File attachment does not open when using Word as editor

You cannot open a file attachment in a Microsoft Outlook e-mail message if the following two conditions are true:

• You are using Microsoft Word as your e-mail editor.
• The message was originally created with the sensitivity set to Private.

To open the file attachment, do not use Microsoft Word as your e-mail editor. To turn off Word as your default e-mail editor, follow these steps:

1. Start Outlook.
2. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Mail Format tab.
3. Click to clear the Use Microsoft Word to edit e-mail messages check box.
4. Click Apply, and then click OK to close the Options dialog box.
5. Open the message containing the attachment.
6. Double-click the attachment to open it.

Note To avoid this behavior when you send an attachment on a message with the sensitivity of Private, you can change the format to plain text. To do this, click Plain Text in the Format menu.

Steps to Reproduce Problem

1. Compose a new mail message, but do not use Word as the e-mail editor.
2. Attach a Word document.
3. On the open message View menu, click Options, and set the sensitivity to Private.
4. Send the message to yourself.
5. Before you open the message, set Word as your default e-mail editor. To do this, follow these steps: On the Tools menu, click Options. Click the Mail Format tab, and then click to select Use Microsoft Word to edit e-mail messages.
6. Open the message and double-click the file attachment.

The file attachment does not open. If you turn off Word as your e-mail editor and reopen the message, then you can open the attachment.

Note This behavior does not occur when you use Microsoft Exchange Client with Word as the e-mail editor.