# Solved: OUTLOOK2007 Cannot open email messages forwarded as attachments



## WAJ0606 (Oct 10, 2007)

Cannot open email messages forwarded as attachments using Outlook 2007. This has happened twice now with two seperate users concerning two seperate messages. To workaround I direct the users to access the message through web-based e-mail. Any ideas what causes this?


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## gurutech (Apr 23, 2004)

Can you save the "attachment" to desktop, and then open from there?


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## WAJ0606 (Oct 10, 2007)

I can save it to the desktop but when I double click on the link nothing happens


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## WAJ0606 (Oct 10, 2007)

bump


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## gurutech (Apr 23, 2004)

What is the file extension on the file that is saved to your desktop? Does the icon by chance look like a little envelope?


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## WAJ0606 (Oct 10, 2007)

The extension is .msg and yes it looks like an envelope. I recreated the problem with a message in my Inbox by saving it to the desktop. What causes this? I can open the other files types without problems listed under "Save As"


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## WAJ0606 (Oct 10, 2007)

bump


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## gurutech (Apr 23, 2004)

Right-click on the .msg file and choose "Open With". Choose Outlook from the list. If it doesn't show up in the list, choose the "Choose Program" and choose Outlook from the list, and make sure the checkbox for "Always Use This Program" is selected.


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## WAJ0606 (Oct 10, 2007)

I had tried that in the past, it produces the same result. Does it have something to do with Word being the e-mail editor in Outlook? I have recreated the issue on other machines running both Outlook 2003 and 2007. Again, when the attachment is opened through web-based e-mail (which wouldn't use Word) it opens normally.


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## gurutech (Apr 23, 2004)

You can try disabling word as the email editor and see if that works.


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## WAJ0606 (Oct 10, 2007)

According to help in Outlook 2007 disabling in 2007 is not an option, but when I disabled in 2003 that didn't work either. I tried opening the message with the command line switch "/f" and it behaved similar to double-clicking the icon. I'm starting to think if there is a solution then it's going to be more trouble to implement than simply accessing the message via the online mail server, but I would still like to know the reason why this occurs.


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## gurutech (Apr 23, 2004)

Have you tried running a "Detect and Repair"? Or possibly an uninstall/reinstall?

One thing to make sure of if you go the route of uninstall/reinstall - make sure you DELETE (or at least RENAME) the "Office12" Folder under C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office, after you do the uninstall, but before the reinstall. This will clear out any possible corrupted settings from the previous installation.


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## WAJ0606 (Oct 10, 2007)

I haven't repaired or reinstalled, but the problem occurs on three workstations. One of them has a clean image and has only been used for about 2 weeks now. Can you not recreate the issue on your workstation?


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## Zack Barresse (Jul 25, 2004)

If you go to Tools | Trust Center | Attachment Handling, what do you see? Outlook does block certain file extensions by default, although the *msg* file extension is not on that list (as it is a plain Outlook message forwarded as an attachment), your system administrator may have that blocked. Make sure you have correct permissions. Also try having the sender send as a zip file, see if that makes a difference.

Ensure the sender is on your safe list also.

I will also tell you that I do not open messages forwarded as attachments and I tell everyone who sends me something that I do not accept those and to unable that option. I just do not trust people to think they are savvy enough to know what they are forwarding. Plus my security is set to high and I have a *white list only* type setting. To change this option, go to..

Select Tools | Options... from the menu. 
Go to the Preferences tab. 
Click E-mail Options.... 
Make sure Attach original message is not selected under When forwarding a message. 
Click OK. 
Click OK again.


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## WAJ0606 (Oct 10, 2007)

Attached is the what I see in the trust center. The e-mail messages that I originally had the problem with were from software companies containing information to go to online training sessions. I then recreated the issue with messages i already had in my inbox by simply saving them as .msg files to the desktop and trying to open. It's almost as if Outlook does not understand how to open a .msg file.

_Select Tools | Options... from the menu. 
Go to the Preferences tab. 
Click E-mail Options.... 
Make sure Attach original message is not selected under When forwarding a message. 
Click OK. 
Click OK again._

I double checked this setting and it's correct.


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## Zack Barresse (Jul 25, 2004)

Check out these links...

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/829982
http://technet2.microsoft.com/Office/en-us/library/12c97f50-412a-41ea-9c7a-756f168608d11033.mspx
http://ask-leo.com/why_cant_i_open_attachments_in_outlook.html
http://www.vistax64.com/vista-general/11261-cannot-open-attachments-outlook-2007-beta.html
http://groups.google.com/group/Goog...read/thread/f583611088053f96/28da843d503de92d


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## WAJ0606 (Oct 10, 2007)

PROBLEM=LATEST VERSION OF GOOGLE DESKTOP

http://groups.google.com/group/Google-Desktop_Something-Broken/browse_thread/thread/25f1e31353bf9bd0/65e4dd7779dfc3dd?hl=en&lnk=st&q=.msg+file+will+not+open+google+desktop#65e4dd7779dfc3dd

All three machines had it installed. I uninstalled on this machine, restarted, saved a .msg to desktop and it opened without any problem.


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## gurutech (Apr 23, 2004)

What about double-clicking the .MSG attachment directly in the email?


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## WAJ0606 (Oct 10, 2007)

gurutech--See previous post


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