Can't open email attachments.

vivaladiva

Hi
A setting seems to have been changed on my laptop and I can't access email attachments directly from Windows Mail. Can someone please give me step by step instructions (these need to be very basic:o) on how to put it right. I keep getting an error message that tells me there is no program associated with the attachment.
TIA

Domokun

Hello there.

Its not the action of openning the attchment that you're getting wrong, its that your computer doesn't know what program to use to open it. You're asking your computer to read Greek, and it only speaks English, in effect.

Three solutions: One, you need another program on your computer in order to open the file. Commonly, attachments are in .doc (MS word) format, or .PDF (Adobe Acrobat) format. If you have both of those programs, skip to solution 2. If you don't have MS word, use another computer that does have it, or download OpenOffice, its a free, open source version. If you don't have adobe Acrobat, google and download Foxit, again a free and small version that will allow you to read them.

Solution two: its another type of file. When given the option, don't open the file, save it to your computer. Then, find the file on your computer and right click it. Select properties and google the filetype, should be .png or .psd or something like that. that should yield a program that will allow you to open it.

Solution three: the person sendong you the message has booched it, and has sent you something that you can't open, such as a system file or temporary file, or something similiar. You could also always ask them if you can, what type of file they have sent you.

~As always, if you don;t know that person who sent the document to you, DONT OPEN IT. And DONT DOWNLOAD ANYTHING THAT SAYS IT WILL ALLOW YOU TO OPEN IT. Caps for emphasis.

vivaladiva

Thanks for the quick reply.
Most of the documents are Word ones and I've been able to open them in the past. It's a trusted sender - the kids school! I have Microsoft office on the laptop.
The error message mentions the set associations control panel (which I found once and thought I'd sorted out - now I can't find it again). I'm using Vista BTW.

Domokun

It seems unlikely that MS Word would dissociate itself from .doc files, so you have either an acrobat file (solution one), or need solutions two or three above.

If you have the file type now, post it and I'll find the program for you. Chances are it'll be something easy.

vivaladiva

There are three files on the latest email 2 DOC files and a pdf one. The pdf one opens no problem. I've sent myself an excel file and that opens too. I think originally the files were trying to default to works (that was when the problem first occurred) and I thought I'd managed to change it to word but it still wouldn't work.

ETA I can open the DOC files if i save them first.

Domokun

So, are we sorted?

vivaladiva

Only if I save the attachment first. It's nice to be able to read them directly - particularly the school ones as many of them aren't relevant to my kids -Parentmail - you get the notices for the whole school.
I can't find this set associations thingy.

Domokun

Don't know vista very well. Try googling for it, Microsoft will have help files for it.

frivolous_fay

Just throwing an idea out there... you don't have a trial version of Office that has expired?

Reggie_Rebel

Try this.

Open Windows Mail

TOOLS>OPTIONS>SECURITY

Then uncheck the "Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus"

Close Windows Mail and try again

vivaladiva

ust throwing an idea out there... you don't have a trial version of Office that has expired?

I had a trial version of Office, which I upgraded to the Student Licence.

[Try this.

Open Windows Mail

TOOLS>OPTIONS>SECURITY

Then uncheck the "Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus"

Close Windows Mail and try again/QUOTE]

Tried this. It still doesn't work:(.

Don't know vista very well. Try googling for it, Microsoft will have help files for it.

Found the fix here
http://www.winhelponline.com/articles/232/1/Unable-to-open-DOC-attachments-from-Windows-Mail.html
I'm happy now:j.

It seems to have been a problem that came in with one of the updates:rolleyes:.

Thanks again everyone:beer:.