Fixed – Cannot Open or Save Email Attachments in Outlook 2016

After upgrading to Outlook 2016, a number of users have complained about not being able to open email attachments directly in Outlook. They encounter an error message as follows.

‘Cannot save the attachment. Cannot create a file. Right-click the folder you want to create the file in and click Properties on the shortcut menu to check your permissions for the folder’.

Although they claim that attachment can be opened by copying it to the desktop, it still poses a bit of a problem, however. In this article, let us look at how to resolve the issue with opening email attachments in Outlook.

Solution 1: Delete contents in the temporary folder

This issue mainly occurs when the temporary folder in Outlook is full. To fix this, follow the step by step instructions below.

1. Click on Windows + R to open Run
2. Type ‘regedit’ and click Ok
3. This opens the registry editor, from here go to ‘HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office’. The click on Outlook > Security
4. In the Security folder, find OutlookSecureTempFolder registry key and open it
5. Copy the key value path
6. Paste the path in File Explorer and hit Enter to go to the folder
7. Delete all contents in the folder

Now restart Outlook and check if the attachments can be opened normally. If you are still having trouble, your Outlook data file could be corrupted and needs repair.

Solution 2: Repair Outlook data file (PST)

Outlook stores all data in the form of a PST file on your computer. If this file is corrupt, chances are Outlook may not work normally and you may encounter problems.

To fix corruption in PST, there is a built-in tool called Scanpst provided by Microsoft. It is usually installed with Outlook and already available in your system.

Just look for Scanpst.exe in the Search bar and double click on the tool to open it. Then locate your PST file by going to Outlook > File > Account Settings > Account Settings. Select Data files tab and choose your file. If you click on Open File location, you should be able to find the location.

Then click on Browse to select your PST file and click Repair. Scanpst will repair your file.

However, with Scanpst, only minor corruptions can be repaired. Also, you may have to run the tool several times to fix the issue.

Solution 3: Use Remo Repair Outlook (PST)

If the issue cannot be fixed by Scanpst, you can use professional PST repair tools designed specifically for this purpose. Remo Repair PST is one of the best tools to repair your PST files. It works on a special mechanism that reads the contents of your file and fixes issues. It does not work on the actual file, thereby protecting the originality of the file.

All Outlook attributes such as emails, attachments, calendars, contacts etc. can be recovered using the software. It works with all latest versions of Outlook and Windows, so you don’t have to worry about compatibility.

You may come across situations when some of your Outlook items are missing or deleted. You can use the software to recover Outlook items such as emails, contacts, calendars. Refer Outlook 2016 missing contacts for more details on recovery.