Outlook Express (W98)

[langker]

On opening Outlook Express today I found that I could not open attachments. On clicking on paper clip/envelope a pop-up reads "OE removed access to the following unsafe attachment in your mail". I have Macaffee installed for infections.
I can move the attachment elsewhere and open but I want to open attachments in the Outlook Express.
I want to remove this restriction...has anyone had this problem and any ideas on fixing??

Cheers
Peter

[Mosaic1]

Open OE. Go to Tools>options and click the security tab.
You will see a checkbox labeled " Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus." Uncheck it and apply.

[JakeHaze]

Wow.

That's the dumbest suggestion I've ever read.

[TonyKlein]

JakeHaze

Totally aside from it being the right answer, pray what exactly did strike you as 'dumb' there, if I might ask? /images/forums/icons/tongue.gif

I'm sure we're all dying to hear your valuable insights

Regards, Tony

[DanK]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

Wow.

That's the dumbest suggestion I've ever read.

<hr></blockquote>

I think we can do without posts like this

/images/forums/icons/mad.gif

[JakeHaze]

Disabling built-in virus protection in the most-flawed e-mail program on Earth is dumber than a sweater on a cat. That's what. It's not a right answer by any stretch of the imagination. It's bonedheaded and wrong.

If someone asked how to make IE display all passwords used that day because they wanted to see their spouse's e-mail, we'd tell 'em to forget it. By the same token, this guy's virus protection protected him, and instead of telling him to deal with greater security over convenience (the inverse being a Microsoft hallmark...ILOVEYOU, Melissa, nimda, etc...), somebody comes along and advises him to make himself vulnerable to all e-mail based worms by disabling that built-in protection.

The right answer is, "You can do it, but you'd be making a huge mistake and make yourself vulnerable to Outlook and Outlook Express-based worms and viruses by doing so. Are you sure you want to do this?"

[TonyKlein]

Calling disabling this new feature disabling "built-in virus protection" is completely ridiculous.

If you keep this option checked you won't be able to open anything at all, because it might possibly contain a virus.

Yeah, right...

The first thing I did was unchecking that box myself.

If you want virus protection, make sure you have all Windows Updates and patches installed, and run a regularly updated antivirus.

Don't open any attachments if you're not absolutely certain what they are, and always scan them beforehand.

Etcetera.

This MS 'feature' might be dumb, but your reaction is even dumber, and moreover, it doesn't show any respect towards other members of this board.

To put this another way: you p*ss me off no end!

Cheers, Tony

[JakeHaze]

I'll remember you fondly when the next Outlook virus is on CNN...

[Mosaic1]

Thanks Tony.
I appreciate the support. This is just getting out of hand. Winguides is being destroyed with these constant battles. It's nice to know you are around to help the Posters get the answers they need. The correct answers.

Jake,
This is a perfect example of why I have not been around these Forums lately. Bickering and insults. I am here to help people. Why are you here? I hope I have and can continue to do so. Every time I come here there's another battle going on.
As Tony mentioned, OE will prevent you from opening anything. It is not scanning for viruses. It simply knows that attachments might contain a virus. Therefore, it prevents them from being opened.
I scan my mail. Do you? I never open any attachment without a scan first. But I do want to have the choice. Do you?

DanK,
<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

I think we can do without posts like this

<hr></blockquote>
You said it all in one sentence. Eloquently too.

Mo

[JakeHaze]

Scanning your mail is great. There were no definitions for scanners when nimda hit. Removing the ability to automatically open an attachment within a program known to be horribly vulnerable is an anti-virus measure. I did not say scan.

Scanning is all well and good, but it depends upon the definitions list. Behavioral scanning, meaning the scanner detects "virus-like" activity, only works once the file, or attachment in this case, has been executed. By then, with an e-mail worm, the damage has already been done and you've just passed it on to everyone in your address book.

Placing convenience before security is a bad idea.

[TonyKlein]

But when you're removing the check mark you're not "automatically opening attachments"

Noone's in favor of that, and it has absolutely nothing to do with this issue.

I'm now beginning to understand what you mean, and we're not talking abouit the same thing.

If you leave this option checked you can't open any attachment, even if you wanted to.

If you uncheck it, attachments will not get openened automatically.

That used to be possible until MS patched it more than a year and a half ago, if memory serves me right.

Check your facts.

[Nana]

JakeHaze,

You picked on the wrong person this time!

Nana /images/forums/icons/wink.gif

[JakeHaze]

Well then. I stand corrected.

My apologies.

[DanK]

It was bound to happen sooner or later Nana /images/forums/icons/laugh.gif

[JakeHaze]

DanK said:
It was bound to happen sooner or later Nana /images/forums/icons/laugh.gif
==============================
Yeah? I misunderstood, acknowledged it, and apologized.

You want me to call you the Sooper D00d or something like that? Forget it.

[JakeHaze]

Mosaic1. In the interest of clarification, I want it to be known that my retraction/apology was intended to everyone in general. Not just Tony, or DanK, or whoever it was.

I view the threads in flat mode, and I forget that these forums are actually threaded and may appear differently to others.

You were right and I was wrong. *shrug*

[coolsights2000]

I found a flaw in outlook just click forward then click preview on the tab at the bottom then open the attachment

Thanks
Mac!!!

I've heard a saying : about 99% of computer problems sit in front of the monitor

[BertImmenschuh]

Coolsights2000, was that Outlook or Outlook Express?

Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement

[coolsights2000]

--- Outlook Express ---

Microsoft Outlook will only let you view http mail like a web page so I don't know if it will work in Microsoft Outlook cause I download http mail from hotmail using Outlook express.


Thanks
Mac!!!

I've heard a saying : about 99% of computer problems sit in front of the monitor

[Nana]

Mac,

The "flaw" you describe in Outlook Express can be fixed by going to Tools, Options, Send Tab. Uncheck the box that says Reply to messages using the format in whcih they were sent. Now, when you go back to Outlook Express, you should be able to click on attachments & get the option to open them without having to click Forward first.

Nana /images/forums/icons/smile.gif

[coolsights2000]

What I was talking about was a way to leave you protection setting alone... I run mine that way...
Yes I use protection .... LOL

To be blocked or not to blocked is the question?..

If I get some thing I want I just go forward and click to open it or I save it as!!!!

If you like using reply do it that way..... LOL....

Thanks
Mac!!!

I've heard a saying : about 99% of computer problems sit in front of the monitor

[coolsights2000]

here is the registry setting to look for

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express]
"BlockExeAttachments"=dword:00000001

LOl reply doesn't show the attachment you have to go forward......

I just sent a exe file to myself to test the reply ......



Thanks
Mac!!!

I've heard a saying : about 99% of computer problems sit in front of the monitor

[Nana]

Mac,

OK. I can see why you'd want to do it that way.
Me - I think that I have all the protection I need already, but it never hurts to have too much, does it? /images/forums/icons/wink.gif

Nana /images/forums/icons/laugh.gif