My problems saving or opening attachments with Windows Mail

[GranUja]

I'm having the following problems with the opening and/or saving different
documents attached to my e-mails.

At first, a couple of weeks ago, programs only admitted savings on the user
profile folders and not on the public folders; and now I'm unable to save
files in my hard drive or any other device.

When saving files from the Preview Pane Heather I get the following message:
"There was an error saving one or more of the attachments. Please check free
disk and try again."

When I do it from an opened e-mail I get:
"The command failed to execute"

When trying to open the file:
From the heather on the preview pane the option is unavailable; with the
mail opened the option appears only when the contextual menu is activated
-mouse right button- and, although selected, no action is taken. I if you
double click the document nothing happens, either.

On the other hand, as I saw the previews answers, this happens with all
attachments.
..pdf
..doc
..vsd
..pps
..ppt
..xls
..xlt
..png
..jpeg
..jpg
..bmp

and others which are not relevant as they are text files associated to
programs such as MapSource or OziExplorer.

I'm currently working with Windows Mail, although I have installed Windows
Live Mail too.
This is applicable for both programs, not only for the Windows Mail.

I've tried to open the mail files with Live Mail and had the same results.
The e-mail is opened, I'm able to read it and see the pictures on it, but I'm
not able to save or open the attachment; whatever the file extension is.

I tried the UAC option
I tried the check box on attachment in the Tools/Options.../Security
I tried deactivating the WindowsDefender system.
I uninstalled my antivirus
....and it's always exactly the same.



PS: If I download from a web site I have no problems.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Which antivirus did you uninstall? Norton and McAfee require a special
cleanup tool to be used in order to eliminate all remaining pieces,
which if not removed can continue to cause trouble.

 

[GranUja]

ary,

I've had many problems with Symantec, specially regarding the billing and
registration system they have. So, I don't want any of relationship with
those guys any more. When I purchased this new computer -October 2007-
specially asked it with no Antivirus. I'm using AVG Free edition -Grisoft,
Inc.- for the time being.

The system was ok for the last eight months so I can't imagine why I wake up
one morning and Windows Mail or Windows Live Mail refuse to open attachments.
Either the ones I've sent or the ones I have recieved; regardless the type of
file or the program which should be used to open them or the way you try to
do so.

My Windows Vista Business is up-to-date.

I've done all posible changes to the configuration of the system nothing
happens. I have a reasonable experience with software and MS Operating
systems, but this problem is completely out of hand.

For what I see from the board, I'm not the only one with the problem.

Regard

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Chances are, you installed AVG antivirus using its default install option.
If so, uninstall it, then reinstall, but select 'custom' install, which then
allows you to forego installing the troublesome email scanning module.

While AVG is uninstalled, try Windows Mail again, just to verify that
the culprit has been found. If not, do you get any sort of error message
when you try to open an attachment? Can you save the attachment?

(Note: it is customary here to quote the message one is replying to.)

 

[GranUja]

Gary,

Sorry for deleting the message. I used Notepad to respond and made a Cut &
Paste.

I uninstalled the AVG, as well as deactivated the WindowsDefender. The
message I get is exactly the same one. I'm not allowed to save or open the
attached files. I tried deactivating different issues in the msconfig also,
with no positive results.

Then I uninstalled all programs that were associated with security, but the
error persists. During the testings I wasen't able to download anything on
Internet Explorer, either. Even the hotmail page was blocked for download.
But with the reinstalation of Defender and AVG those that issue was regained.

Regarding your two questions:

do you get any sort of error message when you try to open an attachment?

No, I do not get any message when trying to open the attachment.

Can you save the attachment?

No, I cannot save any type of file. Neither using Windows Live Mail or
Windows Mail to open the mail file; nor from the preview pane of Windows
Mail. I have Windows Mail as my default mail application.

Best regards.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Your symptoms are very unusual. It is not normal for Internet Explorer to
lose all downloading capability when Defender and your antivirus are
out of the picture. The problem is obviously much more extensive than just
Windows Mail. Can you restore your system to a date before all these
troubles started? If not, you may want to think seriously about reinstalling
Vista.

 

[GranUja]

Gary,

Well, I now can download from IE. The point was I tried to download
Thunderbird, with AVG and Defender on, to see if I had the same problems, but
I wasn't able to do so. After deactivating everthing I managed to do so, and
when I re-installed them the downloads were avaliable.

I opened the Live Mail and imported all the mails from my Windows Mail but
had no luck in saving or opening the attached files.

I installed Mozilla Thunderbird and I was able to open attachments within
it. The only problem was that I wasn't able to move the mails stored on
Windows Mail. I could do so from a backup I had from my previous hard drive,
as the Thunderbird has only importing opions for Outlook and O. Express.

I'll see what I can do

About the reinstalling Vista. NO WAY. I bougth a New XP a couple of weeks
ago -my other versions were hardware dependent-, I'm waiting for a new hard
drive so I dont loose my warranty on the hardware I have and I will install
XP instead. It's by far much more reliable.

I work with maps, and old computer handles them faster an better than this
one, dispite the difference in RAM, Video RAM and Processor speed. These
images are 500MB large and my old Pentium4 1.8GHz-750MB RAM, 32MB Video works
better than this Dual Core 2.2GHz 2GB RAM, 512MB Video.


Least but not last: Grafical Interface may be a hit for gaming but not a
usefull asset for working.


Best regards, GranUja (a) Joe.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Mozilla has no native import capability for Windows Mail emails,
but there may be an add-on for it.

Sounds like your foray into the world of Vista is going to be a short one.
I really can't explain why some people have so many problems with it.
Vista has been flawless on several laptops my kids and I own.

 

[GranUja]

Well, Gary. Finally I managed to solve the problem. Now I'm able to save my
attachments.

I ran a full scan Panda's ActiveScan free service as I wasn't able to do so
with HouseCall -it loaded, but stayed idle- and a full, thorough scan with
AVG. Both found different low grade threats, which I deleted. After that, I
ran a couple of tools from Uniblue: First SpyEraser found seven more low
grade threats to delete. Then I ran RegistryBooster scan to make sure the
registry was "updated" and defraged it.

After a pair of reboots, Windows mail is working again.

I'm a laptoper my self since 1987. Most of my hardware has been TOSHIBA. Now
I've switched to Dell as the service and assistance, here in Argentina, is
awfully bad. I don't really know if the problem is hardware compatibility or
just a problem due to Vista. The main point is: I loose to much time trying
to make it work fast. I've gone through many Operating Systems since my entry
in computing 1984; from CP/M to Solaris and all the Microsoft series since
MS-DOS 2.11. I believe XP was a good product, frendlier than W2K and very
stable. Vista will have to replace a good product, and maybe thats the
biggest challenge.

Regards.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

I find it doubtful that removal of some 'low level threats' solved
your problem. From my past experience with anti-spyware, it
typically calls harmless tracking cookies 'low level threats'.
Hopefully it was some fluke that won't return

 

[GranUja]

Maybe, because all it showed was cookies. I had done the same procedure
before I posted here -the only change was I added Panda's ActiveScan- with no
positive results.
It is possible that one of the up-dates of AVG, in the past days, had a
solution for it. Certainly I don't belive it was a cookie messing aronund.

Whatever: ¡Problem Solved!
Thanks for your assistance.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

You're very welcome.

 

[Guest]

If you still have any Toshiba hardware trying to run both Vista and
Windows Mail, check if its list of installed programs includes SMS
Desktop. If it does, uninstall it.

 

[InDisbeleif]

How much did Microsoft pay you to tell people its not a Windows Mail
problem. I have 0 that means zero beleif that you have had no problems with
Vista. I have a friend that works in the Corporate Center here in texas and
he was presenting vista to me and couldn't even get a commonly used shortcut
to work! I have had a ton of problems and they are NOT ID10T errors. From
having to reinstall vista or use backup???? WHY should I? It makes no sense.
Normal use with so much BS you my friend are a lyer.

 

[merniesgirl]

Wow - so judgemental (lol). I'm another Vista user of almost 2 years who
has had minimal problems. Sorry But I just recently have not been able
to save .wav attachments in Windows Mail. Almost every other attachment I
can still save. After reading through all the posts, I'm going to play
around with my av program.

Thanks

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Which antivirus are you running? Some of them are not fully compatible
with Windows Mail.

 

[Martin]

I also am having trouble with this attachment thing. Can not open or save
ANY type of attachments while using Windows Mail. Using IE7 and AVG Virus
8.0. Removed and cleaned AVG. No luck. Re-installed AVG. Nothing.
Removed again and installed Macafee with no luck. Changed the Tool/Options
setting to allow all attachments. No help. Loaded Windows live mail. No
difference. Can not view, open, or save ANY attachments. I have tried
everything in all the threads re: this problem,-- but can't seem to resolve
this. I run two computers. one laptop, and one desktop. Until now
everything was the same. now one works, and the other is useless. ANYONE
resolve this???
Marty

 

[Steve Cochran]

I would remove all AV software and remove your accounts in WinMail and then
add them back again and then send yourself an attachment and see if you can
save it.

steve

 

[Martin]

After the second removal of avg, and prior to installation of Macafee, I
tried that very thing. Could not open nor save any attachments. Neither AV
found anything on a total scan. Could another program such as Spybot do any
good? I read where one person seemed to think he received help doing that.

 

[Guest]

Antispyware programs, such as Spybot Search and Destroy, search for
spyware, which is not the same as viruses, but can cause similar problems.
Most antivirus programs do not include a section to search for spyware,
and therefore will not find it. McAfee is known to cause assorted problems
in Windows Mail, although slowly enough that this does not immediately
become obvious. Also, the normal methods of disabling the McAfee
antivirus program do not remove the section causing problems in Windows
Mail; instead, you first have to uninstall it, then run a cleanup program to
take care of what the uninstall leaves behind. McAfee seems to have hidden
the cleanup program, though; the link that used to lead to it no longer
works.

Robert Miles