Snow Leopard (10.6) Entourage Crashes with office attachments

[lairdo]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel
Email Client: Exchange

I think this is a SL related issue, but having trouble tracking it down.

When I attach most Office documents to an Entourage email, I get the spinning ball. I can attach older Office docs (such as created on a PC first) and PDFs. JPGs aren't working either. Settings for attachments are Apple Double, not to compress files, windows file extensions. I've played with those settings to no effect. Office is updated to the latest version.

One workaround is dragging the file in from the finder, but I would still like to attach the file from Entourage mail messages directly.

I have tried rebuilding the Entourage database. (I'm using an Exchange account.)

I have tried fixing permissions.

I cleared out duplicate fonts and installed Rosetta (although I shouldn't need it).

This is happening on both a Mac Pro and a MacBook Pro. On the Mac Pro, I tried removing and reinstalling - same problem. The Mac Pro is Web Services with Exchange 2007 on a hosted partner. On the MBP, it's the basic addition with a corporate mail 2003 exchange server. Happens on VPN or on our corporate network.

I also know from one other post on the Apple discussion forums that another user is having the same issue on 10.6 with an upgraded Office 2004 to a Office 2008 install.

 

[lairdo]

To clarify, this is issue is in Office 2008, latest version based on Office Updates released recently.

 

[Diane Ross]

I think this is a SL related issue, but having trouble tracking it down.

No problems here. Try testing in a new User and see if it happens there.

Go to System Preferences --> Create a New User in Accounts. Switch to the
New User by logging out/in or use Fast User Switching.

1) Open Entourage in a new blank Identity to test. No need to enter account
info for this test. Does it work.

2) If yes, then go back to your main User and drag your Identity to Shared
and switch Users. (remember to drag back from Shared after testing)

Your Hard Drive/Users/Shared

Drag from Shared (it actually copies)

Open Entourage and see if your Identity still has the problem.

If the problem goes away in your old Identity in the new User then the
problem is in your User's folder.

If the problem exists in the new User with a new Identity, this indicates
problems at the system level and/or your Office install.

For help troubleshooting Office for Mac with Snow Leopard see this article:

Troubleshooting Office for Mac with Snow Leopard

<http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/2009/09/hot_topics_using_office_for_mac_with
_snow_leopard.html>

In case the above link does not work:

<http://tinyurl.com/ndmt4x>

 

[Jon_Busby]

Had same problem...and must be due to SL. Attachs also crash Mail for me.

My fix is to attch the attachment first...not ideal but does the job...so far.

 

[bullsheet]

Same problem here--- was on phone for hrs with Apple support. I
finally reinstalled everything. It worked for awhile, but it now
crashes again. I also crash when i try to upload a file to a web
site.

The only thing that works for me is to drag and drop.

 

[hegartmj]

 Same problem here--- was on phone for hrs with Apple support.   I
finally reinstalled  everything.  It worked for awhile, but it now
crashes again.   I  also crash  when i try to upload a file to a web
site.

The only thing that works for me is to drag and drop.

Same problem here - Powerpoint will open but Entourage and Excel crash
instantly. Started when I auto-updated last night. Office 2008 & Snow
Leopard.

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

Same problem here - Powerpoint will open but Entourage and Excel crash
instantly. Started when I auto-updated last night. Office 2008 & Snow
Leopard.

Check your fonts with Font Book, resolve all duplicates (manually in the
Finder if you can) then clear the font cache with a utility like Onyx.
Snow Leopard is extremely sensitive to Font issues.

Corentin

 

[BuildingTomorrow]

I am having the same issue with my Entourage...

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

I am having the same issue with my Entourage...

Did you check the fonts as suggested?

Corentin

 

[jimlwest]

I have the same problem. Can you explain more in detail how to resolve the duplicate Font issue. I looked in Font book and did not see any duplicates.

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

I have the same problem. Can you explain more in detail how to resolve
the duplicate Font issue. I looked in Font book and did not see any
duplicates.

Duplicates have a little black dot next to them.
The easiest is to select all fonts and use the Validate Fonts command.
You will get a detailed report about each of them.
I recommend removing duplicates manually in the Finder instead of
relying on Font Book to do so in Snow Leopard.

Corentin

 

[Diane Ross]

Duplicates have a little black dot next to them.

Mine had a yellow badge next to them.

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

Mine had a yellow badge next to them.

You might be right I probably got it confused.

Corentin

 

[michael.eck]

Clearing duplicate fonts did not resolve the issue for me. I have the same problem; primarily with office document attachments. It started when I installed Snow Leopard. Re-installing Office 2008 did not resolve the issue.

 

[Simone-]

Clearing duplicate fonts did not resolve the issue for me. I have the same problem; primarily with office document attachments. It started when I installed Snow Leopard. Re-installing Office 2008 did not resolve the issue.

I'm having the same problem with Entourage. It keeps crashing when I
attach files. Anybody solved the problem?

 

[AJ88]

I have had this same problem since before updating to Snow Leopard.

Some attachments work some don't, the more attachments or the larger they are seem to increase the chance the email can't be sent.

When it occurs, Entourage will upload the entire
message, then hang as the progress bar reaches the far right, then I get an error dialog that the message could not be sent, and the email is moved to the OUTBOX on my computer. It seems that saving the message before trying to send it increases the chance it will not work.

The exact same attachments work when sent via Outlook Web Access or via Outlook on the PC, so I don't think it is corrupt files.

This started after the v13.0.0 upgrade, and has persisted since updating to Snow Leopard.

Overall I love the new EWS version and all that it brings, I just wish that sending email with attachments was reliable.

 

[unidesk_ch]

Seeing this issue on 10.6.1 when attaching a document but only if using the Search functionality. Meaning drag and drop work fine, as does selecting a file directly and attaching it (double-clicking). I get the pinwheel of death (beach ball) anytime I have text in the Search box then selecting and attaching the file.

Tried on a user running Leopard 10.5.8 and this issue does not happen. We both are running the same version of Entourage and the same MS updates. Seems to be the problem is with Snow Leopard. Interested in knowing if others are only seeing the issue with text in the Search box as well.

I have cleared any duplicate fonts so that shouldn't be the issue.

 

[lairdo]

Great find! I can confirm the bug is related to searching for the file in the test I just did. Search for a file - freeze. Navigate to the file - works fine. Drag and dropping (from a search or just a normal window in finder) works fine.

Going to play with spotlight settings to see if there is a fix.

 

[unidesk_ch]

Good thought and so I went to my spotlight settings. Under the Privacy section I had it set to prevent spotlight from searching "Office 2008 Identities" (and 2004), which I believe I read somewhere at some point was the correct thing to do. Well as a test I removed the 2008 entry and once I did that sure enough now attaching files with text in the Search box works fine.

Interested to see if you have the same results. Then the question will be should the 2008 Identities be excluded or not.

Thanks.

 

[unidesk_ch]

So the interesting thing is removing the 2008 Identities worked for my system but naturally didn't work on another system because I hadn't ever set spotlight to not search that location. 1 for 2 isn't bad for a Friday.