A downloaded .xfd file is empty when Outlook Web Access users try to download .xfd file attachments in Exchange Server 2003

When Outlook Web Access users try to download .xfd file attachments in Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, the downloaded file is empty. Files that have .xfd extensions are secured forms data that is stored in an XML format.

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.

Prerequisites

Because of file dependencies, you must have Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1) installed to apply this hotfix.

Restart requirement

The Microsoft Exchange Information Store service and any dependent services are automatically restarted when you apply this hotfix.

Hotfix replacement information

This hotfix does not replace any other hotfixes.

File information

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

When users access a file though Outlook Web Access, the file name extension is verified. If the extension is a known HTML or XML extension, the content is sent to the client. However, if the extension is an XML file that has an unknown file name extension such as .xfd, the content is not sent to the client. After this hotfix is installed, you can configure a list of additional file name extensions that are allowed through the following registry value:

Location:
Value: AttachExtensionAllowed
Type: STRING

Note The format for additional file name extensions is as follows: .xxx. This is a placeholder for the extension including the period (".") that comes before the extension. The following are examples of the format: .xfd;.myext1;.myext2

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