The MonTel Server keeps re-starting (and/or Edini32 keeps re-loading)

The problem described below is a problem affecting windows programs in general and is not necessarily specific to MonTel applications, but rather to all programs that refer to file date or time stamps. MonTel checks the date/time stamp (the time when a file was last saved) when CheckINIfileforAmoreRecentSave = 1 or ExitServerIfINIisUpdated =1 (or 2).

These affect EdIni32 and the MonTel Server:

1. When Edini32.exe checks to see if PABX.INI has been updated by another user (or by the same machine if two instances are open) if CheckINIfileforAmoreRecentSave = 1.
2. When the MonTel Server (server.exe, ServerCN.exe or ServerSV.exe) detects that it needs to re-start or re-load the settings from the PABX.INI file because the settings may have been changed (presumably by Edini32.exe), when ExitServerIfINIisUpdated =1 (or 2).

This checking for a change normally works well. However, there are a number of circumstances when the file time is not in sync between the MonTel server computer, and the EdIni32 computer, which if more advanced than the computer doing the checking will cause the file to be continually reloaded or the program restarted. (Fixes highlighted below).

• The time recorded in the computer bios my be wrong. The computer clock is notoriously un-reliable, and will loose time, some time several minutes or more a day. This problem can be fixed by synchronising the time on the local computers with the network server.
• The Time Zone information is not the same on the computers. On NTFS systems used typically by Windows Servers (NT and WIN2K), the file date time stamp is recorded in GMT time, and is adjusted by the local computer. This problem can be fixed by adjusting the time zone on all the computers on the network to be the same. See CheckWIN32TimeZone for a way of doing this automatically from MonTel (But see also: How to stop the new 32 bit client from changing the Time Zone settings on my computer).
• It is less than an hour since a change to or from DST (Daylight savings time). The file date time stamp is adjusted by the current time setting from GMT of NTFS system, not by the time recorded on the time stamp. For more information see the following topic on the Microsoft web site: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B129574. This problem is unlikely to be observed, since it is very unlikely that the PABX.INI file will be updated at this time of night. For more detail from a programmers perspective on this and the related problem in the item above see: http://www.codeproject.com/datetime/dstbugs.asp
• The MonTel server is on a Win9x (Win95, Win98 or WinMe) system and DST (Daylight savings time) is normally used in the time zone but has been disabled because of other software issues (for example running Lotus Notes), and the current time would otherwise be in DST. Win9x computers appear to have a bug, where if the time is currently in DST, and the time zone has a DST setting (that is if the start and end month has been set), then the time stamp is displayed in DST time regardless of the setting of the "Automatically adjust for DST"). There is a hint of this problem in http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B169474, http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B134256, http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B129574 and http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B117369. Windows 95 is an exception according to Q129574, but this has not appeared to be the case in Netwiz testing (The time stamp does seem to be adjusted by the TZ regardless of the adjust DST setting). Fix: If you are in a time zone that uses Day light savings but you have disabled DST on all computers, you can use "Time Zone Adjust" (TZUtil) a freeware from the MonTel Web site, to adjust the time zone (creating a MonTel Adjusted Time Zone) the excludes the start date and and end date. See also How to use TZUtil.
• Some other rare instances when the time has been changed by a user or a program on the MonTel server, or a hardware failure in the computer calendar clock. See also the MS web site for an example of a programatic failure to change the time correctly: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B234735 and incorrect transition times http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B304303.

Please note that MonTel had issues with Time zones (un-related to the above issues) before version 2.9.0 pr26. Some time after that a regression error (probably in version 2.9.56 only) caused time zone updates to be un-reliable. Please update to 2.9.57 before trouble shooting or using CheckWIN32TimeZone.