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Microsoft says new Outlook can't open some Excel attachments

Recorded: Dec. 1, 2025, 7:02 p.m.

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Microsoft says new Outlook can't open some Excel attachments

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HomeNewsMicrosoftMicrosoft says new Outlook can't open some Excel attachments

 

Microsoft says new Outlook can't open some Excel attachments

By Sergiu Gatlan

December 1, 2025
12:42 PM
0

​Microsoft is working to resolve a known issue that prevents some users from opening Excel email attachments in the new Outlook client.
According to a service alert (EX1189359) seen by BleepingComputer, the bug has been impacting Exchange Online customers since at least November 23rd.
Microsoft says it has already deployed a fix to address the bug and added that the root cause is an encoding error in Excel file names, which triggers a "Try opening the file again later." error for affected users.
While Microsoft also noted that this issue may affect any user who attempts to open attachments with non-ASCII characters in the name, it has not yet provided more details on the extent of the problem.
However, this incident has already been tagged as an advisory, a label commonly used to describe service issues typically involving limited scope or impact.
"Any user may be unable to open Excel files attached to email messages in the new Outlook client if the attachment contains non-ASCII characters," it said when it acknowledged the bug.
"We've developed a fix to address the missing encoding in the requests used to open files. We're validating this deployment while we work to understand why this encoding error is occurring," Microsoft added in a Monday update.
The fix has yet to reach all affected customers, and Microsoft advised those experiencing issues opening Excel email attachments to use Outlook on the web or download the file to open the documents on their own systems.
In recent months, Microsoft fixed a major bug that prevented Microsoft 365 users from launching the classic Outlook client on Windows systems and addressed a known issue causing the classic Outlook email client to crash upon launch.
In March, Microsoft addressed a known issue that caused the new Outlook email client to crash when users clicked a button meant to help them switch back to classic Outlook.
Microsoft also announced in January that it would force install the new Outlook on Windows 10 systems starting with the February 2025 security update.

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Sergiu Gatlan
Sergiu is a news reporter who has covered the latest cybersecurity and technology developments for over a decade. Email or Twitter DMs for tips.

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Microsoft is currently addressing a significant issue impacting users of the new Outlook client, specifically the inability to open certain Microsoft Excel attachments. This problem, detailed in a service alert (EX1189359) and reported by BleepingComputer, began affecting Exchange Online customers since November 23rd, 2025. The root cause identified by Microsoft is an encoding error present within the names of the Excel files themselves. When these files are attached to emails and opened within the new Outlook client, the system triggers a "Try opening the file again later” error message for affected users.

Notably, Microsoft has indicated that this issue extends beyond just Exchange Online customers; any user attempting to open attachments with non-ASCII characters in the file name may experience this problem. The scope of the problem remains somewhat unclear, as Microsoft has not yet released comprehensive data regarding the total number of users impacted.

In response to the issue, Microsoft has deployed a fix designed to resolve the missing encoding within the file requests used to open the attachments. However, the implementation of this fix is ongoing, and it has not yet reached all affected customers. As a temporary workaround, Microsoft advises users experiencing difficulties with opening Excel attachments in the new Outlook client to utilize Outlook on the web or to manually download the files to open them on their own computer systems.

This incident follows a series of other recent fixes and announcements from Microsoft. In months prior, the company addressed a major bug preventing Microsoft 365 users from launching the classic Outlook client on Windows systems, as well as a crash issue when launching the classic Outlook email client. Furthermore, Microsoft had previously addressed a problem that caused the new Outlook email client to crash when users clicked the "Switch back to classic Outlook" button. Recently, Microsoft announced that it would force install the new Outlook on Windows 10 systems starting with the February 2025 security update. These ongoing efforts demonstrate Microsoft’s commitment to resolving and mitigating issues within its widely-used productivity applications.