Registered eForms system users received this email from ATF today:

As  you are aware, eForms has had performance issues for the past three weeks.  We are diligently working with experts in the field to resolve the issues. Until we can get the issues resolved we will be implementing automated restarts of the server at 4:00 am, 9:00 am, NOON, and 3:00 pm eastern time.  We have determined that the restart of the servers clears “stuck threads” on the servers and improves the overall performance of eForms.  We realize that the unscheduled restarts were disrupting your workday and this will allow you to plan around the scheduled restarts.

Restarts will take approximately one hour to complete during which time eForms will not be available.  Again, this is only a temporary measure until a more permanent solution is implemented.

Again, daily restarts of the eForms servers will be conducted daily at the following times until further notice:

4:00 am – 5:00 am

9:00 am – 10:00 am

NOON – 1:00 pm

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Finally, Pay.gov has notified us that they will be upgrading their system on Saturday, February 22, 2014, from 6:00 PM to MidnightEastern Time. Pay.gov has advised us that  systems using  pay.gov will experience a service outage during this period.  This means that you will not be able to pay the tax for the eForms 1 and 4 during this time period.  Forms can be created and saved to your draft folder until the upgrade is completed and the taxes can be paid.

Thank you for your patience as we try to improve eForms.