Google Mail, How To Fix Gmail Attachment Failed Errors

Apr 30, 2011

Updated • Apr 9, 2012

Gmail, like any other modern email service, supports file attachments that are then send with the email to the recipient of the email. File attachments need to be uploaded and match certain criteria before they are attached, or added, to the email. It is for instance not possible to send executables directly via Gmail.

Users may get error messages like "Attachment failed" or "Attachment failed. This may be due to a proxy or firewall" when they try to upload attachments to Gmail.

This guide is a collection of fixes and suggestions that may help resolve attachment failed type of messages in Gmail. Attachment failures have different causes, which means that there is no single fix available that resolves all the issues.

attachment failed this may be due to a proxy or firewall

I suggest you try each method on its own by returning to the compose mail window and trying to add the attachment. If it works congratulations, you have resolved the attachment failed message. If it does not try the next option in line.

Attachment Failed Basic Help

You may want to try the following tips first before you try the advanced tips in the next section.

Adobe Flash

Make sure you are running the latest version of Adobe Flash. The default attachment uploader is using Flash for the uploading of files. Old Flash versions may no longer be supported by the uploader or return error messages.

Visit this page to check your Flash version and compare it with the latest version of Flash posted on the same page.

Web Browser

Make sure you have the latest version of your web browser installed. Depending on your browser you can either check for updates directly in the browser, or need to visit the developer website to see if you are running the latest version.
You may also want to consider switching browsers to see if that resolves the issue.
Make sure your browser is not in offline mode, especially so if you are using Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
Try disabling the web browser proxy if one is configured.

Attachment Uploader

Gmail has an option to switch from the advanced uploader to a basic attachment uploader. This is done with a click on the gear icon in the upper right corner of the screen and the selection of Mail Settings. Locate Attachments under the General tab and switch from Advanced attachment features to Basic attachment features there.

attachments

Different Computer

Maybe you have access to a second computer, preferably at a different location. You can try to upload attachments on that computer to see if you experience the attachment failed issue there as well.

If you do not you know that it is not account related, but network or computer related. You may then want to check your firewall and security software settings to make sure that they do not interfere during attachment transfers to Gmail.

Advanced Tips Fixing Attachment Failed Messages

Desktop email

Using Gmail over the web is only one option for users. You can alternative download and install a desktop email client like Thunderbird or Microsoft Outlook. Configuration is not difficulty, see Setting Up Email Accounts In Thunderbird 3 for help on that.

Disabling HTTPS

Please note that it is usually not recommended to disable HTTPS. You may want to give it a try though if you have tried all other options.

You can disable it under the General tabs of your Gmail settings. Locate Browser Connection near the top and switch from Always use HTTPS to Don't Always use HTTPs.

always use https

Contact Google

While there is no way of telling that Google will respond to your report, it may be better than giving up right away on resolving the issue.

Head over to the Gmail support contact form and send Google an email, telling them exactly what happens, and what you have tried so far.

Closing Words

There are lots of workarounds available to resolve attachment uploading problems on Gmail. If nothing helps, you may want to consider using a different email service after you have tested that attachment uploading works there.

Have you ever had problems uploading attachments to Gmail? If so, did you resolve those issues?

Comments

JMGG said on January 19, 2012 at 8:25 am


You said that Outlook isn’t your main email client, so which is your main one?
1. BalaC said on January 19, 2012 at 9:42 am
  
  
  I think its thunderbird
2. Martin Brinkmann said on January 19, 2012 at 10:15 am
  
  
  It is Mozilla Thunderbird.
Salaam said on September 24, 2012 at 9:52 pm


Awesome! This actually solved my problem… what a stupid bug.
Claud said on December 19, 2012 at 2:08 am


If this is the same bug that I’ve encountered, there may be another fix: (1) hover over open Outlook item in Taskbar, cursor up to hover over Outlook window item, and right-click; (2) this should give you Restore / Move / Size / Minimize / Maximize — choose Move or Size; (3) use your cursor keys, going arbitrarily N/S/E/W, to try to move or size the Outlook window back into view. Basically, the app behaves as though it were open in a 0x0 window, or at a location that’s offscreen, and this will frequently work to resize and/or move the window. Don’t forget to close while resized/moved, so that Outlook remembers the size/position for next time.
1. Lynda said on February 12, 2013 at 3:37 pm
  
  
  THANK YOU Claude!!! I could get the main window to launch but could not get any other message window to show on the desktop. You are my hero!!!!
2. Chad said on November 20, 2018 at 4:24 pm
  
  
  Solved my issue! 6 years later and this is still problem…
3. Ivan X said on January 21, 2021 at 4:50 pm
  
  
  Fantastic. Thank you. Size did the trick.
Andrew said on October 26, 2013 at 7:06 am


This solved my Outlook problem, too. Thank you. :)
Charles said on December 7, 2013 at 7:23 pm


Thank you so much, this started happening to me today and was causing big problems. You are a life saver, I hope I can help you in some way some day.
garth said on November 7, 2014 at 7:13 pm


You are a god – thank you!
Faisal said on February 9, 2015 at 10:09 am


thanks a lot…. work like charm.. :-)
Simon said on March 24, 2015 at 11:36 pm


Yah…thanks Claude. I’ve been having the same problem and tried all the suggestions…your solution was the answer. It had resized itself to a 0/0 box. Cheers
Olu said on April 14, 2015 at 1:35 pm


Excellent post. This had me baffled even trying to accurately describe the problem. This fixed it for me.
Thank you
Coenig said on July 23, 2015 at 7:36 am


Thanks a lot for the article. Don’t know why it happenend, don’t know how it got fixed, but it was really annoying and now it works :-)
Fali said on January 20, 2016 at 4:19 pm


Thanks a lot. I was facing this issue from past 3 week. I tried everything but no resolution. The issue was happening intermittently and mainly when I was changing the display of screen ( as i use 2 monitors). The only option i had was to do system restore. But thanks to you.
1. MIki said on January 10, 2019 at 11:54 am
  
  
  I’ve been tried to sole this problem for 12hours. Your comment about changing the display of screen helped me a lot!! Thanks!!
Christina said on January 20, 2016 at 6:14 pm


Thank you…don’t know why this happened but your instructions helped me fix it. Running Windows 10 and office pro 2007
Oz said on July 22, 2016 at 3:20 pm


Great tip! Thanks!
Tracy said on September 1, 2016 at 4:48 pm


Worked for me, too – thank you!!!
shawn said on September 9, 2016 at 10:25 am


It’s Worked for me, too
thank you very much!
Jari said on October 31, 2016 at 11:53 am


I had a similar issue with Outlook 2013 on Windows 10 and this helped me to fix it. Thank you very much!
Michel H said on November 30, 2016 at 11:08 pm


Thank you so much. Solved!
Considering you published this in 2012, incredible not been debugged by Microsoft.
Thank you again. M
Ziad Bitar said on January 9, 2017 at 2:00 am


This problem was faced by only one user logging to TS 2008 r2 using outlook 2010.The issue was resolved.

Thanks.
Anonymous said on February 15, 2017 at 5:24 pm


Great tip. Thank you!!!! If it helps, I had to use the Control Key and the arrow keys at the same time to bring my window back into view. Worked like a charm.
Rochelle said on March 6, 2017 at 11:59 am


Thank you, this worked !!!!
anom1234 said on May 20, 2018 at 11:20 pm


Man, you are a fucking god. Thanks a lot, what an annoying bug!!
JC said on October 12, 2020 at 2:14 pm


Awesome, this post solved the issue. Many thanks!