Symptom

When converting a file to PDF, the user receives an error as follows:

Attach Plus Error
Unable to send files to target.
Unable to print file 'xxxxxxxx' to pinter 'Attach Plus - E-mail PDF'
No associated application for printing this file type

Background

Windows maintains a list of associated actions (or verbs) that can be performed against files of different types.  Attach Plus uses the Print To verb to convert documents to PDF.  If the Print To verb for the file you are trying to convert does not exist, or is mis-configured, then Attach Plus will not be able to convert that file. 

Important: troubleshooting this issue involves advanced administrative tasks like editing the registry.  You should involve your IT support personnel if you aren't completely comfortable with this discussion.

Resolution

Here is a general procedure for determining the configuration of the Print To verb for a given type of file.  This procedure describes the process for TIF files, but it applies for any extension.

1. Open Regedit
2. Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
3. Locate the ".tif" entry beneath HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and determine it's (default) value - this provides the underlying document type name.  For TIF, this is normally TIFImage.Document
4. Next, locate the document type name beneath HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT - e.g. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TIFImage.Document
5. Beneath that key, is a sub-key for shell
6. Beneath the shell sub-key is a key for each registered verb for that type of file
7. Confirm that there is a printto verb registered - for example: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TIFImage.Document\shell\printto

 

If there is no printto verb present, you will need to recreate it somehow.  Sometimes this is a matter of looking on another computer and seeing what the value there is.  Other times, it involves installing software that supports the printto verb.  On some occasions, some other application might have changed the document type for the file extension (for example, .tif file extensions might be set to something besides "TIFImage.Document").

At the end of the day, getting that printto verb configured is the solution to this issue.

For reference, the (default) value of the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TIFImage.Document\shell\printto\command key on my Windows 7 workstation is:

"%SystemRoot%\System32\rundll32.exe" "%SystemRoot%\System32\shimgvw.dll",ImageView_PrintTo /pt "%1" "%2" "%3" "%4"

This may or may not be appropriate for your computer.