Can't open email attachments?
- by Dennis Faas on 20031202 @ 12:32AM EST | google it | send to friends
- Filed under Security | (related terms: outlook express, open, file, email attachments, computer)
" Dear Dennis,
I use Windows 98 and Outlook Express to read my email. A buddy of mine thought he was helping me by 'tweaking' my computer system, but now I cannot open any email attachments! What can I do? PS: How may I retrieve a file that has been deleted? "
My Response:
It sounds like your friend "tweaked" your computer by upgrading you to the latest version of Outlook Express -- version 6. By default, Outlook Express 6 will not allow you to open email attachments on the assumption that the email may contain an malicious attachment (such as a virus or Trojan).
You can bypass this security measure by loading Outlook Express and then click Tools -> Options -> Security tab; select the "Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially contain a virus"; click APPLY / OK. Close Outlook Express and reload it. You should now be able to open attachments.
If that doesn't fix your problem, you can also look at a previous article I compiled which lists possibilities that are not related to Outlook Express:
Outlook Express has removed access to Unsafe Attachments?, Part 2
And lastly: to undelete a file, you will need special recovery software. As luck would have it, Jake Ludington recently wrote an in-depth review on a new undelete tool called "Recover". After reading the article, I was surprised to learn that this software can also undelete photos from a digital camera!
You can read more about "Recover" here:
