G Mail Problems -No Solutions from Google?

Ernest

This week I encountered a GMail problem: It won't let me attach any files to any outgoing email. No error messages. It just wont allow me to click the "attach file" button. Annoying and a bit worrying.

I went to Google Help and "joined" their Google Product Forum in the GMail section. Here I found several other users having the same problem and also dozens of other users having even worse problems like all their mail being wiped out and seeking help or advice. BUT there does not seem to be any response from Google to these problems!! Lots of questions and pleas for help but no reply from Google. This is very worrying considering that GMail is perhaps the most widely used "cloud" computing application. Your e-mails are all up in Google's cloud and not on the user's hard disk. Google does not seem to respond to users problems.

My own problem of not being able to attach a file to outgoing e-mails continues and no solution is forthcoming from Google so, as of now, I have no option other than to stop using GMail and to try and find another E-Mail system.

Any advice or insights from Boards.ie users?

cookie1977

have you tried a different browser? Make sure you're not blocking pop ups

fionny

Yes try a different browsers first,

Disable any anti-virus / firewall software and try without them on?

Also try drag the file onto the email, gmail supports this in chrome anyway and a little bar appears to show you where to drop it.

It is HIGHLY unlikely the problem is a gmails end as it is a cloud solution and should technically affect all users.

chin_grin

As previous posters have mentioned, try a different browser. This used to happen to me and somehow it'd be as a result of the flash plugin.

If you type about://plugins in the address bar and scroll down to the shockwave flash one. If there are two instances you can disable one.

Longshot, but might just work.

Also you can always set up Thunderbird to work via gmail.(Thunderbird is like a free version of MS Outlook, from mozilla. The guys who made the Firefox browser).

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Using_Gmail_with_Thunderbird_and_Mozilla_Suite

Ernest

Thanks to the three people who have responded so far.
I have now tried using Internet Explorer and the problem does not happen there. Thats one solution I suppose.
As I said in my post, many other people are encountering the same problem with GMail attachments and new ones appear evey few hours on the Google Product Forum I mentioned. It seems to be related to some problem in Chrome.
I will also explore where Flash player is a factor as has been suggested. I will also try dragging a file into the text area of GMail using Chrome as suggested. These, however, are workarounds and the basic GMail programme which I have used for a very long time without problems has encountered a serious functioning flaw that needs fixing. It is also worrying that Google do not seem to respond to issues raised on their own user Forum,

As for Thunderbird, I have used it previously but was not all that keen. I wish someone would resurrect Pegasus! That was a great mailing programme

fionny

Well you have now offically proven it is not an issue with gmail. What browser are you actually using? Maybe try re-install it etc...

To be honest google is bigger then replying to every little email and I can totally understand this, if they had to reply to every hiccup people experienced they would have to employ millions upon millions of staff.

cookie1977

If you fancy trying Chromium (a better version of Google Chrome in my mind) download the dev version here:
http://t.co/hbcnztlg

Ernest

Fionny:

Sorry, but it IS a problem with Google's GMail used with Google's Chrome browser.
Google are "bigger than" bothering to deal with problems reported on their own Forums?????
I am sure they didn't get to be big by ignoring flaws in their own software.

fionny

Ernest wrote: »

Fionny:

Sorry, but it IS a problem with Google's GMail used with Google's Chrome browser.
Google are "bigger than" bothering to deal with problems reported on their own Forums?????
I am sure they didn't get to be big by ignoring flaws in their own software.

I am using chrome RIGHT now and it does not happen, it is something you must have done on your side. Countless millions of people are using chrome and gmail and there is no big cafufffle on the internet. Re-install chrome and see if it happens still.

and quite honestly yes they are too big for that, if there is a real problem then it comes to light quickly when it is affect many many people. If you were paying for gmail then they would supply support but you are not or have not mentioned such anyway.

cookie1977

(Offtopic)Just on the point of paying/not paying fro google products. While no money changes hands, google are not benevolent. They get a lot of access to our lives and make a lot of money from that info. (/offtopic).

Try chromium Fionny. You won't regret it.

MOH

It's a flash issue. I've had the problem before when something in another tab has crashed flash player, and the attach button won't work.

Try closing down all your Chrome windows, opening up one tab and see if it works then. If not, try disabling all your plugins.

Alternatively, try a desktop client like Thunderbird. Has the added advantage that you'll have a copy of your mail stored locally - a good idea especially given that Google just lost 150K email accounts.