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Remember to check manually for updates every week or two by clicking the Windows Update icon in the Start Menu.
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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.