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can not open pdf attachments

  • 12 replies
  • 4 have this problem
  • 18 views
  • Last reply by tim47

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I can not open some PDF attachments directly from a e-mail in Thunderbird. I get a error message on adobe PDF "there was a error opening this document, this file cannot be found" If i download the PDF & save it onto the computer it will open fine. Also If i open the same e-mail on my phone the PDF works fine.

Some e-mails have the issue but some do not, it is random.

I have tried closing Thunderbird & re-open it again & restarted the computer & still nothing.

Any idea how to fix it? It only just started happening this week. Version 68.3.1

I can not open some PDF attachments directly from a e-mail in Thunderbird. I get a error message on adobe PDF "there was a error opening this document, this file cannot be found" If i download the PDF & save it onto the computer it will open fine. Also If i open the same e-mail on my phone the PDF works fine. Some e-mails have the issue but some do not, it is random. I have tried closing Thunderbird & re-open it again & restarted the computer & still nothing. Any idea how to fix it? It only just started happening this week. Version 68.3.1

All Replies (12)

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Do the file names have spaces? This is a bug that should be fixed in the next release.

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1601905

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ahhhh yes that's it, I did not notice that at first.

The files with spaces do not work. files that have a _ instead of a space work as they should.

Do you know when the ETA is on the update? or a easy way to go back to the previous bug free version? without the risk of loosing all the e-mails etc.

Modified by carter-d

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The fix is expected to be in the next release, 68.4, probably in the next week or two:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1601905#c51

Going back to an earlier version is not as straightforward as it used to be, so I recommend you wait for the fix.

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carter-d said

I can not open some PDF attachments directly from a e-mail in Thunderbird. I get a error message on adobe PDF "there was a error opening this document, this file cannot be found" If i download the PDF & save it onto the computer it will open fine. Also If i open the same e-mail on my phone the PDF works fine. Some e-mails have the issue but some do not, it is random. I have tried closing Thunderbird & re-open it again & restarted the computer & still nothing. Any idea how to fix it? It only just started happening this week. Version 68.3.1

I have this problem only with PDF-documents which are dated with the year 2020. When I store the documents than I can open it. Documents before 2020 I can open with Thunderbird

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Manfred Rehak said

carter-d said
I can not open some PDF attachments directly from a e-mail in Thunderbird. I get a error message on adobe PDF "there was a error opening this document, this file cannot be found" If i download the PDF & save it onto the computer it will open fine. Also If i open the same e-mail on my phone the PDF works fine. Some e-mails have the issue but some do not, it is random. I have tried closing Thunderbird & re-open it again & restarted the computer & still nothing. Any idea how to fix it? It only just started happening this week. Version 68.3.1

I have this problem only with PDF-documents which are dated with the year 2020. When I store the documents than I can open it. Documents before 2020 I can open with Thunderbird

I have solved the Problem. In adjustment for attachement I have changed to another PDF reader and closed Thunderbird. After a newstart I have changed back to acrobat reader and now it works

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Manfred Rehak said

I have solved the Problem. In adjustment for attachement I have changed to another PDF reader and closed Thunderbird. After a newstart I have changed back to acrobat reader and now it works

Unfortunately this did not work for me.

It will open the PDF files fine if I change it to open them in Firefox or similar.

But if i change it back to adobe it does not work & i get the same error message, i tried re-starting Thunderbird several times.

I think i will just use Firefox to view PDF files until Thunderbird fix the issue.

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I got a new update today to 68.4.1 & it has fixed the issue.

Thanks everyone for the help.

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I don't have exactly the same problem, but it is close. Every time that I try to open a PDF in Thunderbird, it only allows me to store the attachment, but it will not open it. Any other type of attachment opens correctly. I am set up to use Adobe Reader, and Adobe opens the stored file OK. I am at ver. 68.5.0, and this has been going on for a while.

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tim47 said

I don't have exactly the same problem, but it is close. Every time that I try to open a PDF in Thunderbird, it only allows me to store the attachment, but it will not open it. Any other type of attachment opens correctly. I am set up to use Adobe Reader, and Adobe opens the stored file OK. I am at ver. 68.5.0, and this has been going on for a while.

Open Tools/Options/Attachments/Incoming, delete the Action for pdf files, restart TB, open a pdf attachment, click Other.. in the Open with drop-down, don't pick from the list, click Browse... and select the exe for Adobe Reader, check the box 'Do this automatically..'. Does that make pdf attachments open correctly?

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Tim47 This worked like a charm. Any idea why this went wrong in the first place? I have a copy of Thunderbird on two computers here, and both of them had the same problem. Again, Thanks for the help.

Tim Ryan

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tim47 said

Tim47 This worked like a charm. Any idea why this went wrong in the first place? I have a copy of Thunderbird on two computers here, and both of them had the same problem. Again, Thanks for the help.

When the opening app, such as Reader, is updated, it usually doesn't affect how the files are opened from Windows, but if the new version is installed in a different location, it sometimes isn't found by TB when an attachment is opened in TB.

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Thanks. I appreciate the help. Tim Ryan