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week or two by clicking the Windows Update icon in the
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technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and
commentaries, continuously available online since
1983
T e c h n o f i l e
How to get Windows to stop blocking e-mail attachments in
Outlook Express
March 3, 2003
By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2003, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2003, The Post-Standard
Has Windows started blocking some of
your e-mail attachments? If you're a victim of one of
Microsoft's "silent updates" and wonder why
you can't open certain files that arrive in the mail, I
have a fix for you.
The problem occured when Microsoft made
a change to Outlook Express, the e-mail software built into
Windows. The change, which in many cases took place without
the user's knowledge, puts many kinds of e-mail
attachments off limits. When you try to open these
attachments -- including many you were able to open before
-- Windows shows an error message and refuses to let you do
it.
Most of the Windows users I've
talked to about this problem didn't realize their
computer had altered its settings behind their backs. If
you have Windows XP, pay close attention, because your
computer could be doing the same thing if XP's
auto-updating is turned on . Windows XP is the first
Microsoft operating system that does this; the other
versions will automatically check for updates but won't
install them unless you approve. (I'll explain how to
turn off XP's auto-updating below.)
The part of Outlook Express that blocks
attachments is what Microsoft calls the
"Security" function. After following the steps
below, be sure to use common sense when dealing with
attached files.
Here's my no-nonsense rule for
dealing with attachments: Don't open an attachment
unless you've asked for the file and you know the
person who sent it. Attachments that do not meet BOTH
provisions of this rule should be trashed.
(Some of the most common Windows viruses
and worms fake the sender's address and make it seem
like the contaminated mail has been sent by someone you
know. The first part of the rule protects you against
infection in such cases. To repeat: Even though you might
think you know the sender, if you didn't specifically
ask for the file, don't open it.)
Here's how to restore your ability
to open attachments in Outlook Express:
Run Outlook Express and click the Tools
menu, then click Options. Click the "Security"
tab. Look for "Virus Protection." You will see a
box labeled, "Do not allow attachments to be saved or
opened that could potentially be a virus." Click the
box to remove the checkmark (and therefore allow ALL
attachments to be opened). Then click the OK button.
To stop Windows XP from doing any
automatic updates, disable auto-updates from the Control
Panel. The following instructions are based on the default
Control Panel layout. Yours might differ, but the functions
will be the same.
Open the Control Panel. Choose
Performance and Maintenance, then choose System. In the
Automatic Updates tab, choose "Turn off Automatic
Updating." Click the OK button.
Then go back to the Control Panel.
Choose Performance and Maintenance again, then choose
Administrative Tools. Choose Services and double click on
"Automatic Updates." Under "Startup
type," choose "Disabled." Click the OK
button.
Remember to check manually for updates
every week or two by clicking the Windows Update icon in
the Start Menu. But read the update explanations carefully
before you decide to go ahead with them. Microsoft's
heavy-handed approach can sometimes cause more harm than
the update is worth.
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