Cannot Open & Save Email Attachments in Microsoft Outlook
Sometimes a user faces trouble while he/she tries to open or save attachments in Outlook 2016. The main cause of this error is the presence of temporary internet files folder saved on the server. These folders restrict the ongoing work because of inadequate permissions. This error troubleshooting guide will help Microsoft users to fix this issue.
Error Consequences
When an individual tries to open or save email attachments in Microsoft Outlook 2016, they might get following error statements:
Causes of MS Outlook Attachment Error
Whenever a user faces problem while opening attachments that show ‘Cannot create file’ error message, then there might be any one of the two following causes:
1. The system folder of the temporary file is filled with other types of a file having a unique name.
2. Another cause might be that users are not having permissions to save attachments to that particular location of the server.
Workaround to Fix Cannot Open or Save Outlook Attachment Issue
a) Open File Explorer or My Computer on your machine and explore the C: hard disk.
b) Create a new folder with name tempoutlook on the current location of your PC.
c) Open Run window on your machine by pressing Win+R keys.
d) Execute regedit command and then, press Enter.
e) Now expand the following registry key one-by-one:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Security
f) Double-click on OutlookSecureTempFolder, displayed at the right-hand side of the screen.
g) Type C:\tempoutlook\ in Value Data field and click on OK button.
h) Close the registry editor program and restart your machine.
Helpful Tip: If you are unable to attach files in plain text email of Outlook 2016 then, try to fix it by going to the Format text menu and choosing HTML option. In most cases, this solution works and troubleshoots the problem.
Observational Verdict
After applying the illustrated measures, check whether you are able to get rid of the problem or not. If no then, you have to contact Microsoft support department.