Changing attachment size in Windows Mail

[wagster]

I'm trying to email a file to someone with a 5MB attachment limit. Vista
reports the file size as 5.4MB. When I attach it to an email, Windows Mail
reports the filesize as 4.56MB. When I hit "Send", the Windows Mail Outbox
reports a filesize of 6.2MB - despite the fact that the entire email consists
only of the attachment and the words "Here you go."

What's going on and how big is my file?

PS. I sent it via FTP in the end. I'm not looking for a solution, I just
want to know why my file gets first smaller, then bigger.

 

[mac]

I'm trying to email a file to someone with a 5MB attachment limit. Vista
reports the file size as 5.4MB. When I attach it to an email, Windows
Mail
reports the filesize as 4.56MB. When I hit "Send", the Windows Mail
Outbox
reports a filesize of 6.2MB - despite the fact that the entire email
consists
only of the attachment and the words "Here you go."

What's going on and how big is my file?

PS. I sent it via FTP in the end. I'm not looking for a solution, I just
want to know why my file gets first smaller, then bigger.

Emailing adds about a third to the size of the file.

Try zipping large files, right click>send to>zip, or break them apart using
your account settings:
tools>accounts>properties>advanced, set the size to suit.
The recipient would the use Combine and Decode with all parts selected, from
the message menu.
HTH?

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

The process that converts 8-bit binary to the 7-bit protocol allowed
in mail increases the sent attachment size by some 33%. As to why
Vista initially gives a bigger size, it includes the total disk space
taken up, which is somewhat more than the actual data in the file.

 

[wagster]

Thanks mac - I hadn't found the break apart option before. You learn
something new every day.

Thanks Gary - that explains it (although I defy anyone to explain why email
uses a 7-bit protocol - that's just silly)

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

That 7-bit limitation is grounded in the history of email.
It was originally designed for the transmission of ASCII text only.
See http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=7-bit+ASCII&i=37184,00.asp

 

[wagster]

How ironic that a system designed to save a few hundred bytes per message is
now swelling email bandwidth usage hugely.