Microsoft KB Archive/884881

= When the recipient opens the message, the attached file or the attached picture is missing =

Article ID: 884881

Article Last Modified on 10/25/2007

-

APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise Edition

-





SYMPTOMS
The Exchange Server administrator creates two e-mail accounts in two different storage groups in Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. You use Microsoft Outlook to create an e-mail message that uses Rich Text Format (RTF). You attach a file or a picture to the message. Then, you send the message to a recipient in the other storage group. When the recipient opens the message, the attached file or the attached picture is missing.



CAUSE
This problem occurs if you are using the Microsoft Word editor in Outlook. When you attach an object such as a file or a picture to a message that uses RTF, the object is embedded in the message. However, Word does not create the embedded object. Instead, Word creates an inline metafile. Exchange Server 2003 does not support the inline metafile. Therefore, the body of the e-mail message is flagged as empty. When you send the message to a recipient in the other storage group, the body of the message is dropped. Therefore, the attached file or the attached picture is lost.

If the body of the message contains a signature or any other text together with the embedded object, the recipient sees the embedded object. The problem occurs only when the message contains the embedded object and nothing else.



Service pack information
To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Exchange Server 2003. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

836993 How to obtain the latest service packs for Exchange Server 2003

Hotfix information
After you apply this hotfix, this issue is fixed when you open the message by using Outlook. However, if you open the message by using Outlook Web Access (OWA), Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3), or Internet Message Access Protocol version 4rev1 (IMAP4), this issue may still exist.

A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem, submit a request to Microsoft Online Customer Services to obtain the hotfix. To submit an online request to obtain the hotfix, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=6294451

Note If additional issues occur or any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. To create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

Prerequisites
Because of file dependencies, this hotfix requires Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1). For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

836993 How to obtain the latest service packs for Exchange Server 2003

File information
The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.   Date         Time   Version            Size    File name --  16-Nov-2004  21:19  6.5.7232.52     3,261,952  Mdbmsg.dll 08-Oct-2004 02:12                      3,304  Redir.asp 16-Nov-2004 21:53  6.5.7232.52     5,144,064  Store.exe



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the &quot;Applies to&quot; section. This problem was first corrected in Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2.



MORE INFORMATION
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

824684 Description of the standard terminology that is used to describe Microsoft software updates

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

817903 New naming schema for Exchange Server software update packages

Additional query words: XADM

Keywords: kbqfe kbhotfixserver kbfix kbbug kbpubtypekc KB884881

-

[mailto:TECHNET@MICROSOFT.COM Send feedback to Microsoft]

© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.