Why can't I open attachments in the new version of Outlook?

Anonymous
2024-10-03T13:37:44+00:00

I get this error message when trying to open any type of attachment from the desktop version of the new Outlook.

"Error occurred while opening the file. Please try again".

Outlook | Windows | New Outlook for Windows | For home

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.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2024-12-05T08:18:35+00:00

Hello,

I also had the problem and digged in a bit deeper using sysinternals Process Monitor to see what exactly fails, when the system tries to download the file in the temporary outlook folder. There I figured out that my problem was a somehow missing Attachments folder!

Please press WIN-R and type %userprofile%\appdata\local\microsoft\olk and press Enter.
Then an explorer windows opens. Check if you can see an Attachments folder. If not create one and problem might be solved for you.

Was this answer helpful?

200+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

95 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2025-05-15T12:54:14+00:00

    New Outlook is at very best a wash to the old. For most work activities I find it to be less useful than the old. Opening a file in the Microsoft application is now not usable? You have to open the crappy preview then down load it. You also can't drag it to a file. All of these are a move in the WRONG direction for sure.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2025-03-07T02:12:46+00:00

    Can you report this to them?

    They don't save the file by name with Word and Excel like they do with Powerpoint. The random generated file name is WAY too long and Word and Excel cannot open it. If you go to the temporary location and rename the file to something short it will then open just fine.

    Ironically Powerpoint files save in the location as their actual name and don't have the issue which is why I tried to figure out if it was a name length issue.

    It is March 6th and I have the latest version of Outlook (new) and it is still doing it so it hasn't been fixed.

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/troubleshoot/office-suite-issues/error-open-document

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2025-03-07T01:45:32+00:00

    This is the fact the file name is too long. If you rename it it will work.

    They need to fix Outlook New so that it STOPS renaming the file to some random name. Powerpoint attachments work just Word and Excel get renamed.

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/troubleshoot/office-suite-issues/error-open-document

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments