trouble with displaying of mhtml content

[Softie]

Hello!

I've trouble with displaying of *.mhtml files / content on a Vista SP2 PC.

IE8 shows "The page cannot be displayed", and Windows Mail isn't able to
show mail content (IMAP server), but the list of mails is updated as usual.

Currently saved web pages (as *.mht ) can be opened!
(And their content looks very similar.)

This trouble only affects one (restricted) user account. Others and
Administrator eren't affected. So reason is located in this special user
profile.

The mshtml.dll is ok, of course (only Administrator is allowed to change).

A virus scan didn't produce a result.


Do anybody know how the display of *.mhtml files is working en detail?
Where can I look for the reason of this display problem (with mshtml.dll)?


Thanks!

 

[Sam Hobbs]

Can they be opened if they are saved to disk first? I am asking just to help
diagnose the problem. If it cannot be opened after it is saved to disk, can
the same file be opened by other accounts?

 

[Softie]

Can they be opened if they are saved to disk first? I am asking just to help
diagnose the problem. If it cannot be opened after it is saved to disk, can
the same file be opened by other accounts?

Yes, currently and former saved web pages (i.e. on desktop, as *.mht) can
be opened.

*.mhtml and *.eml files from this user account can be opened from other
accounts.


Even a new empty file (empty.txt.mhtml) causes this error at the
problematical user account.
(empty.txt.html (without "m") works like expected.)

:-(


By the way: If I try to open empty.txt.mhtml IE tries for a bunch of
seconds. After a while apparently unsuccessfull the messige "The page cannot
be displayed" appears.

If I rename the mshtml.dll temporarily, of course the file doesn't appear,
but immediatly (no hourglass, no timout period).


So it have to be somthing with the handover to the mhtml handler, I suppose.

Perhaps Security settings? (But IE is reset to defaults completely in this
user account.)

 

[Softie]

Can they be opened if they are saved to disk first? I am asking just to help

diagnose the problem. If it cannot be opened after it is saved to disk, can
the same file be opened by other accounts?

Strange: If I rename on the desktop the currently saved example.mht to
example.mhtml it can be opened, too. If I copy exaple.mhtml to
example2.mhtml, the error message appears.

I didn't see any ACL differences.
Perhaps trouble with alternate data streams?

 

[Softie]

Seems to be an invisible add-on.

If I start IE8 without add-ons by right click, I'm able to display the
problematic *.mhtml files.

But all add-ons are deactivated at Tools / Manage add-ons.

 

[Sam Hobbs]

Whatever the problem, it seems to be more of an IE problem, so you will
hopefully get more help in a IE group or forum.

 

[Softie]

Just a suggestion. Open it up in Notepad or other

text editor and see if you can spot some major
difference in the HTML source code. If you don't
have enough experience to spot bad HTML code
visually, you can use a good MHT file that
works and compare it to one from that account
that is giving you problems.

Thanks for the idea - but all of my tested *.mht(ml) files are ok. (They can
be opened at other user profiles, or at other PCs.) No problem of specific
content. Even empty files are affected.

 

[Softie]

What is the real problem? Is it a problem with WM

not displaying emails properly for one user? Or are
these emails you want to save as MHT files and
you have the problem from one user account?

Hi VistaRookie!

First of them: WinMail isn't able to display content of mails in one user
account / profile anymore.

During my way to find the reason I notice that IE8 also have trouble to
display *.mhtml files. (I suppose exactly the same reason for both problems.)

 

[Softie]

Hi VistaRookie!

Thank you for your efforts!

Unfortunately I'm looking for the reason, not for a work-around (like
creating new accounts/profiles), so it was in vain. (But may be helpful for
others.)

The mail store isn't a problem, it's IMAP. I want to know the reason.

The creation of a whole user profile would be much more effort than fault
searching.

(And perhaps the reason can happen once more - i.e. if it was a virus after
all.)

IE would be the engine used to run Windows Mail,
so, yes, I suspect the same reason for both
problems.

WM stores emails as .eml files, not as MHTML or MHT.
The difference is subtle. .EML files will not run in IE.
You can save emails manually as either extension and
even as plain .txt.

Yes subtle!

By the way: IE failing with *.eml seems to be only an extention issue. If
you rename WinMails *.eml to *.mhtml IE8 shows up the content of the mail as
WinMail does.

No wonder: all of them (*.mht, *.mhtml, and *.eml) is natively a bare text
content (just in "MHTML" format).

Here is what I would do, if I had the problem.

1) If anti-virus email scanning is turned on - look for this
heading:
FIRST:

Of course: I'd deinstalled anti virus first (because possible interfering is
well known). Thanks anyway for this hint.

 

[Softie]

But this can be an indirect idea!

Is there any other technique to handle files than with extentions in Windows
/ IE?
May some kind of general "protocol" setting for MHTML content, like MIME
heders?


(But now I suppose it will be a virus/malware. A second PC now has same
behaviour.)

 

[Sam Hobbs]

It was previously established that the problem exists after the attachment
is saved as a file, so it should be pursued as an IE problem.

 

[Sam Hobbs]

The information you provided previously might be misleading. I cannot be
sure of important details.

You seem to say that if an attachment is sent to multiple recipients, that
the exact same attachment works for some but not all. If that is not correct
then your information is not accurate and if it were accurate then I would
have suggested a likely cause.

I know that MHTML content cannot be shown if the file name has characters
that MHTML does not like but that would be valid for files in general. That
can cause a confusing problem. You have not described the problem in a
manner that indicates that that is the cause, but it might be the cause if
you have not accurately described the problem.

There is something called file associations; there might be a problem with
the way MHTML is associated with IE.

There might be an add-in causing problems, but I think that was already
suggested.

I think the most critical diagnostic is to ensure that the exact same file
causes the problem for some users but not all users, but you must be sure
that the file is the exact same file. Assumptions of similiarity can totally
prevent accurate diagnosis.

 

[Sam Hobbs]

No, I don't realize that. It might be, but it is very unclear to me whether
it is an attachment. I think the best indication that it is an IE problem is
that Softie said "If I start IE8 without add-ons by right click, I'm able to
display the problematic *.mhtml files."

I truly don't understand how a MHTML file is a message, not an attachment,
and not saved to disk. A HTML format message is usually "Content-Type:
text/html".

 

[Softie]

4 virus scanners didn't found anything.

The assumption of malware was perhaps too hasty.
(The second PC has similar effects, only - not same effects. And they are
not persistent, they are gone after restarting a third-party mail app each.)

Feel free to check my thread "Problems with (not deactivated) add-ons?" at
group "Internet Explorer General", too.

 

[Softie]

4 virus scanners didn't found anything, meanwhile.

The assumption of malware as reason was to hasty, perhaps.
(The second pc only has similar effects, not precisely same. After each
restart of a third-party mail [which uses IE modules] app it's working again.)


Someone may want to read my thread "Problems with (not deactivated)
add-ons?" in newsgroup "Internet Explorer General", too.

 

[Softie]

Hi Sam, VistaRookie!

(Sorry for partly seducing to guess.)

I'll try to describe the supposed cause (instead of answering your several
questions), so it should be more understandable:

There seem to be one problem, which causes 3 programs (WinMail, IE8, and a
third-party mail program [which uses IE techniques, too]) to have problems to
display contents of files/mails.

(Originally the problem was Windows Mail not displaying mail bodies after a
short period of 100% CPU usage / timout period. In preview, and in extra
window, too.)

All 3 programs have trouble with their dedicated MHTM files/objects.
(IE8 with flat *.mhtml files, WinMail with it's *.eml files and the
third-party mail program with it's files in MHTML format.)

The "helper"/handler files mshtml.dll and inetcomm.dll seem to be ok. So I
guess there is a problem while calling functions of these "HTML content
display librarys" or differently involved librarys.

(And at this point I suppose a failed spoofing malware, which hooks into
this chain of function calls down to display helper mshtml.dll.
[But would be strange because of restricted user profiles.])


So of course it's an IE problem - and WinMail is using IE librarys to
display (M)HTML content.


And my first little success / discovery is that IE8 started *without
add-ons* shows it's MHTML content like usual.

 

[Softie]

Hi Sam!

I'm driving different investigation strategies at the same time.
(Of course I'm very attentive to test 100% same files/objects.)

One of them is to test IE with 100% same saved *.mht file.

Problematic restricted user profile, same PC:
- this file is displayed correctly
- I copied this file with Windows Explorer 1:1, the copy isn't displayable

Logged in with another restricted user profile:
- both files are displayed as expected

Strange, isn't it!?

(Of course I'd investigeted in file rights / ACLs, too.)

 

[Softie]

Don't think already in readable / interpreted mail header/body contents.

WinMail stores it's raw mails in several *.eml files. This files are in
MHTML format.

It seems to be a problem to use/display this files. (Only from, to, and
subject is shown in WinMail - but I suppose this info is coming from a mail
folder list database.) With notepad it's no problem to read this files.

 

[Softie]

By the way: The second appearance of the effect didn't happen at another user
profile at the same PC but on another PC!

I can't see your computer...please answer each
and every question. I want to be sure we are
on the same page with basics.

All right! (But it's less usefull - you will see...)

Additionally: because it's a problem with IE8 and a third-party mail
program, too, it should be less promising to change settings in WinMail.
(But somtimes some settings are globally, maybe.)


After a timeout (about 30 to 60 Seconds) with 100%CPU an (IE like) error
message (about "This page cannot be displayed").
But From/To/Subject is shown (perhaps from local IMAP mails list database).

Same with prewiew or opened in separate window.


Of course all 100% the same like on other PCs / accounts.
(That was of course one of the first steps during my investigation.)


all default, but "text only" - and this with coding = none (not qp)


Western European(ISO)
English Headers (instead of country specific)


default is Western European(ISO), too


it's deafault (like on all other machines) Zone for restricted sites (more
safe)

(But I'll do a test here later.)


Unfortunately nobody changed all this well working settings for months/years.
(But nobody knows...)

 

[Softie]

Hi VistaRookie!

Starting IE without add-ons (right click) of course didn't affect WinMail.
(To set all add-ons to "deactivated" within IE didn't help IE, and of course
not WinMail!)

Now I was tired: The deletion and re-creation of Windows user profile helped.
(What an expense...)

Strange effects. No matter - for this costs I could by 3 PCs with included
setup.