Gmail attachments converting to 'Preview attachment' HTML file when using drag & drop, issue under investigation

We rely on services like Gmail to seamlessly send and receive files with ease. However, users are unable to do so.

Gmail users say their attachments keep converting to ‘Preview attachment’ HTML file and they are unable to open it.

The crux of the problem revolves around the unexpected transformation of regular email attachments into HTML files labeled ‘Preview attachment’.

This puzzling behavior occurs when users attempt to save attachments to their devices by simply dragging and dropping them from their Gmail inbox to their local storage (1,2,3,4).

The HTML file name is generated dynamically and includes both the name and size of the original attachment.

For instance, if a user attempts to save a PDF document titled ‘Quarterly Report.pdf’ with a size of 2 MB. The resulting HTML file would be named ‘Preview attachment Quarterly Report.pdf2MB.html’.

While this might initially seem like an attempt to streamline attachment saving, it has proven to be quite the opposite.

When users attempt to open these HTML files, they encounter a frustrating and bewildering error message: ‘Temporary Error (404) We’re sorry, but your account is temporarily unavailable’.

Latest release breaks Gmail attachment saving via drag & drop into Windows File Explorer
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When dragging and dropping attachments from gmail to my desktop, or any folder, instead of downloading the attachment itself, I end up with a hyperlink shortcut titled “Preview attachment [filename]”, which is completely useless.
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This error message has left users baffled and anxious. Some fear that their Gmail accounts may have been compromised or facing a more severe issue.

This issue has persisted for the past week and happens regardless of the browser used.

Fortunately, a Diamond Product Expert has flagged this issue and it is under investigation. However, at the time of writing, there is no known workaround or definitive solution available for affected users.

We hope Google release a fix soon as this issue affects one the basic functionality of Gmail.

That said, we will keep tabs on the latest developments and inform you as and when we come across anything noteworthy.

Note: We have more such stories in out dedicated gmail section, so be sure to follow them as well.

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