Cannot save attachment or The operation failed

[Guest]

For several messages in different mailboxes, one of the attachment files
cannot be opened or saved. The attachment types vary: Word file, PDF file,
or Text file attachment types.

When trying to Open the attachment in Outlook, the error displayed is:
"Microsoft Office Outlook
The operation failed."

When trying to save the attachment to a local file the error displayed is:
"Microsoft Office Outlook
Cannot save the attachment."

These errors are observed in Outlook 2007, but I believe the same errors
would occur in Outlook 2003. (I don't think this is a specific issue with
Outlook 2007 version.)

Is there any other suggestions for opening or saving the attachment -- or is
my only option to delete the attachment or restore the data on Exchange ?

Thank you.

 

[Guest]

Have you tried emptying the Outlook cache?

http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/securetemp.htm

 

[Guest]

I had tried that and it made no difference.

 

[Leon Hao [MSFT]]

Hi,

If I understood properly, your issue is: when trying to open an attachment
in Outlook 2007, you receive an error "The operation failed". When trying
to save it to a local folder, you receive an error "Cannot save the
attachment".

Is that correct?

Based on my experience, this can be caused by several reasons. I have
listed two of them for your reference.

* Suggestion 1: Temporarily turn off/remove antivirus program
================

Many times such issue can be caused by the antivirus program currently
running on the machine. Please temporarily turn off or remove antivirus
application and see if this scenario is gone.

* Suggestion 2: Manually create the missing working directory
================

Before we provide this suggestion, I would like to first confirm with you
if you are using Exchange 2000. If you do, then after you move an Exchange
Information Store database from one computer to another computer that is
running Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server, you may experience this problem.

This problem occurs if the working directory is missing.

To resolve this problem, manually create the missing working directory on
the computer that is running Exchange 2000 Server. To do this, follow these
steps:

1. Verify the location of the working directory. To do this, view the
following registry entry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\Parameters
System\WorkingDirectory
Typically, the working directory is at the following location:
Drive_Letter :\Exchsrvr\Mdbdata
2. Move to the Drive_Letter :\Exchsrvr folder, and then create an Mdbdata
folder.
3. Restart the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service.

More information can be obtained at the following KB article:

919078 You experience problems when you try to open an attachment after you
move a database in Exchange 2000 Server
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;919078

Hope this helps!


Regards,

Leon Hao

Microsoft Online Partner Support
Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
====================================================
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[Guest]

You have stated the issue correctly.
Turning off the antivirus program did not help resolve the matter.
The server is Exchange 2003 with SP2.

However I went through the procedure you referred to (KB 919078) and the
MDBDATA registry entry matches the file system. (The MDBDATA directory does
exist and matches the registry entry.)

 

[Leon Hao [MSFT]]

Hi,

As the most common situations do not match yours, I would like to collect
more information for further research:

* Information Collection
==================

1. As you said "one of the attachment files cannot be opened or saved", do
you mean this only occurs with a specific e-mail message?
2. Does this occur on another Outlook user profile? Please also create a
new one to test.
3. If possible, please send this problematic e-mail with attachment to my
e-mail address.
4. Please take some screenshots on the error messages and send them to me.
** To take a screenshot
---------------------
1. When this error message appears, press PrScrn key on your keyboard.
2. Type "mspaint" (without the quotation marks) in Start>Run box and click
OK.
3. Click Edit>Paste to paste the screenshot.
4. Save it as JPEG file type and send it as Email attachment.
---------------------
5. Please also help to collect the application event log:
** Collect Application Event log
----------------------
1. Click Start>Run
2. Type "eventvwr" (without the quotation marks) and click OK.
3. Right click on the Application, and click Save Log File As¡­
4. Save it as TXT file format and send it as e-mail attachment.(Do not save
as EVT file format.)
----------------------

Here is my e-mail address: <[email protected]>

Meanwhile, you can try some general troubleshooting suggestions:

* Suggestion 1: Test in Outlook Safe Mode
=====================

Outlook Safe Mode can narrow down issues which are caused by any
extensions, corrupted resources, files, registries, or templates.

1. Click Start | Run.
2. In the Open box, type: "Outlook /safe" (without the quotation marks)
Notes: There is a space character between Outlook and the forward slash (/).
3. Click OK.
4. After Outlook 2007 starts in Safe Mode, try to open the attachment to
test.

* Suggestion 2: Test in Safe Mode with network connection
=======================

1. Restart Windows.
2. At the boot sequence, long press F8 key to invoke startup menu.
3. Choose Safe Mode with network connection on the menu and press Enter.
4. After Windows starts, determine if this issue still persists.


Regards,

Leon Hao

Microsoft Online Partner Support
Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
====================================================
When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
====================================================
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Guest]

1. As you said "one of the attachment files cannot be opened or saved", do
you mean this only occurs with a specific e-mail message?

This occurs with a few specific e-mail messages -- not all messages.

2. Does this occur on another Outlook user profile? Please also create a
new one to test.

The error also occurs on another Outlook client and also on a different
profile.

3. If possible, please send this problematic e-mail with attachment to my
e-mail address.

I cannot forward it to you due to potentially sensitive information.

4. Please take some screenshots on the error messages and send them to me.

I will send you this immediately.

5. Please also help to collect the application event log:

There are no events logged at the time I try to open the message in Outlook.

 

[Leon Hao [MSFT]]

Hi,

I have not received your screenshots yet. Would you please send it again to
<[email protected]>?

Thanks for your cooperation.


Regards,

Leon Hao

Microsoft Online Partner Support
Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
====================================================
When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
====================================================
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Guest]

Leon,

I sent them to your address on 3/26/07 at 11:22 AM EDT.

I have now re-sent them to you.

Thank you,

Robert

 

[Leon Hao [MSFT]]

Hi,

This time I have received your e-mail and screenshots successfully.

I have done some further research based on the error message you provided,
and would like to confirm with you if you have tried the following two
suggestions mentioned in my previous response:

# Suggestion 1: Test in Outlook Safe Mode
# Suggestion 2: Test in Safe Mode with network connection

If you have already tried that, would you please tell me the results?
Because I cannot find any information about them in your reply.

Meanwhile, after some further research based on your error message, I would
like to suggest the following test and suggestions:

* Test: Re-send the same message with attachment
=============

I suspect the original message is corrupted as this does not occur on all
the messages but just a few of them. If possible, please send a similar
message with the same attachment to test.

If this does not occur with the newly received attachment, then I believe
the original messages are corrupted. You may need to work with your local
CSS for the file corruption issue.

If you can reproduce the same error, then please go on to try the
suggestions below:

* Suggestion: Repair Office 2007
==============

1. Click Start>Control Panel
2. Double click Add / Remove Programs, and highlight Microsoft Office 2007,
then click Change.
3. Choose Repair then click Continue.
4. Wait for the process to finish, and check if this issue is resolved.

Please try the suggestion and test and provide the information and results.
I'm looking forward to hear from you.


Regards,

Leon Hao

Microsoft Online Partner Support
Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
====================================================
When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
====================================================
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Alan Vincent Ansula]

I also have the same problem with one of the users here at our office.

She cannot save or open attachments. This goes for all the emails she have that has attachments.

My Senior Systems Support Engineer said that I should archive the said profile. According to him, the outlook profile may not reach up to 2GB. So i must archive it to free the outlook profile. I'm not really familiar with what he said, if you have an idea, can you guide me of what should I do with this archiving stuff?

 

[Darwin Lambeth]

This is an intermittent issue, and after you get it fixed you will probably go through it again. Microsoft has many issues and bugs in their Outlook client (and everything thing else they have). I keep running into this issue from time to time, however usually a reboot fixes it for me.

Cheers!