Attachment rejected by Outlook?

[MacGyver]

I don't have much experience with Outlook, so perhaps others can answer my question. I just sent an email to a client with a single ZIP file that contained three PDF files and three XLS files. I got a call from him saying he received my email but could not open the attachment, something about saying the attachment has been blocked. I'm positive that my PC does not have any viruses on it (I just updated my antivirus and rescanned) so is this one of those Microsoft features that is blocking my attachment for this guy, or what?

[Archer]

You`ll probably find its his outlook thats blocking it on their new security patch Doh!Saying that I would have thought it would let zips through but it may be set this way by his admin.
You could try changing the extension to something he can recieve and he can change it back prior to unzipping i.e send it as zip.txt.

[MacGyver]

I asked him if they had a system admin and he said no. So I just sent him the individual files instead. But I would like to know how to tell somebody to change the setting that controls this, anybody know how without hacking the registry?

[NooNoo]

If the zip is passworded many companies block these because the virus checker can't open the files!

[Archer]

A few links about Outlooks attachment security policy if you feel like a bit of reading:
Administrator Information About the Outlook E-mail Security Update
OL2002: Recipient Cannot Open E-mail File Attachment; Error Message Describes It as 'Potentially Unsafe'
You Cannot Open Attachments
Cannot Access Attachments

Strange as one of them states zip format is safe

[silencio]

Maybe I'm foolish but wouldn't attachment blocking be simpler if you had a list of allowed extentions instead of a list of blocked extentions? Then you could simply request that any file that anyone sends you is zipped.

Is that too simple to work?

[MacGyver]

It's not my systems that are doing the blocking, it the systems belonging to the person I am trying to send the email to. I am trying to help them receive the email I'm sending.

[MD_Geist]

in OE goto tools, options, then the security tab... uncheck do not allow attachments blah blah.. its like the second check box down

[emr]

MacGyver, go here, I'm pretty sure there is something about allowing attachments in Outlook 2000 after applying SP2.

Maybe an add-in or reg hack but I can't remember. Sorry, I would be more specific but got to get to work.

emr

[WebHead]

How about just FTPing the files to a domain and sending him a link so he can download the files himself manually.

[craigmodius]

Mac, as you know, it has nothing to do with your systems, it's all on their end.

I've encountered this before, and just attached the file with a bull**** extension on the end such as "program.exo" and had the user rename the file after they had saved it.

Newer versions of Outlook (don't know about OE) block extensions like .exe, .bat, .com, .zip etc. because they could potentially be a virus, not that they are a virus or infected.

however i only had this happen to me once, if it's going to be an everyday correspondence thing with you Mac, then why not just make an email sig explaining how to save the attachment and rename it.

if you change any "security" settings on their computer relating to viruses and then they happen to get hit with one then I hope you know a good lawyer.

[waldo]

I found out there is NO WAY other than Hacking the Registry to allow various file extensions through Outlook 2002...

I did find a very nice neat SHAREWARE utility that adds a tab to your Outlook 2002 Tool menu.

It will allow whatever file extensions though that you want.

http://www.slovaktech.com/attachmentoptions.htm

[MacGyver]

Originally posted by craigmodius
if you change any "security" settings on their computer relating to viruses and then they happen to get hit with one then I hope you know a good lawyer.

That's an excellent point. When talking to the guy today, I vaguely suggested that they look at their email, antivirus, and firewall software to determine the issue. Even when I sent the files unzipped separately, they STILL couldn't view them. I mean, if you can't view a PDF file (which I went through a lot of trouble creating so they wouldn't have these kind of issues in the first place) then I can't help you!

So I'm just going to reserve myself to the fact they are stupid. We'll send them hard copies instead, and hope that nobody thinks we're sending them some mystery white powder.

[Archer]

Perhaps you could convert them to HTTP format its bound to let it through then.

[Tr!une]

Some firewall/email scanning software is pretty dumb. Rather than scanning for viruses, they just block everything. It seems that would be the case if you sent them PDFs and they got blocked too. Of course you could always take out that 3-letter word that is causing them to be blocked

We experience something along those lines too. any manner of sending a .exe file through was thwarted. Even zipping it. So if they can't handle technology they get it sent via US Mail!