All of a sudden I can't open ANY attachments and get the error message
"Cannot find the file specified". Attachments show the correct icon so they
are being recognized.

After researching the error message I came across many causes and fixes,
none of which worked.

The most common response is to clean the Secure Temp folder (see
http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/securetemp.htm) and I have done that. In
fact looking at this folder after cleaning and attempting to open another
attachment, I find a copy of the attachment there and I can open it from
there. So, at least that part works ok.

So, here's what I know:

1) the attachment is valid
2) Outlook is saving the file/attachment to the correct location correctly.
3) it can't open any attachments (so please don't tell me to check the file
associations).
4) Detect and repair has not helped
5) Scanpst.exe doesn't help.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

thanks,

bob

You've come quite far already :-)
Which version of Outlook are we talking about here? If Outlook 2007; does
Previewing the attachment work within Outlook? Test it with a Word file.

Do you have a virus scanner that integrates with Outlook? Disable this
integration and try again. The on-access scanner is sufficient. See
http://www.msoutlook.info/question/20

Does it work correctly when you logon with a different user to that
computer?
What is "all of a sudden"? When did this start happening? Anything changed
since the last time it was still working?

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

http://www.msoutlook.info/
Real World Questions, Real World Answers

-----

"BobH" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:0BEBFC91-EA3C-46D2-9B78-(E-Mail Removed)...
> All of a sudden I can't open ANY attachments and get the error message
> "Cannot find the file specified". Attachments show the correct icon so
> they
> are being recognized.
>
> After researching the error message I came across many causes and fixes,
> none of which worked.
>
> The most common response is to clean the Secure Temp folder (see
> http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/securetemp.htm) and I have done that. In
> fact looking at this folder after cleaning and attempting to open another
> attachment, I find a copy of the attachment there and I can open it from
> there. So, at least that part works ok.
>
> So, here's what I know:
>
> 1) the attachment is valid
> 2) Outlook is saving the file/attachment to the correct location
> correctly.
> 3) it can't open any attachments (so please don't tell me to check the
> file
> associations).
> 4) Detect and repair has not helped
> 5) Scanpst.exe doesn't help.
>
> Can anyone shed some light on this?
>
> thanks,
>
> bob