The Hindu Business Line : Opening attachments in Outlook Express 6

If you have installed Internet Explorer 6 SP1 or Windows XP SP1 (both of which include Outlook Express 6 SP1), access to some of your e-mail attachments in Outlook Express may be removed. This behaviour is by design. Outlook Express uses the Internet Explorer unsafe file list and the "Confirm open after download" setting in Folder Options to determine if a file is safe.

Any e-mail attachment with a file type that is reported as "unsafe" is not downloaded, and access to the attachment is removed.

If you would like to modify these settings, it is possible to add or subtract file types from the Internet Explorer unsafe file list. To do this, please open Control Panel - Folder Options - select File Types tab, scroll through the list and highlight the file type, for example PDF, and click Advanced. Remove the tick in the box marked "Confirm open after download". Now you can have Outlook Express disallowing access to potentially unsafe files, but excluding PDF files.

There's another way to work around this issue. For this, in Outlook Express, please click Tools - Options - Security tab - Under Virus Protection, uncheck "Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus". Now it is possible for you to obtain access to file attachments in Outlook Express.

However, if you disable this option, it is advisable to have good anti-virus software with e-mail scanning and up-to-date virus definition files.

For more information, please refer http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=329570

Please e-mail us at eworld@thehindu.co.in

if you have queries on computer usage or if you find an interesting way of using a computer.

Solution by M. Sampath

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page