Post SP3 fixes kill .pdf attachments in OWA?

[tysonic]

I installed the rollup last Saturday, checked a few things out and it looked like everything was ok. The one thing I didn’t check was .pdf files as attachments in OWA (Checked Excel and Word only, they worked fine).

Now when I go to open an OWA based email with a .pdf, I right click on the attachment link, choose Open, and in the dialog box that comes up the Open button is greyed out. If I choose the save button, a dialog box pops up for about 1 second and disappears, it never asks for a location to save the file. I’ve duplicated this on 3 different computers, and 3 different accounts, using IE6 (1 is current, 2 are sp1 only -no post sp1 updates)

On the same computer with an OWA email and an Excel document, both the Open button and the save button work correctly.

I’ve done several searches online with google, and I couldn’t find anything with the search parameters I am using. Anyone else seeing this?

E2k SP3 + roll up, W2k server SP4 + all current hotfixes. Server has been restarted 2 times since the post sp3 patch, and I have restarted IIS twice now, no change.

Tyson

 

[MarkSe]

Hi T,

Can you confirm a few things for me, are the mesage you are sending S/MIME encoded?

Do you have a front end server? Is this the OWA box you are using the front end?

On a similar note I take it you are aware of the limitation that you can't have PDF free docs. This is documented in the MS Kb.

Mark

 

[tysonic]

The original message was from one of our customers, I cannot open the attachment from that email in OWA. In the headers (Opened in O2k) it says:

(IBM AS/400 ANYMAIL/400 MIME V5R1M0)
MIME-Version: 1.0

I think its a good bet that it's mime encoded.

In O2k, if I save that attachment to the hard drive (which works fine) and then send it to myself and open it in OWA it opens correctly.

No FE/BE configuration, just one Exchange Server.

Not sure what you mean by 'you can't have PDF free docs'.

Tyson

 

[tysonic]

Found this KB article: 329690

Anyone else run into this after installing the Post SP3 roll up?

Tyson

 

[MarkSe]

Hi Tysonic,

Have a look at the following suggestion, but bear in mind the danger element and try it at your own risk! (disclaimer attached);

In order to allow PDF files to be opened, you have to remove
"application/octet-stream" from the Level2MIMETypes key located here:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeWeb\OWA

This may allow OWA to open other attachments that use application/octet-stream. This may not be something you want to do.

Below is the way to accomplish what you are trying to do. Step four says to restart the exchange server but I believe you only have to restart the IIS services.

Method 1
--------------
1. Launch the Registry Editor and navigate to
HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeWEB\OWA.
2. Export the following keys: Level2FileTypes and Level2MIMETypes (click Export on the Registry menu).
3. Delete Level2FileTypes and Level2MIMETypes.
4. Restart the Exchange Server.

Method 2 (and less dangerous)
---------------------------------------------------
1. Launch the Registry Editor and navigate to
HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeWEB\OWA.
2. Double-click Level2MIMETypes in the right-hand pane.
3. Remove application/octet and click OK.
4. Restart the Exchange Server.


IMPORTANT: Removing application/octet will allow users to open many different file types and should be implemented only at your own risk.

Have not tested this but hopefully it will help!

Mark

 

[tysonic]

Looks like it worked in allowing me to open the .pdfs. Doesn't let me right click and save target as, but being able to open them is a huge improvement.


Thanks!

Tyson

 

[tysonic]

Well, it seems that the pdf in question can be opened on any computer except the one that needs to open it.

Every time it's tried the OPEN button is greyed out, and as mentioned earlier the save button doesn't work.

What would allow that OWA account on another pc to open the .pdf (I tried Win98se, Win2k pro, Win2k Server, Win2k3 server, WinXP home, WinXP Pro and it worked on all of them) but this one pc is Win2k pro so i don't get it. It is SP2 and IE isn't fully updated yet (this is a remote site). Is the post SP3 Exchange roll-up fully dependent on Win2k being SP4?

Or is it strictly IE that needs to be current?

Tyson