Why can't I open email attachments?
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Why can't I open email attachments?
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There are many reasons why a particular attachment may be unviewable. One of the most common causes is simply the lack of a suitable program on your computer to view the attachment. Attachment are files created on somebody else's computer. To view these attachment, you will need to have installed on your PC the same version program (or higher) than that in which the attachment was created, or a another program capable of reading thsoe files.
For example:
If joebloggs@ozemail.com.au sent you an attachment which he created on his PC using the program Microsoft Excel XP and you do not have Excel XP (or Microsoft's Excel reader program) installed on your PC, you will not be able to open/view the attachment.
If you are not sure what type of attachment has been sent to you in the first place, you should reply to the sender and ask them to identify what program was used to create the file.
You will then have to have this program installed on your machine. Another alternative is to ask the sender what application was used to create the attachment and see if they can save it in another format.
To search for a similar software reader you should try: http://tucows.senet.com.au
Another common cause of unviewable attachments is the result of security measures built into your email program or your anti-virus scanner. Virus scanners may make attachments unreadable by renaming the file to something which you computer will not have a program to read.
For example:
Let's say you are sent a Microsoft Word document as an attachment, but when it is received, the attachment is labeled word-doc.LOCKED. This file would not be viewable by Word, as its file type (LOCKED) does not match those accessible by Word. In this case you would need to save the attachment, then rename it to something Word could open, such as word.doc. Note that renaming the file in this manner does not eliminate the risk of an infected file corrupting your system once you have renamed it again.
Alternatively, your mail program might has security features built-in which prevent access to the attachment. Microsoft Outlook Express 6 has this feature. It is possible to disable this security feature, but doing so may leave your system vulnerable to attack by malicious code or a virus.
To disable this funtion, please follow the intructions below. These instructions assume you have Outlook Express open.
1. Single left click on "Tools" across the menu bar.
2. Single left click on "Options"
3. Single left click on the Security tab across the top of the pop-up window.
4. Remove the check from the bow labeled "Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus."
5. Single left click on "OK" at the bottom of the screen.
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