SAP Note 26979 - inf: Unknown error message number xxxxx

Symptom:

When executing Informix programs, for example, when starting the database, the error message appears:

Unknown error message number xxxxx
or
Unknown error message number 'xxxxx'

where xxxxx is an error number.

Cause and prerequisites

The database does not find the required message files in the directory $INFORMIXDIR/msg or finds inconsistent files in this directory.

Solution
Check the directory $INFORMIXDIR/msg for any changes. Restore the contents of this directory either from a backup or by reinstalling the Informix software from scratch.