the following steps.


1. Determine if the email is being sent at computer startup or computer shutdown. 

a. Click Start > Run.
b. Type services.msc in the 'Open' box.
c. Right-click Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange.
d. Select Stop.
e. Restart the server.
f. If the email is generated, the problem happens at startup.
g. If the email is not generated, the problem happens at shutdown.

To prevent the email from being generated at startup
 

To prevent the email from being generated at startup make the Symantec Mail Security for Exchange service dependent upon another service, such as the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service (MSExchangeIS).

NOTE: Please do not make SMSMSE dependent upon another service if you have multiple Exchange servers installed in a cluster environment.

WARNING:  This information is provided "as-is" and as a courtesy only. In the next steps, you will edit the Windows registry.  Back up the registry before you make any changes to it, because incorrect changes to the registry can result in permanent data loss or corrupted files.  Modify only the registry keys specified.  Because these steps involve a change to Windows settings and not Symantec settings, if you have any questions about the steps please contact Microsoft Technical Support.

The following documents explain how to back up the registry

How to back up, edit, and restore the registry in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756

How to back up, edit, and restore the registry in Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322755

This document explains how to delay the loading of services:

How to delay loading of specific services
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/193888

To change Windows settings to prevent timing conflicts with Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange
1. On the Windows taskbar, click Start > Run.
2. In the Open box, type the following command:
   
   regedt32.exe
    
3. Press Enter.
4. In the Registry Editor, in the left pane, go to the following key:
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\SMSMSE
    
5. In the right pane, right-click DependOnService, and then click Modify.
6. If the DependOnService value does not exist, create a new REG_MULTI_SZ (Multi-String Value) named DependOnService.
7. In the Value Data box, type:
   
   MSExchangeIS
   MSExchangeSA
   
8. Click OK.
9. Exit the Registry Editor.
10. Restart the computer.

To prevent the email from being generated at shutdown 

To prevent the email from being generated at shutdown do one of the following:
• Stop the Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange service before shutting down the server.
• Create a script that stops the Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange service before the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service.

Microsoft Technet is a readily available resource for scripting information. The following Microsoft Technet article explains how to deploy a script. It includes links to other Microsoft Technet articles about scripting.
Startup, shutdown, logon, and logoff scripts
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc739591.aspx