Anyone else noticed Drag and Drop works from Outlook Classic to AR Desktop "In Tray" without any issues but Outlook to "Invoice" or "Bill" Attachments doesn't?
Here's what AI says is the issue.
Question: Why does drop and drag from outlook classic 2026 to accountright desktop 2026 only work for the in tray and not bill attachments?
Response: The difference in drag-and-drop behaviour occurs because the In Tray processes files through a general Windows file-drop handler, whereas direct Bill Attachments rely on a specific modal form control within MYOB AccountRight that fails to capture the OLE/COM data stream sent directly from a Classic Outlook message body.
Technical and Application Reasons
- The In Tray Engine: The In Tray acts as a broad document repository drop-zone. It accepts raw file handles, temporary cache files, and direct binary drops from external software seamlessly.
- The Bill Window Modal: When you open an active Bill and look at the attachments tab, AccountRight locks that specific child window into a strict UI state. When an item is dragged from Classic Outlook, the target field fails to parse the virtual file object, causing the interface to hang, grey out, or reject the stream.
- Outlook MAPI Handlers: Classic Outlook exposes attachments as virtual MAPI memory objects rather than concrete local file paths until they are fully written to a temp folder. The In Tray can unpack this virtual stream, but the specific Bill attachment dialog box cannot.
Recommended Workarounds
- Save to Desktop First: Drag the attachment from Outlook onto your Windows desktop or local folder first, then drag it from your desktop into the Bill attachment area (or use the Add Documents button).
- Use the In Tray Workflow: Route all incoming bills through the AccountRight In Tray via drag-and-drop first, then link or match the processed tray document to the bill.
Question: It works from file explorer and other areas but not from outlook classic
Response: That confirms the issue is exactly how Classic Outlook handles files during a live drag. File Explorer passes a concrete, physical local file path, which the AccountRight Bill window easily understands. Classic Outlook, however, passes a virtual memory stream (an OLE object) because the file technically does not exist on your hard drive yet; it only exists inside the Outlook database.
Because the AccountRight Bill window lacks the specific code required to unpack virtual MAPI streams, it ignores or rejects the drop.
Question: funny how it works from outlook classic into the in tray
Response: It really is a quirky double standard! The reason it works for the In Tray but fails for the Bill window comes down to how MYOB built those two different features:
Why the In Tray is Smarter
- Modern Code: The In Tray is a newer, web-integrated feature built with modern development tools. MYOB programmed its drop-zone to look for virtual files, grab the Outlook memory stream, and automatically save it to a temporary local folder on the fly.
- Generic Drop Zone: It acts like a giant net, accepting almost any incoming file structure.
Why the Bill Window Fails
- Legacy Code: The Bill attachment window uses older, rigid database controls. It expects a completed, physical file path from your hard drive (like C:\Users\Name\Document.pdf) the exact millisecond you let go of the mouse.
- No Stream Support: When Outlook hands it a virtual memory link instead of a hard path, the old code doesn't know how to unpack it, so it simply drops the ball.
Essentially, MYOB updated the front door (the In Tray) to handle modern email workflows, but left the back room (the Bill window) running on older tech.
MYOB is there any chance you can update the code like you have in the "In Tray"?