                       TECHNICAL BULLETIN
                         Bulletin 1-255
                        October 26, 1989

                       BINDFIX Aberration

     When BINDFIX.EXE is executed under the following conditions, data loss 
     will occur:

           o  The NetWare operating system is version 2.15 or below.

           o  The NetWare shell being used on the workstation where 
              BINDFIX.EXE is being executed is a NetWare 386 shell, 
              version 3.0.

           o  The NetWare 386 v3.0 shell is using the "SHOW DOTS ON" 
              parameter.  The default for this parameter is ON.

           o  A user has been deleted from the bindery without the 
              corresponding mail directory being deleted.  This occurs when 
              the SYSCON utility being used was an earlier version shipped 
              with NetWare v2.11 or below and the shell being used is a 
              NetWare 386 version 3.0 shell. 

           o  The BINDFIX user answers "Yes" to the question, "Delete mail 
              directories of users that no longer exist?"

     NOTE: Data loss will occur only when all the above conditions are met.

     The Cause

           The early versions of SYSCON.EXE were not prepared to deal with 
           the directory entry '.' (from the SHELL.CFG parameter "SHOW 
           DOTS = ON").  This resulted in the user mail directory not being 
           properly deleted.

           BINDFIX.EXE, similarly, is unable to deal with the '.' directory 
           entry.  When it attempts to delete mail directories of nonexistent 
           users, it will get caught in a loop of deleting files and 
           directories.

     Preventive Measures

           o  We recommend that NetWare users use the 3.0 shell only with 
              NetWare 386 file servers and with NetWare 386 utilities.

           o  In an internetwork environment where it may be necessary to 
              use the 3.0 shell with 2.1x file servers, place the command 
              "SHOW DOTS = OFF" in the SHELL.CFG file.

           o  Users of some applications need the "SHOW DOTS = ON" parameter 
              set.  Make sure that they have insufficient rights to run 
              BINDFIX.EXE.

           o  Make sure that there are no versions of SYSCON.EXE on your 
              internetwork that are earlier than NetWare version 2.12.

           o  Maintain current backups.
