Weird HTML Signature problem

D

Don Cohen

I have Windows Mail 6.0.6000.16386 on a Vista Home Premium 64-bit system. I
just discovered an odd and unexpected quirk:

I created an HTML signature file, using the recommended method: create the
signature in a new email, copy the source html code into a Notepad file, and
then save this file with .htm or .html extension. When I create a new
email, this signature is automatically added, and the links in there work
fine.

The odd behavior is that if I *add* the same signature manually, using the
Signature button at the top of the email, the signature looks exactly the
same, with the underlining of the text that should constitute a link. But,
these links are dead and non-functional.

I looked at the source code within the email, and found that in the code for
the link where the url should appear between the two "" marks, there is
nothing there! When the signature is placed automatically when it is
opened, the proper url appears between the two quotation marks.

I've been adding my signature manually like this for several months, and
only now discovered that it does not contain the proper links!!

Is this a known bug? I can't see how it could result from anything I'm
doing wrong, as the html file works fine when added automatically by
WindowsMail.

Why doesn't it also work when added manually???

Thanks!
 
D

Don Cohen

Can anybody explain this, or replicate this?

Something peculiar to my system, or a general issue?

Thanks.
 
D

Don Cohen

No replies yet.

Does this mean I've stumped the experts??

If anybody has any insight here, it would be appreciated.

Thanks.
 
S

Steve Cochran

Can you post your signature file here?

Also note that the links will not work in a message under composition. You
need to save the message to the Drafts and then open it in the Preview pane
of the Drafts folder to test it, or else email it to yourself and see if the
links work. (If its HTML, you can also go to View | Source Edit and then
click on the Preview Pane to test it.)

steve
 
D

Don Cohen

Hi Steve,

First, thanks for the reply.
Can you post your signature file here?
Click to expand...

Here is the code from the htm file opened up in Notepad. Posting it here
creates hyperlinks, but obviously these are not present in the original
notepad file.

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6001.18183" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Don Cohen</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><A
href="http://www.dlcphoto.com">DLC
Photography</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>2009 Workshops:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><A
href="http://www.dlcphoto.com/CRPS0409/PhotoSafari6General.htm">Costa Rica
April
17-27</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><A
href="http://www.dlcphoto.com/IE/IE.htm">Panama May 23-31</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><A
href="http://www.dlcphoto.com/IE/IE.htm">Amazon River Oct. 23-Nov.
1 said:
Also note that the links will not work in a message under composition.
You need to save the message to the Drafts and then open it in the Preview
pane of the Drafts folder to test it, or else email it to yourself and see
if the links work. (If its HTML, you can also go to View | Source Edit
and then click on the Preview Pane to test it.)
Click to expand...

A reasonable thought, but I was already aware of this. I've tested it both
by using the View-Source-Preview method, as well as by just
sending/receiving test emails. This behavior is consistent on my system.
I'll be very interested in seeing if this is a systemic bug, or some glitch
unique to my (64-bit) system.

Thanks again.

Don
 
S

Steve Cochran

It looks okay to me. Try replying here in HTML and then insert the sig and
let's see what it looks like then.

steve
 
D

Don Cohen

Hi Steve,

Steve Cochran said:
It looks okay to me. Try replying here in HTML and then insert the sig
and let's see what it looks like then.
Click to expand...

What I did was created a new HTML email, deleted the correctly coded
signature that WM automatically inserts, and then manually added the same
signature using the "Insert Signature" icon on the top of the email. Here
is the source code for that, which illustrates exactly what I've been
talking about:

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6001.18183" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Don Cohen</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><A href="">DLC
Photography</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>2009 Workshops:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><A href="">Costa Rica April
17-27</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><A href="">Panama May
23-31</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><A href="">Amazon River Oct.
23-Nov.
1</A></FONT></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>

As you can see, it's basically the same, except for the actual URL's being
absent in the code!!

For example, instead of the following correct code when WM automatically
adds the signature file:

<A href="http://www.dlcphoto.com>

This appears when the signature file is manually inserted:

<A href="">

The links are being lost. Again, I don't see how it can be me, or this
file.

If you have Windows Mail, and I assume you do, can you replicate this? You
can use my signature html file, or one of your own creation, and see if you
see the same difference I am, where it works when automatically inserted,
but not when it's manually added.

Thanks for your willingness to figure this out.

Don
 
S

Steve Cochran

Hi Don,

I have another machine that is 64 bit and I'll try and test it when I have a
chance. If you don't have any 3rd party programs that are interfering such
as antivirus or antimalware, then its likely its a bug. And MS doesn't fix
bugs in WinMail.

steve
 
D

Don Cohen

Hi Steve,

Steve Cochran said:
Hi Don,

I have another machine that is 64 bit and I'll try and test it when I have
a chance. If you don't have any 3rd party programs that are interfering
such as antivirus or antimalware, then its likely its a bug.
Click to expand...

Much appreciated.

I'd also be curious of this occurs in 32-bit Vista, so if it's not too much
trouble, could you check it out there as well?

I do run Norton Security Suite, but honestly I'd be very surprised if the
very obscure behavior of dropping those URL's, depending on the method with
which the signature is inserted, is coming from that. It definitely seems
like a WinMail bug, and would love to close this chapter if somebody can
confirm/replicate it.
And MS doesn't fix bugs in WinMail.
Click to expand...

Well that's pretty sad...

I installed WLM on my XP Laptop to try it out, and came away very
disappointed. Among other things, it really mangled the import of my
Outlook Express folders and messages, creating duplicate entries, one set
readable, the other not. The lack of a common inbox, and the separate
folder listings for each email account (I use around 6, for varying
purposes) were also deal killers.

Neither of them, imho, comes close to Outlook Express for simplicity and
efficiency.

Thanks for your help here, though.

Don
 
S

Steve Cochran

There are many of us who are disappointed with WLM and how MS abandoned
WinMail and OE.

steve
 
D

Don Cohen

Steve Cochran said:
There are many of us who are disappointed with WLM and how MS abandoned
WinMail and OE.
Click to expand...

Well, what can you do....frustrating...

Have you had time to see if you can replicate the HTML signature insertion
behavior on either 32-bit or 64-bit Vista? Because if it is something
peculiar to my system, then there I might be able figure out a fix. But if
it's just a systemic bug, I can just forget about it, and work around it.

Thanks.

Don
 

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