I have just purchased some holiday insurance and have been
sent a policy document which in all it's wisdom OE has
decided to remove as an unsafe document. It only cost me
13 quid so no big deal. I tried to do a search using
Microsoft help but as usual it's useless. Question
(1) - (Alright I know I'm thick) can I retrieve this
attachment.
(2)Is it possible that in my ignorance I do not know how
to precisely word a question so that I can get an answer
using microsoft help
(3) Does anyone use Microsoft help and if so what rating
out of ten would they give it?

Answers please to Rogthefish@onetel.com and have a nice
day.

Re: Pissed off in Wales, UK by Torgeir

Torgeir
Thu Aug 05 14:12:13 CDT 2004

Rogthefish@onetel.com wrote:

> I have just purchased some holiday insurance and have been
> sent a policy document which in all it's wisdom OE has
> decided to remove as an unsafe document. It only cost me
> 13 quid so no big deal. I tried to do a search using
> Microsoft help but as usual it's useless. Question
> (1) - (Alright I know I'm thick) can I retrieve this
> attachment.
> (2)Is it possible that in my ignorance I do not know how
> to precisely word a question so that I can get an answer
> using microsoft help
> (3) Does anyone use Microsoft help and if so what rating
> out of ten would they give it?
>
> Answers please to Rogthefish@onetel.com and have a nice
> day.
Hi

Take a look at the following MS knowledge base articles (Copy and paste the
URL address lines into your IE address bar if they are not clickable):

Cannot Open E-Mail Attachments in OE After You Install SP1
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;329570

Information About the Unsafe File List in Internet Explorer 6
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;291369

OLEXP Using Virus Protection Features in Outlook Express 6
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;291387

--
torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/default.mspx

Re: Pissed off in Wales, UK by Phillip

Phillip
Thu Aug 05 14:17:05 CDT 2004

It didn't remove the document,...it just prevented you from opening it. Go
into the OE Security settings and adjust it. Blame the writes of all the
wonderful email-worms for making this nessessary, not OE for responding
against them by default.

--

Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com


"Rogthefish@onetel.com" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
message news:0e6501c47b1f$83a667e0$a601280a@phx.gbl...
> I have just purchased some holiday insurance and have been
> sent a policy document which in all it's wisdom OE has
> decided to remove as an unsafe document. It only cost me
> 13 quid so no big deal. I tried to do a search using
> Microsoft help but as usual it's useless. Question
> (1) - (Alright I know I'm thick) can I retrieve this
> attachment.
> (2)Is it possible that in my ignorance I do not know how
> to precisely word a question so that I can get an answer
> using microsoft help
> (3) Does anyone use Microsoft help and if so what rating
> out of ten would they give it?
>
> Answers please to Rogthefish@onetel.com and have a nice
> day.



Re: Pissed off in Wales, UK by Karl

Karl
Fri Aug 06 06:28:22 CDT 2004

Read the FAQ first:

http://securityadmin.info/faq.asp#attachment

Searching www.google.com also would have given you an immediate answer:

http://www.google.com/search?q=outlook+express+attachments


"Rogthefish@onetel.com" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
message news:0e6501c47b1f$83a667e0$a601280a@phx.gbl...
> I have just purchased some holiday insurance and have been
> sent a policy document which in all it's wisdom OE has
> decided to remove as an unsafe document. It only cost me
> 13 quid so no big deal. I tried to do a search using
> Microsoft help but as usual it's useless. Question
> (1) - (Alright I know I'm thick) can I retrieve this
> attachment.
> (2)Is it possible that in my ignorance I do not know how
> to precisely word a question so that I can get an answer
> using microsoft help
> (3) Does anyone use Microsoft help and if so what rating
> out of ten would they give it?
>
> Answers please to Rogthefish@onetel.com and have a nice
> day.



OT: Re: Pissed off in Wales, UK by Anders

Anders
Sat Aug 07 05:24:58 CDT 2004

Phillip Windell wrote:

> It didn't remove the document,...it just prevented you from opening it. Go
> into the OE Security settings and adjust it. Blame the writes of all the
> wonderful email-worms for making this nessessary, not OE for responding
> against them by default.

Was it not because of OE and its security faults that we have much of
this trouble today? No, I am not trying to start some kind of "war"
here. No, there are no completely safe programs, only programs with more
or less faults. Now to my question.

Since I don't use OE I don't know that much about the functionality of
it The lastest security updates for OE blocks access to the attachments,
right? The only way to access the attachment is to degrade the security?
This kind of action requires the user to restore the security after
saving the attachment. One can wounder how many that actually does that.
Would it not be better if there is an option to save the attachment
anyway without degrading the security, perhaps with an extra question
"Do you really want to save this file?"?
What are your opinion about this?

--

/Anders

Re: Re: Pissed off in Wales, UK by Edward

Edward
Sat Aug 07 08:10:30 CDT 2004

Microsoft does not include an anti virus utility in its present programs.
If you want anti virus protection you install an AVP. If you have an
effective AVP installed you can 'safely' turn off the OE attachment
blocking. I assume you have an AVP and if my assumption is correct I don't
follow the purpose of this thread.


"Anders" <dptabc@yahoo.se> wrote in message
news:eI0XLjGfEHA.2468@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Phillip Windell wrote:
>
> > It didn't remove the document,...it just prevented you from opening it.
Go
> > into the OE Security settings and adjust it. Blame the writes of all
the
> > wonderful email-worms for making this nessessary, not OE for responding
> > against them by default.
>
> Was it not because of OE and its security faults that we have much of
> this trouble today? No, I am not trying to start some kind of "war"
> here. No, there are no completely safe programs, only programs with more
> or less faults. Now to my question.
>
> Since I don't use OE I don't know that much about the functionality of
> it The lastest security updates for OE blocks access to the attachments,
> right? The only way to access the attachment is to degrade the security?
> This kind of action requires the user to restore the security after
> saving the attachment. One can wounder how many that actually does that.
> Would it not be better if there is an option to save the attachment
> anyway without degrading the security, perhaps with an extra question
> "Do you really want to save this file?"?
> What are your opinion about this?
>
> --
>
> /Anders



Re: Re: Pissed off in Wales, UK by Phillip

Phillip
Mon Aug 09 11:28:51 CDT 2004

"Anders" <dptabc@yahoo.se> wrote in message
news:eI0XLjGfEHA.2468@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Was it not because of OE and its security faults that we have much of
> this trouble today?

Yea, but I prefer to blame the "ner-do-wells" that wrote the worms. It's
kinda like the gun control people blaming the gun for the crime instead of
the criminal. I blame the criminal instead of the gun. But anyway lets move
on....

What I would really like is the ability to turn off the *entire* HTML
abilities of OE and have it run strictly as a "plain text" mail reader. The
worst threats come from the scripting and Java Applets/ActiveX controls in
the HTML-based email much more so than "traditional" attachments. I believe
this is where much "spyware" comes from instead of user going to certain
"sites" with IE and I think many people forget about this aspect of it.

> Since I don't use OE I don't know that much about the functionality of
> it The lastest security updates for OE blocks access to the attachments,
> right? The only way to access the attachment is to degrade the security?

I think this "security measure" in OE is overkill and uneeded, and I don't
see it as weakening the security to reset it. It is kinda like the best
security is to leave the machine turned off (which is overkill), but
unfortuneately you have to weaken the security by turning it on before you
can use it. The danger of the attactments is handled with AV software. But
since so many "home users" won't install or properly maintain AV software
and/or aren't smart enough to not open attachments that they shouldn't, and
because of the detremental effect thier "infected" machine have on the
Internet and their contribution to the spread of viruses, MS gave us the
ability to just flat-out not allow attachments. But I sure wish they gave us
the same ability to only allow "plaintext" email and not allow HTML-based
mail as I mentioned above.

--

Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com




Re: Pissed off in Wales, UK by Anders

Anders
Mon Aug 09 13:56:02 CDT 2004

Edward W. Thompson wrote:

> Microsoft does not include an anti virus utility in its present programs.
> If you want anti virus protection you install an AVP. If you have an
> effective AVP installed you can 'safely' turn off the OE attachment
> blocking. I assume you have an AVP and if my assumption is correct I don't
> follow the purpose of this thread.

Antivirus program or not is not what I was woundering about:
Why MS don't give a middle way between allow all attachments or blocking
all attachments. Should they offer a third option? In my opinion: yes.
Hope this gave you an understanding of my purpose with this thread.

--
Regards

/Anders

Re: Pissed off in Wales, UK by Anders

Anders
Mon Aug 09 14:07:33 CDT 2004

Phillip Windell wrote:

> "Anders" <dptabc@yahoo.se> wrote in message
> news:eI0XLjGfEHA.2468@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>
>>Was it not because of OE and its security faults that we have much of
>>this trouble today?
>
> Yea, but I prefer to blame the "ner-do-wells" that wrote the worms. It's
> kinda like the gun control people blaming the gun for the crime instead of
> the criminal. I blame the criminal instead of the gun. But anyway lets move
> on....

This can be argued (comparing with different things that isn't the same
category) to the end of time but I know what you mean.

> What I would really like is the ability to turn off the *entire* HTML
> abilities of OE and have it run strictly as a "plain text" mail reader. The
> worst threats come from the scripting and Java Applets/ActiveX controls in
> the HTML-based email much more so than "traditional" attachments. I believe
> this is where much "spyware" comes from instead of user going to certain
> "sites" with IE and I think many people forget about this aspect of it.

I totally agree and that is why I use Mozilla mail. It allows me to
configure to only allow/show messages in plain text. Also only to
compose messages in plain text.

>>Since I don't use OE I don't know that much about the functionality of
>>it The lastest security updates for OE blocks access to the attachments,
>>right? The only way to access the attachment is to degrade the security?
>
> I think this "security measure" in OE is overkill and uneeded, and I don't
> see it as weakening the security to reset it. It is kinda like the best
> security is to leave the machine turned off (which is overkill), but
> unfortuneately you have to weaken the security by turning it on before you
> can use it. The danger of the attactments is handled with AV software. But
> since so many "home users" won't install or properly maintain AV software
> and/or aren't smart enough to not open attachments that they shouldn't, and
> because of the detremental effect thier "infected" machine have on the
> Internet and their contribution to the spread of viruses, MS gave us the
> ability to just flat-out not allow attachments. But I sure wish they gave us
> the same ability to only allow "plaintext" email and not allow HTML-based
> mail as I mentioned above.

Only allow plaintext sound fine to me. I believe that you include the
possibility to convert (automatically) HTML-based mail to plain text,
i.e. strip off all images, scripts etc. and only show the message text.
Hopefully some developers of OE reads this NG and consider to implement
this option :o)

--

Regards

/Anders

Re: Pissed off in Wales, UK by Phillip

Phillip
Mon Aug 09 16:11:20 CDT 2004

"Anders" <dptabc@yahoo.se> wrote in message
news:%23I5qDKkfEHA.1092@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> Antivirus program or not is not what I was woundering about:
> Why MS don't give a middle way between allow all attachments or blocking
> all attachments. Should they offer a third option? In my opinion: yes.
> Hope this gave you an understanding of my purpose with this thread.

I agree with that. I really wish they would have given the ability to list
"allowed" or "denied" file extensions rather than leaving it up to however
they have it hardcoded. I'm not sure if it disables all attachments or just
certain file types,...I really haven't experimented with that side of it
much because I just disable it to begin with and not even deal with it.

--

Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com



Re: Pissed off in Wales, UK by Frank

Frank
Mon Aug 09 18:53:13 CDT 2004

"Phillip Windell" <@.> wrote in
news:#gtHsVlfEHA.3016@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl:

> "Anders" <dptabc@yahoo.se> wrote in message
> news:%23I5qDKkfEHA.1092@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
>> Antivirus program or not is not what I was woundering about:
>> Why MS don't give a middle way between allow all attachments or
>> blocking all attachments. Should they offer a third option? In
>> my opinion: yes. Hope this gave you an understanding of my
>> purpose with this thread.
>
> I agree with that. I really wish they would have given the
> ability to list "allowed" or "denied" file extensions rather
> than leaving it up to however they have it hardcoded. I'm not
> sure if it disables all attachments or just certain file
> types,...I really haven't experimented with that side of it much
> because I just disable it to begin with and not even deal with
> it.
>

<sigh>
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;291387

Frank. non-MCP, non-MVP

Re: Pissed off in Wales, UK by Phillip

Phillip
Tue Aug 10 14:58:06 CDT 2004

"Frank le Spikkin" <zaq@invalid.jp> wrote in message
news:Xns9541905A40FFFlSxxx@207.46.248.16...
> <sigh>
> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;291387

Don't sigh Frank. I can't know everything about every variation of every
feature's details in every product that MS ever comes out with coupled with
the fact that it changes from SP to SP. According to that article the
feature of reading only in "plain text" didn't exist until after SP1 of
version 6. That only helps with OE, but Outlook is still a problem,..or did
they toss something in some new version with some new SP to cover that? I've
seen the articles about writing the VBA script in Outlook to somehow strip
out or don't display the HTML, but I have used their "script" and it is no
where dependable,...and it is no where near what the average Home User is
ever going to do, and they are the ones who are the biggest problem and need
it the most.

As far as the file types the OE security feature blocks, all they had to do
is place an "Edit" button or something in the GUI of OE's Security Options
that takes you directly to the File Types instead of someone having the
magically know that to adjust something in OE you have to use IE's "Unsafe
File List" which isn't in IE but is clear over in the OS's File Type where
the File Extension Associations are kept and tell it to "Confirm open after
download" or not,...how intuitive. And how does "Confirm after Download" in
IE somehow intuitively translate into "Let the OE user access
Attachment"?....it doesn't to me and would never have known that apart from
reading in the KB article. How is the average "Joe Home User" going to
somehow automatically know to do this?...they won't,..yet they are the ones
with the most problem and need it more than I do.

--

Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com



Re: Pissed off in Wales, UK by Phillip

Phillip
Tue Aug 10 15:17:15 CDT 2004


"Phillip Windell" <@.> wrote in message
news:uOkdbRxfEHA.592@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> "Frank le Spikkin" <zaq@invalid.jp> wrote in message
> news:Xns9541905A40FFFlSxxx@207.46.248.16...
> > <sigh>
> > http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;291387

But thanks for the link just the same. I'll add it to my list for the next
poor battered soul who comes truding through the group with issues
pertaining to that.

--

Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com




Re: Pissed off in Wales, UK by Bob

Bob
Wed Aug 11 03:05:17 CDT 2004


"Phillip Windell" <@.> wrote in message
news:uOkdbRxfEHA.592@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> "Frank le Spikkin" <zaq@invalid.jp> wrote in message
> news:Xns9541905A40FFFlSxxx@207.46.248.16...
> > <sigh>
> > http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;291387
>
> Don't sigh Frank. I can't know everything about every variation of every
> feature's details in every product that MS ever comes out with coupled
with
> the fact that it changes from SP to SP. According to that article the
> feature of reading only in "plain text" didn't exist until after SP1 of
> version 6. That only helps with OE, but Outlook is still a problem,..or
did
> they toss something in some new version with some new SP to cover that?
I've
> seen the articles about writing the VBA script in Outlook to somehow strip
> out or don't display the HTML, but I have used their "script" and it is no
> where dependable,...and it is no where near what the average Home User is
> ever going to do, and they are the ones who are the biggest problem and
need
> it the most.
>
> As far as the file types the OE security feature blocks, all they had to
do
> is place an "Edit" button or something in the GUI of OE's Security Options
> that takes you directly to the File Types instead of someone having the
> magically know that to adjust something in OE you have to use IE's "Unsafe
> File List" which isn't in IE but is clear over in the OS's File Type where
> the File Extension Associations are kept and tell it to "Confirm open
after
> download" or not,...how intuitive. And how does "Confirm after Download"
in
> IE somehow intuitively translate into "Let the OE user access
> Attachment"?....it doesn't to me and would never have known that apart
from
> reading in the KB article. How is the average "Joe Home User" going to
> somehow automatically know to do this?...they won't,..yet they are the
ones
> with the most problem and need it more than I do.
>
> --
>
> Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
> www.wandtv.com
>
>

This one works to read mail in plain text only in Outlook 2002 using XP Home
on my two machines.

Using Regedit :-

Navigate to :-
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\10.0\outlook\options\mail
Edit Menu, Click NEW, then DWORD Value
Type ReadAsPlain
Doubleclick the new value, enter 1 in the Data box, then OK.

I don't know if it works for all Office versions, I've only tried this
combination.


--
Regards,

Bob

Remove "x" from address to reply by email



Re: Pissed off in Wales, UK by Phillip

Phillip
Wed Aug 11 10:31:34 CDT 2004

Yea, but it just goes to show that even with that one you have to "hack the
registry". It isn't the technical people who have the real problem with the
worms, viruses, and spyware by HTML Email, it is the non-technical Home
Users who aren't going to be hacking their registries, they are the ones
causing these things to spread all over the Net like wild-fire. Disabling
HTML mail should be a plain and simple, in plain site, right under their
nose setting so even the simplest user can turn it off.

They seemed to have figured that out with SP1 of OE6 but they haven't
figured it out with Outlook yet.

--

Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com


"Bob Henson" <news@galenx.org.uk> wrote in message
news:2nu29sF4me3tU1@uni-berlin.de...
>
> "Phillip Windell" <@.> wrote in message
> news:uOkdbRxfEHA.592@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> > "Frank le Spikkin" <zaq@invalid.jp> wrote in message
> > news:Xns9541905A40FFFlSxxx@207.46.248.16...
> > > <sigh>
> > > http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;291387
> >
> > Don't sigh Frank. I can't know everything about every variation of every
> > feature's details in every product that MS ever comes out with coupled
> with
> > the fact that it changes from SP to SP. According to that article the
> > feature of reading only in "plain text" didn't exist until after SP1 of
> > version 6. That only helps with OE, but Outlook is still a problem,..or
> did
> > they toss something in some new version with some new SP to cover that?
> I've
> > seen the articles about writing the VBA script in Outlook to somehow
strip
> > out or don't display the HTML, but I have used their "script" and it is
no
> > where dependable,...and it is no where near what the average Home User
is
> > ever going to do, and they are the ones who are the biggest problem and
> need
> > it the most.
> >
> > As far as the file types the OE security feature blocks, all they had to
> do
> > is place an "Edit" button or something in the GUI of OE's Security
Options
> > that takes you directly to the File Types instead of someone having the
> > magically know that to adjust something in OE you have to use IE's
"Unsafe
> > File List" which isn't in IE but is clear over in the OS's File Type
where
> > the File Extension Associations are kept and tell it to "Confirm open
> after
> > download" or not,...how intuitive. And how does "Confirm after
Download"
> in
> > IE somehow intuitively translate into "Let the OE user access
> > Attachment"?....it doesn't to me and would never have known that apart
> from
> > reading in the KB article. How is the average "Joe Home User" going to
> > somehow automatically know to do this?...they won't,..yet they are the
> ones
> > with the most problem and need it more than I do.
> >
> > --
> >
> > Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
> > www.wandtv.com
> >
> >
>
> This one works to read mail in plain text only in Outlook 2002 using XP
Home
> on my two machines.
>
> Using Regedit :-
>
> Navigate to :-
> HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\office\10.0\outlook\options\mail
> Edit Menu, Click NEW, then DWORD Value
> Type ReadAsPlain
> Doubleclick the new value, enter 1 in the Data box, then OK.
>
> I don't know if it works for all Office versions, I've only tried this
> combination.
>
>
> --
> Regards,
>
> Bob
>
> Remove "x" from address to reply by email
>
>