SYMPTOMS

• "Could not remove Message Command File" appears in the Debug Log Files
•  Zero byte file sized files in the MailEnable queues

CAUSE

This problem can be caused by virus scanning programs, Microsoft Fast Find Indexer, backup agents, etc. that hold the file open at the time of deletion.

The mail server knows that an attempt to send the message was made, but does not know whether the message contents were delivered. When it attempts to resend the message, it discovers that the actual body of the message does not exist (because it was removed from the queue when the message was initially sent). Hence it delivers the message with no contents.

When the server is rebooted or the SMTP Service is restarted, it checks any messages that have their sending flag set and re-initializes them. An empty message will then be sent to the user notifying them that a mail processing error occurred.

RESOLUTION

This is an extreme case and the file should not have been locked in the first place. Review any agents that may be holding file locks on the system.