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Can't save or send messages get error message "..unable to open the temporary file...."

  • 6 replies
  • 8 have this problem
  • 32 views
  • Last reply by Matt

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When I try to save or send an email I get the message: Sending of the message failed. Unable to open the temporary file C:\Users\Bill\AppData\Local\Temp\nsmail.tmp. Check your 'Temporary Directory' setting.

This file does not exist in the directory named and the solutions offered some years ago for a similar problem do not work. Thunderbired 52.0 (latest release) Windows 10 (latest update)

Also suddenly getting: There was an error downloading the following message: From: Groupon Goods <noreply@r.grouponmail.co.uk>

  Subject: Netatmo Welcome Home Camera, 1080p HD Waterproof Action Camera, Large Quadcopter 63cm Drone, Kitvision Escape HD5 Camera Bundle & More
This message may contain a virus or there is not enough disk space. Skip this message?

on some incoming message never seen before

When I try to save or send an email I get the message: Sending of the message failed. Unable to open the temporary file C:\Users\Bill\AppData\Local\Temp\nsmail.tmp. Check your 'Temporary Directory' setting. This file does not exist in the directory named and the solutions offered some years ago for a similar problem do not work. Thunderbired 52.0 (latest release) Windows 10 (latest update) Also suddenly getting: There was an error downloading the following message: From: Groupon Goods <noreply@r.grouponmail.co.uk> Subject: Netatmo Welcome Home Camera, 1080p HD Waterproof Action Camera, Large Quadcopter 63cm Drone, Kitvision Escape HD5 Camera Bundle & More This message may contain a virus or there is not enough disk space. Skip this message? on some incoming message never seen before

Chosen solution

Every time I have ever seen this error message it was the result of anti virus activity. Most especially Avast.

See https://wiki.mozilla.org/Thunderbird:Testing:Antivirus_Related_Performance_Issues#Slowness_and_errors_with_nsemail.HTML

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All Replies (6)

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vbillc said

When I try to save or send an email I get the message: Sending of the message failed. Unable to open the temporary file C:\Users\Bill\AppData\Local\Temp\nsmail.tmp. Check your 'Temporary Directory' setting. This file does not exist in the directory named and the solutions offered some years ago for a similar problem do not work. Thunderbired 52.0 (latest release) Windows 10 (latest update) Also suddenly getting: There was an error downloading the following message: From: Groupon Goods <noreply@r.grouponmail.co.uk> Subject: Netatmo Welcome Home Camera, 1080p HD Waterproof Action Camera, Large Quadcopter 63cm Drone, Kitvision Escape HD5 Camera Bundle & More This message may contain a virus or there is not enough disk space. Skip this message? on some incoming message never seen before
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P.S. Error message on incoming mail DOESNOT actually effect downloading of the email!

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Chosen Solution

Every time I have ever seen this error message it was the result of anti virus activity. Most especially Avast.

See https://wiki.mozilla.org/Thunderbird:Testing:Antivirus_Related_Performance_Issues#Slowness_and_errors_with_nsemail.HTML

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Thanks Matt.

 I was trialling "Reason Core Security". I've removed it and the problem seems to have gone.  Hope this is a permanent solution. 

I have other security software but incompatibility between email systems and "security" seems a potential major problem - suspending security as a solution seems particularly problematical. My favourite bugbear is security that allows a phishing or other scam email to be imported but then prevents forwarding the email to report it to appropriate bodies.

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I found that this occurs when you make an attachment, but then move the file that was attached to somewhere else in the file system.

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dvandusen said

I found that this occurs when you make an attachment, but then move the file that was attached to somewhere else in the file system.

That would be expected, the file is not converted to mime and actually included in an RFC mail format until you click send, so if the file moved between attaching and sending some sort of error would be appropriate.