invalid attachment problem

[Macsee]

When I click on the image in posts, I get the error message
"invalid Attachment specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator"

This is something I've noticed over the last few weeks.

Strange thing is that someone created a post with an attachment a few days ago and it worked the first time I tried it. But when I go back to that post now I get the error message.

This seems to affect only the private forum (Admin CP > Forum Manager > Show Private Forum = Yes, Display Post Count).

I've tried a site: search in Google to see if the problem has come up before on these forums, and I've found a few threads about the issue, but no solution.

Any suggestions?

[Lynne]

Are your attachments stored in the database or filesystem? Can you look in the filedata/attachment table and actually see the attachment? Do you allow users to delete their attachments? And do you have a limit on the amount of space a user may use for attachments? Are you sure they are not deleting it via their own Settings page?

[Macsee]

Good suggestions ... and you had me scrambling around looking for things!

First, the images are in a database (but I don't know how to look in the attachment table to see the attachment. A mySQL query?)

I'd rule out users deleting attachments intentionally, I've spoken with my employees who have accounts on the forum. Besides, I've checked now and, no, they don't have permission to delete.

The space limit is interesting and not one I had considered. I don't believe I've set a limit, but how would I check? There does not seem to be this space limit setting in the Attachments section of the usergroup and the settings in Options > Message Attachment Options has the "Limit Space Taken Up By Attachments" set to 0. Is there some other location I need to be investigating?

[Lynne]

Space limit is a usergroup option. The one you see in settings is the overall site space limit. But, if you look in the Usergroup Manager, you will see if you set a space amount for that usergroup.

If you look at the link for the attachment, somewhere it should say "attachmentid=xx". You may then look in the attachment table and see if there is a row where attachmentid equals xx. That will tell you if the attachment exists still. Now, in that same row, please note the filedataid for that attachment. I'll call that zz.

Does that link have anything in it like "thumb=yy" ? If so, what? Now, look in the table filedata and see if you can find a row for filedataid zz. Does it have a BLOB size larger than 0 under the field thumbnail?

You said this is only happening in a private forum? So, there is no way we can get a link to a post where you are having the problem?

[Macsee]

Thanks, Lynne.

I have an entry in the usergroup for "Space (in bytes) that a user's total attachment usage may consume - (Set to 0 to not have a limit) " and I have that set to zero.

Do you have a link to any tutorial on what I need to do to "look in the table". I have phpmyadmin access and FTP access and can download the db to my hard disk, but don't know how to search within the table. Can I open the relevant table in something like Excel?

I have noticed the problem so far only in the private forum. I could create a login for you to access that if you want and send it to you by PM.

[kh99]

If you run phpmyadmin, you should be able to select the database, click on the attachment table, then the "Browse" tab and scroll through the records. If you have a lot of attachments you'll probably want to do a query instead: click on the SQL tab and change the end of the query so that it looks like:

SELECT * FROM `attachment` WHERE attachmentid = xx

(obviously you want to put the actual attachment id in place of xx).

[Lynne]

As Kevin said, phpMyAdmin is what you would use to look in your database.

[rodeojones]

I have the same problem. I have a certain usergroup that can access a CMS page that has a link to an attachment. When I am logged in as administrator I can download the attachment just fine so I know the attachment is there. But when I log in as the other usergroup that can access the file I get the error "Invalid Attachment specified..."

I have verified the permission settings. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

EDIT: Ok, so I figured out my problem. I had added the attachment to a forum that my usergroup couldn't access and then used that URL for the attachment to the link on my CMS page. When I went in and posted the attachment in a thread my usergroup could access and then used that URL for the attachment, the link it worked just fine. As usual, user operated error Hope this helps anyone with a similar problem though.

[Macsee]

Thanks for your replies, kh99 and Lynne. I'm away for a few days and don't want to log into pma on an insecure IP. I'll try the above when I get back home and I'll report back on the outcome.

[smoking zone]

i need help off someone asap my members or i cant upload anything on the forum and the post and attachment size is 25mb i tried uploading 10mb but it says to much to process and then it says then whe i try upload it says image upload failed sh/identity no such file or directory but havent had any replys so dont know what to do can you help please also the uploader isnt the vbulletin select and upload it different for some reason