How to preview msg files using preview handler

Question

I want to preview outlook files(*.msg) in my own program. When I create instance using '435fdba0-964c-43a7-8aff-cc94e21b2249'. It always prompt a warning dialog and tell me  "Either there is no default mail client or the current mail client cannot fulfill the messaging request. Please run Microsoft Outlook and set it as the default mail client". I use the same way to preview word ,excel and ppt files. All of them are OK. Only msg files cannot be previewed. Do you know the reason? Or anyother ways to preview msg files. The followings are some codes I used.

 

string CLSID = "435fdba0-964c-43a7-8aff-cc94e21b2249";

            Guid g = new Guid(CLSID);

            Type a = Type.GetTypeFromCLSID(g, true);

            object obj = Activator.CreateInstance(a);


            IInitializeWithFile fileInit = obj as IInitializeWithFile;
            IInitializeWithStream streamInit = obj as IInitializeWithStream;
            bool isInitialized = false;
            if (fileInit != null)
            {
              fileInit.Initialize(fileName, 0);
              isInitialized = true;
            }
            else if (streamInit != null)
            {
              COMStream stream = new COMStream(File.Open(fileName, FileMode.Open));
              streamInit.Initialize((IStream)streamInit, 0);
              isInitialized = true;
            }

Weipeng

Answer 1

.msg files are an Outlook-specific file format.  If Outlook is not installed and/or it is not the default application handler for that file type, your code will fail to open the file.

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(P.S. Please don't forget to mark this post as an answer if it has helped you)
Eric Legault: MVP (Outlook), MCTS (SharePoint)
Owner: Collaborative Innovations
Twitter: elegault
Blog: Eric Legault My Eggo

Answer 2

If Outlook is installed, make sure the bitness of your app matches that of Outlook.

In case of Outlook 2010 64 bit, your app must be 64 bit.

In case of all other versions of Outlook, your app must be 32 bit no matter what the bitnes of the OS is. Make sure youe app is compiled as x86 rather than "Any CPU" or x64.

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Dmitry Streblechenko (MVP)
http://www.dimastr.com/redemption
Redemption - what the Outlook
Object Model should have been

Answer 3

Thanks for your reply.

 

Could you give me a sample using preview handler to view .msg files?

 

Thanks,

Weipeng

Answer 4

I do not have a sample code, I was just poting out what the error means.

Does anything mentioned by Eric or myself apply?

What version of Outlook are you using?

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Dmitry Streblechenko (MVP)
http://www.dimastr.com/redemption
Redemption - what the Outlook
Object Model should have been

Answer 5

Outlook 2007

Answer 6

What is your OS version? Is it 64 bit?

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Dmitry Streblechenko (MVP)
http://www.dimastr.com/redemption
Redemption - what the Outlook
Object Model should have been

Answer 7

yes, it is 64 bit.

Answer 8

Did you set the compile target as x86 (32 bit) instead of 64 bit or "Any CPU"?

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Dmitry Streblechenko (MVP)
http://www.dimastr.com/redemption
Redemption - what the Outlook
Object Model should have been

Answer 9

I have try to do on x86 machine. It is no the errors above, but I also cannot preview the msg file in the preview handler provided by outlook. So I don't know why? why the outlook can preview the msg file?

 

Answer 10

How does "cannot preview" manifest itself?

I see no code that actually displays the MSG file.

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Dmitry Streblechenko (MVP)
http://www.dimastr.com/redemption
Redemption - what the Outlook
Object Model should have been

Answer 11

Dmitry Streblechenko,

 

Do you see the my codes above, I mean I cannot preview msg file even if outlook 2007 has been installed. But use the same codes, change the GUID which match the word preview handler, it is ok. I don't know why?

 

 

Answer 12

I can see code that creates an instance of a COM object and initializes it.

Where exactly is the preview supposed to be shown? The preview object needs to be somehow hosted by another window.

How that is done, I do nto know - I have no experience with the preview handlers. My post simply explained what the MAPI error meant.

---

Dmitry Streblechenko (MVP)
http://www.dimastr.com/redemption
Redemption - what the Outlook
Object Model should have been

Answer 13

Yes, the above is core preview method. The preview object needs to be somehow hosted by another window.