Email format getting converted

[JonathanL]

I have some newsletter emails that are getting converted from HTML to Plain
Text.

When I view them via my ISP's webmail site, they appear properly as HTML,
but when they come into Outlook 2007, they are now plain text with all
graphics gone and just the web addresses in their places. This has been
verified on two different PCs.

How is this conversion getting done and how can I stop it? I want the HTML
newsletters I get to arrive in HTML format, not Plain Text.

Jonathan

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

I have some newsletter emails that are getting converted from HTML to Plain
Text.

When I view them via my ISP's webmail site, they appear properly as HTML,
but when they come into Outlook 2007, they are now plain text with all
graphics gone and just the web addresses in their places. This has been
verified on two different PCs.

How is this conversion getting done and how can I stop it? I want the HTML
newsletters I get to arrive in HTML format, not Plain Text.

Are you scanning incoming mail with an antivirus scanner? That's one of the
most common causes of this particular problem. Uninstall your AV program and
reinstall it without any mail scanning feature.

 

[JonathanL]

Here's the thing. It only happens with some emails. There are many HTML
emails that come through just fine. I'll disable the email scanning anyway
and see if that changes anything.

Jonathan

 

[Damsel in Distress]

I am having the exact same problem. I use the free edition of AVG and have
used it for several years w/ no problems at all. This problem began the
first part of April and only happens w/ newsletter-type e-mails, never
personal ones. If I set my AV not to scan email, then how can it protect me?

 

[JonathanL]

I got a suggestion to try over on the AVG support forum. I'll let you know if
it works.

Jonathan

 

[Gordon]

I am having the exact same problem. I use the free edition of AVG and have
used it for several years w/ no problems at all. This problem began the
first part of April and only happens w/ newsletter-type e-mails, never
personal ones. If I set my AV not to scan email, then how can it protect
me?

Because you don't get viruses by DOWNLOADING an email. AV scanners scan
email as it is downloaded and as such are a waste of resources, amongst
other things.

 

[JonathanL]

Does anyone else have any useful ideas about the cause of the problem stated
and its solution?

Jonathan

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

Here's the thing. It only happens with some emails. There are many HTML
emails that come through just fine. I'll disable the email scanning anyway
and see if that changes anything.

Keep in mind that it may not be sufficient to disable the scanning function.
Many AV apps require uninstallation/reinstallation without the scanning in
order to truly disable it.

Let us know the result of the experiment.

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

I am having the exact same problem. I use the free edition of AVG and have
used it for several years w/ no problems at all. This problem began the
first part of April and only happens w/ newsletter-type e-mails, never
personal ones. If I set my AV not to scan email, then how can it protect
me?

AVG's interaction with Outlook took a turn for the worse when AVG V8 came out
and now that V8.5 is available, it seems more prevalent than ever. It's a
best practice to not integrate AV scanning with a mail client.

 

[JonathanL]

I'll try that but I have my doubts it will change anything and here's why.

I've now also noticed something else.

I get a few newsletters delivered to more than one address. I can view them
on both my ISP's and Hotmail's website and they are full HTML emails.

When they come into Outlook (Hotmail is pulled in via the Outlook
Connector), the ones from the Hotmail account are all still HTML formatted,
looking just like on the website; but the ones through my ISP may be either
HTML or Plain Text. There are a couple of sources whose mail always gets
converted now, whereas all other newsletters come through HTML.

So this is why I'm doubting that my AV app (AVG 8.5) is doing it because if
it did it, it would affect ALL emails and not just pick out the emails from
certain sources to convert.

Jonathan

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

When they come into Outlook (Hotmail is pulled in via the Outlook
Connector), the ones from the Hotmail account are all still HTML formatted,
looking just like on the website; but the ones through my ISP may be either
HTML or Plain Text. There are a couple of sources whose mail always gets
converted now, whereas all other newsletters come through HTML.

So this is why I'm doubting that my AV app (AVG 8.5) is doing it because if
it did it, it would affect ALL emails and not just pick out the emails from
certain sources to convert.

An AV program will interact with each mail transport differently. I can
easily imagine that Outlook Connector-accessed accounts not getting scanned
while POP accounts do.

 

[JonathanL]

I have now uninstall AVG and reinstalled it without the Email scanning
function. So I'll be watching my ISP emails over the next serveral days to
see if any more come in converted to Plain Text. I'll be sure to report in
next week with what the results are. At this point, I'm not convinced because
not all HTML emails coming through my ISP account are converted, only certain
ones. If AVG was doing it, it should be doing it to ALL HTML emails coming
through there.

Jonathan

 

[Damsel in Distress]

Jonathan, I went into my AVG this morning and unchecked Scan Incoming
Messages. MY LAST 2 NEWSLETTERS CAME IN PERFECTLY!!! The AVG site said to
notify them if this happened, and so I will do that tonight. Let me know if
that works for you,too.

 

[Damsel in Distress]

OK, I'm confused. Ithought that having incoming email scanned was my
protection against viruses and other attacks. Plus, obviously I don't
really u'stand what downloading an email means. I thought I was downloading
when I opened the email. Right now, the feature to scan incoming email is
turned off. How can my email be protected now?

 

[Gordon]

OK, I'm confused. Ithought that having incoming email scanned was my
protection against viruses and other attacks. Plus, obviously I don't
really u'stand what downloading an email means. I thought I was
downloading
when I opened the email.

"Downloading" is the process by which your Email Client (Outlook) transfers
your email from the remote server (the Mail Server) onto your local machine.
Youi can download emails without opening them. Opening an email is the
process by which you double-click on an email and it opens in a new window
for reading. Even previewing in the Reading pane is not really "opening".

Hope that makes things a bit clearer...

Right now, the feature to scan incoming email is
turned off. How can my email be protected now?

The AV will kick in when you OPEN an email, if there is something dodgy in
it, or when you try to open a dodgy attachment.
Downloading an email in itself does not constitute a risk, you have to DO
something to it first.

HTH

 

[Damsel in Distress]

Oh thank you SO.. am I safe w/ AVG 8.5 using the setting "scan incoming
messages" UNclicked?? And I can trust that AVG will indeed scan when I OPEN
an email? You are really helping me to understand. Question: I have been
told that I should uninstall/remove previous versions of AVG and just keep
the newest: 8.5. When I look in Add/Remove Programs, I do not see any
previous versions. However, if I do a search for AVG, then I get a huge HUGE
list of AVG items--- none of which tell me what to uninstall. If you
believe that I should indeed unstall earlier versions, plz tell me how to do
that, considering that I can't find the program in Add/Remove programs.

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

Oh thank you SO.. am I safe w/ AVG 8.5 using the setting "scan incoming
messages" UNclicked??

You're safe. If you do get a message with an attachment and you don't
recognize the sender, delete the message without opening it. If the sender is
someone you know but you didn't request the attachment or wasn't expecting it,
also delete the message without opening it.

And I can trust that AVG will indeed scan when I OPEN
an email?

In order to open something in Outlook, it must first be created as a file on
your hard drive. Outlook does this when you open an item. AVG automatically
scans anything placed on the hard drive. So, when Outlook creates the item on
the hard drive, AVG will scan it.

Question: I have been
told that I should uninstall/remove previous versions of AVG and just keep
the newest: 8.5. When I look in Add/Remove Programs, I do not see any
previous versions.

AVG's installation procedure removes prior versions before installing the
newer version.

 

[Damsel in Distress]

You're safe. If you do get a message with an attachment and you don't
recognize the sender, delete the message without opening it. If the sender is
someone you know but you didn't request the attachment or wasn't expecting it,
also delete the message without opening it.


In order to open something in Outlook, it must first be created as a file on
your hard drive. Outlook does this when you open an item. AVG automatically
scans anything placed on the hard drive. So, when Outlook creates the item on
the hard drive, AVG will scan it.


AVG's installation procedure removes prior versions before installing the
newer version.

Very well then, Brian; if you tell me that I am safe, I will leave my AVG
settings as they are. And 1000 times THANK YOU.
BTW--- this is Microsoft site is so miserably sloooow every time I try.
Half of the time "they system is busy" and the page never loads at all.
Often my message thread can't be displayed. But I am so glad that I found
you.

 

[Gordon]

BTW--- this is Microsoft site is so miserably sloooow every time I try.
Half of the time "they system is busy" and the page never loads at all.
Often my message thread can't be displayed. But I am so glad that I found
you.

Do yourself a BIG favour and ditch the horrible web interface. Use a news
reader instead.

Setting up Outlook Express/Windows Mail to access Microsoft newsgroups
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm

Accessing the MS newsgroups in Outlook Express/Windows Mail Newsreader
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/newsgroupsetup.mspx

 

[Damsel in Distress]

I have heard of newsgroups but have NO idea whatsoever what they are, what
that means, or how it works. I see that you've sent me 2 links, which I will
look at later tonight. Tell me more, if you're willing, please. I presume
that my newsletters will arrive via newsgroup, rather than via Outlook
e-mail. What all will I be able to access using a newsgroup?