Can anyone comment on how to fix the IPM.root (also IPM.SRroot) folder bug using Pocket Mechanic?  It’s a CE issue, but I was hoping that someone might be able to address a fix within the confines of PM.

Many users have this problem.  In my case, have a folder (IPM.SRroot) that appears during every synchronization.  While it is not debilitating, it is very annoying and raises a concern for whether or not other problems might arise later.

Werner Ruotsalainen discusses a fix for this problem using SK Tools, but I already own PM, so I’d like to use what I have.  Better yet, if this fix was included as an option in one of the existing utilities for the next version of PM, that would be great!

http://www.pocketpcmag.com/cms/blogs/3/found_a_quick_fix_for_the_pocket_inbox_m

I’d very much appreciate comments on how to use PM to achieve this fix.

Thanks!

Hi Robert,
I will have a look and will add a feature to fix the issue in the Outlook Cleanup module of Pocket Mechanic. I will try to do that in the next 48 hours. Cheers!

Anton, I think this would be a terrific feature.  It seems a common problem among WM messaging users, and would be a great selling point for PM.

Best,
RK

Robert,
I checked the article Mr.Ruotsalainen wrote. The issue here is integrity corruption in the mail databases. Windows CE uses CEDB (specific variant-type databases) to store mail account and folder information as well as references to the file system. Mail folders for example are defined that way. Message headers are also stored in the databases. Message bodies and attachments are stored as files outside the databases. The databases contain references (links) to the message bodies and attachments. There are also internal references inside the databases for example a message record has a reference to the record that describes the mail folder it belongs to.

Outlook corruption occurs when the integrity of the references is broken. For instance a message record references a message header that has been deleted. Or a message record references a missing mail body on the file system. Such issues occur when somebody starts deleting records from the databases or quite often when the mobile device crashed. The best way to deal with such issues is to use the Outlook Cleanup module of Pocket Mechanic. The Outlook Cleanup will check the different databases inside the message store and will validate the very complex link hierarchy ensuring database integrity is healthy. The module can repair all known issues and very often will free up additional storage space because besides database integrity checks it is also able to find orphaned records and files.

Anton, thank you again for your prompt reply.

It seems I just can’t get this to go away.  Perhaps we should not dismiss Werner’s observation so quickly.

I just ran the PM Outlook Cleanup utility and it reports that “No issues were found”.  I then started FlexMail and it is displaying IPM.SRroot in two places:
/ActiveSync/IPM.SRroot
/Deleted Items/IPM.SRrooth.

I’ve deleted those folders and emptied the bin, then closed down FlexMail.  After another synchronization, the IPM.SRroot folder reappears.  It’s very strange.

Because FlexMail is not touching PocketOutlook messaging, but simply showing it in a different interface, I do not believe it’s FlexMail.

Do you have any insight?

Robert Kreisler - 14 July 2008 06:16 AM

Anton, thank you again for your prompt reply.

It seems I just can’t get this to go away.  Perhaps we should not dismiss Werner’s observation so quickly.

I just ran the PM Outlook Cleanup utility and it reports that “No issues were found”.  I then started FlexMail and it is displaying IPM.SRroot in two places:
/ActiveSync/IPM.SRroot
/Deleted Items/IPM.SRrooth.

I’ve deleted those folders and emptied the bin, then closed down FlexMail.  After another synchronization, the IPM.SRroot folder reappears.  It’s very strange.

Because FlexMail is not touching PocketOutlook messaging, but simply showing it in a different interface, I do not believe it’s FlexMail.

Do you have any insight?

Hi Robert,

I am only saying that the folder IPM.Root has no direct connection with message store integrity issues. As far as I am aware this folder is needed because it is the root folder of each email account and I am not sure that having this folder listed should be considered an issue. Indeed FlexMail is only presenting you a “view” of the message store.  Besides having the folder listed do you have any other issues with messaging?

By the way would it be possible for you to enable the Pocket Mechanic log file, run the Outlook cleanup module and send me the log file by email?

Anton, I have the file.  Let me know what Email address to use, and I’ll get it to you right away.

It’s an issue because it is a distraction, and also a concern as there are many posts about databases (and the respective messages) being completely lost as a result.  So you can understand that it’s a cause for some alarm.

What’s interesting is that the NAME of my folder in question is different than described in the other posts.  The name of this one is IPM.SRroot, rather than IPM.root which we’ve seen discussed.  Not sure if they’re the same, but it’s annoying, in any case.

Thanks!

Hi Robert,
Please send me a PM with your email I am sending you a debug enabled build (should that be WM5 or WM6?). Thanks!

Anton, sent the PM yesterday.  Let me know if you got it?

Also, is there any harm in running the relocate utility more than once?

Thanks!

Hi Robert,
Received and replied!

Cheers,
Anton

Anton, for some reason I’m not able to reply to your PM, but that’s fine.  Send it whenever you can.

Hi Robert,
I will PM you when I email you with the debug build. Thanks again!

Anton