Photo email feature broken

Anonymous
2015-06-25T12:32:01+00:00

Update 14 July 2016

The fault that caused this error for a short period in 2015 was corrected. Users now having trouble using the photo email feature are facing a different problem. The most likely reason is that the Microsoft Account being used has been migrated to the Outlook Mail platform; users will often see an error message including error code 0x8007007A.

Users seeing this error code may not be able to send any messages at all until the offending message has been removed from the outbox (below the account folders in the folder pane). Some alternative methods of sharing pictures are explained in this article: Avoid 'photo email' and send photos by email

Stop press 8 July 2015 13:00 UTC

This bug appears to have been fixed. Once the error has been cleared, it should now be possible to send photo email again. The 'slideshow' view may not work at OneDrive, but the photos can be viewed and downloaded.

In the past two days, a number of users have complained that the photo email feature is no longer working. After creating a photo email and clicking send, the process starts and then stalls.

At this stage, the following is recorded in the program log:

[13:04:26.65] 17d8                 Mail:            Zone_MailChk ERROR: (containx.cpp:3808), failed with 0x800CCE05 <br> <br><br>[13:04:26.65] 17d8                 Mail:            Zone_MailChk ERROR: (containx.cpp:3808), failed with 0x800CCE05 <br> <br><br>[13:04:27.20] 0e78                 Mail:            Canvas_Error [db] <br><br>Photomail failed to complete publish: System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x80010105):<br> <br><br>The server threw an exception. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80010105 (RPC_E_SERVERFAULT)) <br><br>   at WindowsLive.Writer.PostEditor.PhotoAlbums.PhotoMail.IPublishCallback.PublishComplete(Int32 hr, IHTMLDocument2 newEmail, IPhotomailAlbum photoAlbum) <br><br>   at WindowsLive.Writer.PostEditor.PhotoAlbums.PhotoMail.PhotoMailPublisher.Publish(IPublishCallback callback, IHTMLDocument2 document2, String language, String wpost)

To clear the error, the user must:

1.   Disconnect from the Internet (e.g. switch off Wi-Fi or unplug the Ethernet cable).

      This will stop the program from trying to send.

2.   Remove the message from the outbox (below the account folders in the folder pane).

3.   Click Stop in the send/receive progress window.

      An error message with code 0x80004004 (ABORT) is displayed.

4.   Close the progress window.

Instead of using the photo email feature, users could:

A.     Start a new email message from within Windows Live Mail (Ctrl-N), then use either

Attach files to send images as attachments to the message, or

Insert > Single photo to embed images into the message and apply some formatting.

The images will still be sent as attachments, but they will usually be visible to the recipient

in the body of the message.

B.     Upload the images to OneDrive, then use the sharing options there to send a link to addressees by email.

Will support staff please confirm this fault and inform users about when they may expect the broken feature to be mended?

There is a suggestion on the OneDrive UserVoice page asking the OneDrive team please to reverse the change that caused this fault. The more votes the suggestion gets, the more likely it is that the team will look at the problem.

PS A number of users have posted solutions involving forcefully closing down Windows Live Mail, e.g. by using Task Manager to end the wlmail.exe process or by re-starting the computer. These methods can't be recommended except in the last resort, because Windows Live Mail often conducts internal housekeeping after the program interface has disappeared. If this process is interrupted, damage to the program's databases may result.

The program will normally stop trying to send the message soon after the Internet connection has been broken; clicking once on Working online on the status bar may also speed up the release of the program's handle on the unsendable message so it can be removed from the outbox.

Windows for home | Other | Email and communications

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-06-26T20:01:00+00:00

    I hope someone at Microsoft can just get it to quit trying to process the photo album so I can get my email to work again!

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-06-26T20:22:10+00:00

    I hope someone at Microsoft can just get it to quit trying to process the photo album so I can get my email to work again!

    Please tell us how you got on with following the instructions, and what happened at each stage:

    --- Disconnect from the Internet

    --- Remove the message from the outbox

    --- Click Stop in the send/receive progress window

    --- Close the progress window.

    If this fails at some point, I'd like to know how so that the instructions can be rewritten. Microsoft is not going to do this for you!

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-06-26T21:19:04+00:00

    I disconnected from the internet

    I had previously removed the message from my outbox, so I can't do anything with this step.

    Stop is not available to be clicked, it is in light gray and unclickable

    I closed the progress window.

    However,

    the first time I went through these instructions, I was able to click stop.  It's just not available now.

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-06-26T21:55:05+00:00

    Sorry, I'm not quite sure what the problem is, then. If the outbox is empty and there's no progress window showing, what is it that's not working? If you compose a new test message and send it to yourself, what happens? Do you see an error message?

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  5. Anonymous
    2015-06-27T02:11:42+00:00

    G'day Firedog,

    I have tried all the suggestions but still am not able to send a photo or file.  Both my computers are having the same problem.  When it hangs I turn off the computer.  Restart and go to my Outbox and delete the file or photo.

    I then can receive mail as when it is sending the file I am not able to receive.

    I look in my sent box to see if it has been sent, No Nothing.

    When I had a problem before I went to Microsoft Chat and a Indian Lady fixed it by logging into my computer.  Should I try that again.

    Cheers Perry

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