Office 2003 Attachments Arrive "Read Only"

[Dave Nickason [SBS MVP]]

When using Outlook 2003 to send Word 2003 documents to coworkers, the
attachments open "read only" from Outlook. If the recipient saves the file
locally, the read-only attribute is set on the saved file. This only
happens between Office 2003 users - e-mail attachments sent between 2003 and
Office XP users do not become read only. We do a lot of collaboration on
documents, and this is a real annoyance, particularly to the less computer
literate users.

Has anyone seen this before, or know of a fix?

TIA.

 

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

If the file is opened from the preview pane, it will open as read only. If
opened from an open message, it will open normally.

Is this not what you are seeing?


--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. Due to
the (insert latest virus name here) virus, all mail sent to my personal
account will be deleted without reading.

After searching google.groups.com and finding no answer, Dave Nickason [SBS
MVP] asked:

| When using Outlook 2003 to send Word 2003 documents to coworkers, the
| attachments open "read only" from Outlook. If the recipient saves
| the file locally, the read-only attribute is set on the saved file.
| This only happens between Office 2003 users - e-mail attachments sent
| between 2003 and Office XP users do not become read only. We do a
| lot of collaboration on documents, and this is a real annoyance,
| particularly to the less computer literate users.
|
| Has anyone seen this before, or know of a fix?
|
| TIA.

 

[Dave Nickason [SBS MVP]]

Hi Milly - Thanks for your help. No, actually the file is read-only
everywhere. I created a test document on my home computer and sent it here
(both Office 2003). The document opens read-only from my sent items folder
at home. Here, it opens read-only from the preview pane and from the open
message. If I save the file from the open message to my desktop, the read
only attribute is set on the saved file.

I wondered if this was something to do with my office PC, which is running
the XP SP2 RC, but it happens between any Office 2003 computers I've tried
it on. It seems that if one of the computers is running Office XP,
everything works normally. By the way, all the current Office patches are
installed.

 

[Dave Nickason [SBS MVP]]

OK, I get it now. Opening the message in the preview pane sets the read
only attribute on the file, so if the file has ever been opened from the
preview pane, it's read only. The reason the attachment in Sent Items is
read only is because it had already been opened from the preview pane as
well.

I found some stuff in TechNet about this going back to Outlook 98 - seems
they would have fixed it by now. But I never used the preview pane until
this version, which is why I never ran into it before.

Thanks again,
Dave

Hi Milly - Thanks for your help. No, actually the file is read-only
everywhere. I created a test document on my home computer and sent it
here (both Office 2003). The document opens read-only from my sent items
folder at home. Here, it opens read-only from the preview pane and from
the open message. If I save the file from the open message to my desktop,
the read only attribute is set on the saved file.

I wondered if this was something to do with my office PC, which is running
the XP SP2 RC, but it happens between any Office 2003 computers I've tried
it on. It seems that if one of the computers is running Office XP,
everything works normally. By the way, all the current Office patches are
installed.



"Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]"

If the file is opened from the preview pane, it will open as read only.
If
opened from an open message, it will open normally.

Is this not what you are seeing?


--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. Due to
the (insert latest virus name here) virus, all mail sent to my personal
account will be deleted without reading.

After searching google.groups.com and finding no answer, Dave Nickason
[SBS
MVP] asked:

| When using Outlook 2003 to send Word 2003 documents to coworkers, the
| attachments open "read only" from Outlook. If the recipient saves
| the file locally, the read-only attribute is set on the saved file.
| This only happens between Office 2003 users - e-mail attachments sent
| between 2003 and Office XP users do not become read only. We do a
| lot of collaboration on documents, and this is a real annoyance,
| particularly to the less computer literate users.
|
| Has anyone seen this before, or know of a fix?
|
| TIA.

 

[Guest]

Hi! I have a real problem with this too. The workaround to open the message first, and then the attachment is ok, but where it falls apart is if you ever even try to open it from the preview pane, then it's very difficult to ever get it to open as editable, whether you open the email message first or not.

Is this an Office 2003 problem only? My colleague who uses Outlook 2002 doesn't have this problem at all. She can open attachments right from the preview pane. Why did 2003 add this extra step??

Christine

OK, I get it now. Opening the message in the preview pane sets the read
only attribute on the file, so if the file has ever been opened from the
preview pane, it's read only. The reason the attachment in Sent Items is
read only is because it had already been opened from the preview pane as
well.

I found some stuff in TechNet about this going back to Outlook 98 - seems
they would have fixed it by now. But I never used the preview pane until
this version, which is why I never ran into it before.

Thanks again,
Dave

Hi Milly - Thanks for your help. No, actually the file is read-only
everywhere. I created a test document on my home computer and sent it
here (both Office 2003). The document opens read-only from my sent items
folder at home. Here, it opens read-only from the preview pane and from
the open message. If I save the file from the open message to my desktop,
the read only attribute is set on the saved file.

I wondered if this was something to do with my office PC, which is running
the XP SP2 RC, but it happens between any Office 2003 computers I've tried
it on. It seems that if one of the computers is running Office XP,
everything works normally. By the way, all the current Office patches are
installed.



"Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]"

If the file is opened from the preview pane, it will open as read only.
If
opened from an open message, it will open normally.

Is this not what you are seeing?


--Â
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. Due to
the (insert latest virus name here) virus, all mail sent to my personal
account will be deleted without reading.

After searching google.groups.com and finding no answer, Dave Nickason
[SBS
MVP] asked:

| When using Outlook 2003 to send Word 2003 documents to coworkers, the
| attachments open "read only" from Outlook. If the recipient saves
| the file locally, the read-only attribute is set on the saved file.
| This only happens between Office 2003 users - e-mail attachments sent
| between 2003 and Office XP users do not become read only. We do a
| lot of collaboration on documents, and this is a real annoyance,
| particularly to the less computer literate users.
|
| Has anyone seen this before, or know of a fix?
|
| TIA.