Outlook keeps trying to download some html file

[BobRoyAce]

A couple of days ago, an annoying thing started happening with Outlook
2010. It always happens when I go to reply to an email, and sometimes
happens when I just let Outlook sit there without me doing anything.
What happens is that it keeps popping up dialog boxes asking me if I
want to save a file. The name of the file is cryptic, and ends with
a .html extension. The filename actually looks like a GUID.

It pops up this dialog over and over and over and it's really becoming
annoying. I don't know what happened to start this behavior, but I
sure would love to know how to stop it!

Any ideas would be most appreciated.

 

[BobRoyAce]

I just noticed another thing. The name of the file that it asks me
about downloading changes every time the dialog box comes up, as if
some code is generating a GUID each time.

Could this be a virus?

 

[JohanWouters]

Same problem here

I've got the same problem here. Have tried various virus/anti- rootkit programs (Spy emergency, Spyware Doctor, Hitman Pro), which all come up with nothing.
Curious as I am I tried downloading and opening the file (what the heck - time that I reformat my C disk anyhow, since it cluttered to much), which resulted in a corrupt explorer; explorer suddenly didn't show any content anymore in any folder.
After restart however, it all appeard again. The problem with the frequent file download request however persists. Haven't found a solution yet. Very interested in any solution.

 

[JohanWouters]

solution found

Hi, I've found a solution somewhere else on Internet. Appears to be a problem with outlook. Don't know what causes or caused it. Solution is to go to "view/people pane" and set to off.

Works for me. But of course not a real solution, since the people pane is not developed for nothing.

 

[RobLatour]

I found how to solve this.

Go to Internet Properties - Programs - Internet Program (set programs) - and
reset Program Access and Computer Defaults to the Microsoft Windows option.

Hope this will be of help to others

Rob Latour

 

[hudini]

just go to Outlook view panel and turn the panel view OFF...that did the trick for me...try

 

[Diane Poremsky [Outlook MVP]]

we think the new problem is caused by updates to antivirus - which one
do you use?


Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]

Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com/
OutlookForums http://www.outlookforums.com

 

[bgeraghty]

Another possible solution to this problem is to disable the Social Connector COM Add-In. This may be applicable only to Outlook 2010, however I found after examining the source in the {GUID}.html file, there were many references to Social Connector.

Detailed instructions on how to disable or delete this add-in can be found at http://www.groovypost.com/howto/howto/outlook-2010-disable-people-pane-social-connector/

 

[Doddy]

I found how to solve this.

Go to Internet Properties - Programs - Internet Program (set programs) - and
reset Program Access and Computer Defaults to the Microsoft Windows option.

Hope this will be of help to others

Rob Latour

Thanks Rob. This worked for me.

Had been tearing my hair out trying to stop this happening.

Thanks for the post.

 

[andyrocker1970]

I'm having the same sort of problems too

 

[djbartje]

Hi, found another possible cause.
There is a new plugin in Outlook 2010 called Microsoft Outlook Social Connector
It looks like this plugin causes problems as soon as you install any webbrowser other than IE.
Especially after installing Firefox or Google Chrome causes IE to generate this Outlook error.
Workaround is to disable this plugin.
Start Outlook, goto File > Options > Apps (only have the dutch translation of this..) > COM apps > Start > disable Microsoft Outlook Social Connector > save
It worked for me..

 

[Mungo]

I found how to solve this.

Go to Internet Properties - Programs - Internet Program (set programs) - and
reset Program Access and Computer Defaults to the Microsoft Windows option.

Hope this will be of help to others

Rob Latour

I was experiencing this issue as well as other issues with Outlook and Internet Explorer. It all started after an unintentional install of Google Chrome (forgot to uncheck the box). It became the default browser. I tried using Chrome as many of my friends liked it. But too many weird unexplainable problems were occurring and this was on my work PC. I uninstalled Chrome and almost everything went back to normal - everything except the incessant HTML downloads. I followed Rob's direction and the downloads have stopped.

BTW - when I opened the HTML files they contained the following line:
"Loading"