XADM: How to Troubleshoot New Mail Notification Issues

This article describes how to test for new mail notification service issues. Since new mail delivery may be delayed, users may misinterpret delayed delivery to be slow delivery. If users report that the new mail notification icon is displayed only after they change folders or perform other actions that refresh the client computer, you should investigate new mail notification performance first.

Using the following tests, you can verify if there is a new mail notification issue. The first test determines whether mail is flowing on the server. The second test determines whether new mail notifications are being sent.

Test One

From a MAPI client installed on the server:

1. Create a new mail message and address it to the mailbox you are working from.
2. Send the message.
3. You should receive a new mail notification without having to refresh the client.

If this test fails, then you are having mail flow issues and you do not need to proceed with the second test.

Test Two

This test requires two workstations signed into two different mailboxes.

1. Instruct User1 to create a new mail message and address it to the mailbox of User2. Request a delivery receipt for this message.
2. Send the message to User2. User1 should refresh the mail client until the delivery receipt is received.
3. User2 should not refresh the client during the previous step. When User1 receives the delivery receipt, if User2 has not received new mail notification, then the service is not working.

After you perform these tests, you should be able to verify if the issue is caused by a failure to receive new mail notifications. If test one was successful, and test two did not work, then you are having new mail notification issues.

The issue may be caused by devices or configurations that block or redirect UDP ports between the Exchange client and server, such as firewalls, a Proxy Client installed on an Exchange Server, or a server configured with multiple default gateways.

A new mail notification is a UDP packet that is sent from the server that forces the client to refresh its view. If the UDP packet does not reach the client, then the only way you can know that new mail has been delivered is if you refresh the view. When you change folders, the view is refreshed, and therefore it seems that new mail has just been delivered.

For additional information, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

NOTE: If the proxy client is installed on the client, you may need to regenerate the LAT table and reboot the client machine in order to resolve the issue.