Knowledge Base

CG4: "Can't open this item" Error Opening Message with Clip Art

Article ID: 191133

Article Last Modified on 1/23/2007

Microsoft Clip Gallery 4.0
Microsoft Outlook 97 Standard Edition
Microsoft Outlook 98 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q191133

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to open an e-mail message in Microsoft Outlook 97 or 98 that contains a piece of clip art, you may receive the following error message:

Can't open this item.

You are also unable to view the file in the Message Preview Pane of Outlook 98 and the following message appears in the Preview Pane:

The preview pane cannot preview the selected item or no item is selected.

CAUSE

The sender of the message was using Microsoft Word as the e-mail editor, and Outlook is currently not configured to use Microsoft Word as the e-mail editor on your computer.

WORKAROUND

Method 1: Set Microsoft Word as Your E-mail Editor

On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Mail Format tab.
In the "Send in this message format" box, click Microsoft Word, and then click OK.

Method 2: Read the Message Text Only

To read the message text, click the Reply button in Outlook. By using this method, the Clip Gallery object does not appear.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

Additional query words: ol ol97 ol98 cag cg4 cg cag4 clipart clip art gallery out97 out98 98 unable opening errors warning

Keywords: kbbug kbnofix KB191133