Frustrated by Outlook attachment limitations?

[Jason Dunn]

<a href="http://www.slovaktech.com/attachmentoptions.htm">http://www.slovaktech.com/attachmentoptions.htm</a><br /><br />With Outlook XP, Microsoft has chosen to block a variety of file attachments in order to "protect" users from themselves. Although I'm sometimes frustrated by their decision to do this, I think it was a good move - since moving a few neophyte users I know to XP, the phone calls about viruses have dropped off dramatically. If they can't open it, they can't infect their computer. Despite dozens of warnings about not opening EXE, PIF, SCR, and other potentially lethal file files, some people are still more curious than smart. :-)<br /><br />So what's a power user to do? Someone sends you an EXE file, you know it's safe and want to open it - but can't. Attachment Options to the rescue - this freeware app installs itself into Outlook XP and lets you select which types of files you want to see. It works perfectly! My advice is to only enable EXE, not all of them - there's no good reason to enable most of the other file types.

[JMountford]

I have the Version of Outlook 2002 that came with my iPaq 3700. It was neet to have and of course you have to have it to work with Active Sync 3.5 but I find quite often that Outlook corupt perfectly good files when they are sent as attachments. I get all kinds of complaints from people when I send them an attachment via Outlook. The big complaint, "I can't open your attachment". I have tested all the files. I have sent the files with Hotmail to people who I know have the apps that the files were made from Like Acrobat and what not and they are all good. SO what's the deal?

[Gator5000e]

There is a cool program called Tweak-XP that allows you to fool around with Outlook's attachment blocker adn give you the option to block or allow dozens of attachments. The link is http://www.totalidea.de/ I have no affliation with the product other than I use it.

[Marc Zimmermann]

So what's a power user to do? Someone sends you an EXE file, you know it's safe and want to open it - but can't.

It's all in the registry...

OL2002: Cannot Access Attachments [Q290497]
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q290497

[tthiel]

This is just Microsofts lazy way of trying to fix their massive security issues by making life harder for their customers. Oh well what else is new....

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

With Outlook XP, Microsoft has chosen to block a variety of file attachments in order to "protect" users from themselves. Although I'm sometimes frustrated by their decision to do this, I think it was a good move - since moving a few neophyte users I know to XP, the phone calls about viruses have dropped off dramatically. If they can't open it, they can't infect their computer. Despite dozens of warnings about not opening EXE, PIF, SCR, and other potentially lethal file files, some people are still more curious than smart. :-)

So what's a power user to do? Someone sends you an EXE file, you know it's safe and want to open it - but can't. Attachment Options to the rescue - this freeware app installs itself into Outlook XP and lets you select which types of files you want to see. It works perfectly! My advice is to only enable EXE, not all of them - there's no good reason to enable most of the other file types.