Summary
Users may be unable to open or preview PDF attachments in the new Outlook desktop experience and Outlook on the web.
Symptoms
- Issue may occur when previewing or downloading the PDF file.
- Outlook error: “Something went wrong while the document preview was being created. Please try again later.”
- Microsoft Edge error when opening the attachment: “We can’t open this file. Something went wrong.”
Who is affected
This issue can potentially affect any user of the new Outlook desktop experience and Outlook on the web who tries to preview or download PDF files.
Cause
Part of a recent service update to introduce a new PDF viewer is not compatible with the offline caching of attachments.
Workaround
Access the PDF files using the classic Outlook desktop experience.
Status and Timeline
- Aug 8, 2025 – 1:04 PM CDT: Microsoft confirmed the issue and began deploying a fix to bypass offline caching.
- Aug 11, 2025 – 1:09 PM CDT: Fix deployment at 2% saturation. Full rollout anticipated by Saturday, August 16, 2025.
Estimated Resolution
Microsoft anticipates impact to be resolved by the end of business hours on Saturday, August 16, 2025.
Next Update
Microsoft’s next planned update: Thursday, August 14, 2025 at 2:30 PM CDT.
Reference
Microsoft 365 Service Health Advisory ID: EX1131606.
