XCLN: Cannot Open Linked Attachment in a Message

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Exchange Windows 3.x client, version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

After you open a message with an attachment using the Microsoft Exchange 16- bit Windows client under Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups 3.x, the following error will occur when you try to open the attachment:

   \\Servername\sharename\filename.ext does not exist

CAUSE

This error will occur if the attachment in the message is linked to a file that is on a share local to the user who sent the message. The redirector in Windows 3.1 and WFWG 3.x cannot use UNC pathnames to local shares.

For example, User1 is at a machine called USER1. A message is sent to User1 or placed in a public folder that is linked to the file Test.txt, which is located on \\USER1\Share. When User1 tries to open the attachment, the above error will occur. However another user at a computer named USER2 will be able to open the attachment.

MORE INFORMATION

This problem only occurs when sending linked attachments. Embedded attachments do not point back to the shares from which they came. In the above example, User1 would be able open the embedded attachment even though the file originated on the USER1 share.

WORKAROUND

Windows 95 and Windows NT workstations do not have the same redirector limitation that Win 3.1 and WFWG 3.x have. So if a linked attachment is needed by all members of the organization, using Windows 95 or Windows NT would be the preferred method.

For additional information, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q93260
   TITLE     : WFWG: Cannot Connect to Local Postoffice