Overview
In M‑Files Desktop version 26.3.15818.7, the MFStatus.exe process may crash when users create documents—commonly observed during drag‑and‑drop to a vault while the Preview tab is visible on the metadata card. After the crash, subsequent attempts to create documents may fail with “The RPC server is unavailable (0x800706BA)” errors.
Solution
This issue (ID CE-3325) has been fixed, and the fix is available in M-Files Online Mar '26 SR3 (26.3.15818.13) or later. The fix has been done on the M-Files Desktop client, so upgrading M-Files Desktop is needed.
M-Files Desktop updates can be performed via automatic updates or using the installation package by
selecting the "Simple upgrade" option (Manually updating M-Files). The latest installation packages are available on our Downloads pages.
Affected Products / Versions
- M‑Files Desktop: 26.3.15818.7
- Scope: Observed when creating new documents (often via drag & drop) with the metadata card Preview tab enabled.
Note: Although most reports involve drag‑and‑drop, the issue may not be limited solely to that method.
Symptoms
- The metadata card’s Preview tab is enabled during document creation.
- While creating a document (often by drag‑and‑drop into a vault), MFStatus.exe crashes unexpectedly.
- After the crash, attempts to create a document can fail and display errors such as:
CoDropTarget.cpp, 553, The RPC server is unavailable. (0x800706BA)
CoDropTarget.cpp, 942, The RPC server is unavailable. (0x800706BA)
ShellFolderDataTransfer.cpp, 150, The RPC server is unavailable. (0x800706BA)
ShellFolderDataTransfer.cpp, 840, The RPC server is unavailable. (0x800706BA)
ShellFolderDataTransfer.cpp, 883, The RPC server is unavailable. (0x800706BA)
VaultDocumentOperations.cpp, 2351, The RPC server is unavailable. (0x800706BA)
CoVaultMountingDocumentOperations.cpp, 5569, The RPC server is unavailable. (0x800706BA)
(M‑Files 26.3.15818.7)
- Windows Event Viewer on the client machine records an Application Error for MFStatus.exe at the time of the crash.
Cause
The issue is triggered by a defect in M‑Files Desktop 26.3.15818.7 when creating documents with the Preview tab visible on the metadata card.
Immediate Recovery (After a Crash)
If MFStatus.exe has already crashed:
- Restart the computer
- This fully restarts MFStatus.exe and clears the RPC error state.
- Or manually relaunch MFStatus.exe
- Check Task Manager → Details to see if MFStatus.exe is running.
- If not, start it by reopening M‑Files Desktop or launching it from the M‑Files installation directory.
Workarounds to Prevent Recurrence
Until a fix is available, the following workarounds are recommended:
- Hide the Preview tab on the metadata card
- Prevent the Preview panel from displaying during document creation.
- Avoid drag‑and‑drop for document creation
- Use Create → Document or other standard creation options inside M‑Files Desktop.
- Use the New (modern) UI if available
- If your organization supports switching to the newer interface, performing the same action there may avoid the issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does this affect all file types?
A: Yes. The core trigger is the Preview tab rendering, not file type.
Q: Is this related to server configuration?
A: No. This is strictly a client-side issue.
Q: Does the user need admin rights?
A: Hiding the Preview tab does not require admin rights; starting MFStatus.exe may require normal workstation privileges.
ISSUE IS FIXED: This issue (CE-3325) is fixed on M-Files Online Mar '26 SR3 (26.3.15818.13) or later. The fix has been done on the M-Files Desktop client, so upgrading M-Files Desktop is needed. Visible also in the release notes page.
M-Files Desktop updates can be performed via automatic updates or using the installation package by selecting the "Simple upgrade" option (Manually updating M-Files). The latest installation packages are available on our Downloads pages.
