Opening attachments

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

I have an email with attachment that I cannot open. When I click to open a
message appears Unknow File Type I click OK and then the second message
appears - This file does not have a program associated with it for
performaing this action. Create an association in the Folders Options
control panel. I have gone into control panel and clicked on Folders
Options, from there I am totally stuck what to do. Can someone help me,
thank you
 
As it is an unkown file type, this generally means you don't have the
'associated' program on your pc to open it. Do you know what file it is?
What is the extension. Files such as pps are powerpoint files and require
either Microsoft Powerpoint or it's viewer to be installed. If you can let
us know the file extension we may be able to suggest a possible solution.

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail is supplied "as is". No warranty of any kind,
either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail. The Author shall not be liable for any
direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use
of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this mail..
 
Hi Denise:

If you do not know & trust the person who sent it, think twice (or three
times) before proceeding. Email attachments are still the number one way to
spread viruses, malware, etc.

Assuming you know the person who emailed you the attachment, you could
contact them to ask what program created it. Even if it is not a program you
currently have on your computer, there are many partially functional
"viewers" available-- many times for free-- that will allow you to view the
file. If it is an MS program, a viewer might be available right here by
going to the MS home page and searching on the name of the program, i.e.--
"PowerPoint viewer". Otherwise you can Google it up. Of course, always be
careful when downloading software from the net.

If you trust the attachment but you cannot contact the sender, try this:
Instead of opening the file from the email, save it to your desktop. Try to
open it from there. If XP cannot open it, it should ask you if you want to
go to a website service to determine what program created it. It has been my
experience it is safe to do this. The webiste service should offer a
suggestiion(s).

If you have a general interest in how file associtions work:

10:10 AM 6/6/2006

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...asics_extending/fileassociations/fa_intro.asp

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307859

Good luck
Mark
 
Denise said:
I have an email with attachment that I cannot open. When I click to
open a message appears Unknow File Type I click OK and then the second
message appears - This file does not have a program associated with it
for
performaing this action. Create an association in the Folders Options
control panel. I have gone into control panel and clicked on Folders
Options, from there I am totally stuck what to do. Can someone help
me, thank you
Click to expand...

We would have to know what file extension the attachment has. Go to the
Folder Options applet in Control Panel and click on the View tab. The
uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types". Now you will be able to
see the three-letter extension in the file name after the dot.

In order to open a file, you need either the program in which the file
was created or a program that can open that file type. You can look up
what programs create your specific file type here:

http://www.filext.com/

Malke
 
Denise said:
I have an email with attachment that I cannot open. When I click to
open a message appears Unknow File Type I click OK and then the
second message appears - This file does not have a program associated
with it for performaing this action. Create an association in the
Folders Options control panel. I have gone into control panel and
clicked on Folders Options, from there I am totally stuck what to do.
Can someone help me, thank you
Click to expand...


An "association" is a link created between a program's "extension" (the last
three charcters of its name, after the dot) and the appropriate program to
open it. For example, by default. windows has an association between text
files (those ending in .txt) and Notepad. These associations exist only for
programs installed on your computer.

If someone sends you a file that needs to be opened in a program you don't
have installed, and you try to open it, Windows has no idea what program to
open it with, since it has no association for it. That's apparently what
happened here.

Tell us what the extension is (those last three characters) and someone can
probably tell you what program you need. Or go to www.filext.com and look up
the extension yourself. You still may not be able to open the file if you
don't have the correct program; alternatively, you may be able to download a
free program that will open it.

*However* (and it's a big however), be aware that opening attachments is
very risky. You often see advice not to open attachments from people you
don't know. I think that that's one of the most dangerous pieces of advice
you see around, because it implies that it's safe to do the opposite--open
attachments from friends and relatives. But many viruses spread by sending
themselves to everyone in the infected party's address book, so attachments
received from friends are perhaps the *most* risky to open.

Even if the attachment legitimately comes from a friend, it can contain a
virus. I'm not suggesting that a friend is likely to send you a virus on
purpose, but if the friend is infected without realizing it, any attachment
he sends you is likely to also be infected.

Personally, I never open executable attachments at all, except from a *very*
few trusted sources, and then only when I'm expecting them.
 
Hi Denise,

I just got my pc and currently have the same problem, i would like to know
how did you manage to resolve it?
I would be pleased if you can still remember what needs to be done inorder
to be able to open such files from email,

Thanks

Brian
 
Brian it looks as if Denise didn't bother to reply to any of the posts in
this thread, so we are none the wiser as to what the file extensions were to
start with. If you are having the same problem then what file extensions are
being reported? Once we know the file extension(s) we may be in a better
position to help.

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail is supplied "as is". No warranty of any kind,
either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail. The Author shall not be liable for any
direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use
of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this mail..
 
Hi John I am having the same problems. Attachment is a .dot file. Any help
much appreciated. Av
 
..dot files usually relate to Microsoft Word templates. try downloading the
Microsoft Word viewer from the link below:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...87-8732-48D5-8689-AB826E7B8FDF&displaylang=en

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail is supplied "as is". No warranty of any kind,
either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail. The Author shall not be liable for any
direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use
of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this mail..
 
Hi John
Thank you so much. You have solved the .dot problem and also other
associated problems with .doc attachments. I wish I had used MS discussion
groups years ago! Av
 
Glad your problem was solved!

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail is supplied "as is". No warranty of any kind,
either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail. The Author shall not be liable for any
direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use
of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this mail..
 
Back
Top