If you have this configuration, please try this and let me know if you have similar results.
- Outlook Closed (not running)
- From Windows Explorer, locate a .jpg file and right click on it.
- Select “Send to” then “Mail Recipient”
- Pick a photo size and click “Attach”
Do you get a pop-up message that Outlook has stopped working? Or does Outlook start up and create the template email message with attachment?
If outlook crashes, Check your Win7 Application event log and see if the error is this:
Faulting application name: OUTLOOK.EXE, version: 12.0.6514.5000, time stamp: 0x4a89dc70 Faulting module name: ashOutXt.dll_unloaded, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x4be3295f Exception code: 0xc0000005 Fault offset: 0x03059ac7 Faulting process id: 0xf40 Faulting application start time: 0x01caf173814825e0 Faulting application path: D:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~1\Office12\OUTLOOK.EXE [b]Faulting module path: ashOutXt.dll[/b] Report Id: bf5b0bec-5d66-11df-bd66-0016e6dbbdf4
ashOutxt.dll is the Avast Plug-in for Outlook.
If you start Outlook, Select “Help” then “Privacy Options”, then select “Add-ins”, you can select “Exchange Client Extensions” in the “Manage:” drop-down at the bottom, click “Go”, then uncheck the Avast 5 plug-in.
If you repeat the initial steps above, does creating the outlook email with attachment now work correctly without error?
I’m just curious if its just my configuration or if others can duplicate this issue. If so, there might be an issue with either Outlook, or the Avast 5 Plug in.
This is driving me crazy. 
Of course if I start outlook and just minimize it before doing steps 2-4, it works fine. SO there is something wierd about trying to start outlook in the background from Windows explorer when the plug-in is enabled.
I have not been able to get any avast debugging options to generate a log file yet. Not sure why though.