java - Missing start boundary Exception when reading messages with an attachment file -

i don't know why i'm getting following exception when reading mail attachment file mail server:

exception in thread "main" javax.mail.messagingexception: missing start boundary          @ javax.mail.internet.mimemultipart.parsebm<mimemultipart.java:872)         @ javax.mail.internet.mimemultipart.parse<mimemultipart.java:493)         @ javax.mail.internet.mimemultipart.getcount<mimemultipart.java:240)         @ getparts.handlemultipart(getparts.java:57)         @ getparts.main(getparts.java:42) 

the file i'm using read messages is:

import java.io.*; import java.util.properties; import javax.mail.*; import javax.mail.internet.*;  public class getparts {   public static void main (string args[])        throws exception {     string host = args[0];     string username = args[1];     string password = args[2];      // session     properties props=new properties();     props.put("mail.mime.multipart.ignoremissingboundaryparamete",true);     session session = session.getinstance(       props, null); contenttype ct=new contenttype();     // store     store store = session.getstore("pop3");     store.connect(host, username, password);      // folder     folder folder = store.getfolder("inbox");     folder.open(folder.read_only);      bufferedreader reader = new bufferedreader (       new inputstreamreader(system.in));      // directory     message message[] = folder.getmessages();     (int i=0, n=message.length; i<n; i++) {        system.out.println(i + ": "          + message[i].getfrom()[0]           + "\t" + message[i].getsubject());           //message[i].setheader("content-type","multipart/mixed");       system.out.println("do want content? [yes read/quit end]");       string line = reader.readline();       if ("yes".equals(line)) {         object content = message[i].getcontent();         if (content instanceof multipart) {           handlemultipart((multipart)content);         } else {           handlepart(message[i]);         }       } else if ("quit".equals(line)) {         break;       }     }      // close connection      folder.close(false);     store.close();   }   public static void handlemultipart(multipart multipart)        throws messagingexception, ioexception {       system.out.println(multipart.getcount());     (int i=0, n=multipart.getcount(); i<n; i++) {       handlepart(multipart.getbodypart(i));     }   }   public static void handlepart(part part)        throws messagingexception, ioexception {     string disposition = part.getdisposition();     system.out.println("disposition "+disposition);     string contenttype = part.getcontenttype();     system.out.println("contenttype "+contenttype);     if (disposition == null) { // when body       system.out.println("null: "  + contenttype);       // check if plain       if ((contenttype.length() >= 10) &&            (contenttype.tolowercase().substring(            0, 10).equals("text/plain"))) {         part.writeto(system.out);       } else { // don't think happen         system.out.println("other body: " + contenttype);         part.writeto(system.out);       }     } else if (disposition.equalsignorecase(part.attachment)) {       system.out.println("attachment: " + part.getfilename() +          " : " + contenttype);       savefile(part.getfilename(), part.getinputstream());     } else if (disposition.equalsignorecase(part.inline)) {       system.out.println("inline: " +          part.getfilename() +          " : " + contenttype);       savefile(part.getfilename(), part.getinputstream());     } else {  // should never happen       system.out.println("other: " + disposition);     }   }   public static void savefile(string filename,       inputstream input) throws ioexception {     if (filename == null) {       filename = file.createtempfile("xx", ".out").getname();     }     // no overwrite existing file     file file = new file(filename);     (int i=0; file.exists(); i++) {       file = new file(filename+i);     }     fileoutputstream fos = new fileoutputstream(file);     bufferedoutputstream bos = new bufferedoutputstream(fos);      bufferedinputstream bis = new bufferedinputstream(input);     int abyte;     while ((abyte = bis.read()) != -1) {       bos.write(abyte);     }     bos.flush();     bos.close();     bis.close();   } } 

i've had same problem. boundary specified within multipart content-type. can find further information in source. can watch 1 of current message using getcontenttype() function. in case obtained result:

multipart/mixed; boundary=--boundary_25_2d74d02b-d0d6-4f28-a311-4d1b7d107417 

so getcount() function uses boundary separate parts compose multiple part. looks there cases in boundary corrupted.

the mail.mime.multipart.ignoreexistingboundaryparameter system property may set true cause boundary ignored , instead search boundary line in message mail.mime.multipart.ignoremissingboundaryparameter.

i followed instructions , works right. added code below:

system.setproperty("mail.mime.multipart.ignoreexistingboundaryparameter", "true"); 

hope helps!