Annoying Outlook XP feature (1 Viewer)

[Darren Lewis]

I've just upgraded to Outlook XP (MS were running a 50% cash back offer on Office XP last month ) and it's got this new feature which I find really annoying.
Whenever I try to send an internet page link by email - by clicking file -> send -> link by email in IE6, outlook keeps saying that it has "blocked access to the following potentially unsafe attachments...." How can I stop it doing this?
Other than that, Office XP is very good. Sure beats my old Office 97.

 

[Shayne Lebrun]

Why not just put the URL in the text of the email?

 

[Larry Seno Jr.]

Not as easy, I would LOVE to hear how to stop blocking potentially unsafe attachments, as this has foiled me NUMEROUS TIMES!

 

[Iain Lambert]

To blockquote Q291387 of the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Using the Internet Explorer Unsafe File List to Filter E-mail Attachments
To use the Internet Explorer unsafe file list to filter e-mail attachments:
Start Outlook Express, and then on the Tools menu, click Options .


Click the Security tab, and then click to select the Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus check box under Virus Protection .


This option does not enabled by default. If you enable this option, Outlook Express uses the Internet Explorer 6 unsafe file list and the Confirm open after download setting in Folder Options to determine whether a file is safe. Any e-mail attachment with a file type reported as "unsafe" is blocked from being downloaded.

NOTE : The Internet Explorer 6 unsafe file list includes any file types that may have script or code associated with them. To add additional file types to be blocked or remove file types that should not be blocked:
Click Start , point to Settings (or click Control Panel ), and then click Control Panel (or switch to Classic View or View All Control Panel Options ).


Double-click Folder Options .


On the File Types tab, click to select the file type that you want to block or allow, and then click Advanced . If the file type you want to add is not listed, perform the following steps:


Click New .


In the Create New Extension dialog box, type the file extension you want to add to the unsafe file list.


Click OK , and then click Advanced .


Click to place a check mark (block) or remove the check mark (allow) from the Confirm open after download checkbox.


NOTE : You cannot remove the check from Confirm open after download to allow some file types. For example, .exe files are in the default unsafe file list in Internet Explorer and cannot be allowed.

Putting the URL is a far better idea however.

 

[Larry Seno Jr.]

OK

A)Putting the URL in isn't a "Better Idea" that's what you want to do. That's not what I want to do, and that's not what Darren wants to do.

B)That help is for Outlook Express, a program which doesn't do what we are talking about, it's something intrinsic to Outlook XP.

 

[Chad Ellinger]

http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ese...exe.htm#ol2002
Hope this helps.

 

[MikeAlletto]

A)Putting the URL in isn't a "Better Idea" that's what you want to do. That's not what I want to do, and that's not what Darren wants to do.

I just tried this and clicking file, send link by email just pastes the URL in the email and attaches a web page as a file attachment. Isn't cut and pasting the link into an email a better solution instead of attaching files to emails?

 

[Dave F]

Pasting the URL is a better idea - it achieves the same result, while offering greater compatibility between OS'es and email programs, as well as avoiding the security headache of attachments.
Unfortunately, MS chose a backasswards route to implement such a relatively easy function as forwarding a link.
They even recognized the problem in Q291506:

SYMPTOMS
When you send a link in a message by using the Send a Link by E-mail feature in Microsoft Internet Explorer, the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) attachment is included with the message, even though Outlook blocks you from accessing the URL attachment in the message.
Outlook sends the attached URL and includes the text of the URL address in the message body.
WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, create a new message and type the address of the URL in the message body.
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

-Dave

 

[Larry Seno Jr.]

Unfortunately, MS chose a backasswards route to implement such a relatively easy function as forwarding a link.

I think they get bored of having a perfect email client and think of new ways to fuck it up every year.

 

[Iain Lambert]

Sorry about using the Outlook Express instructions rather than the Outlook ones; thats what happens when you rush your help. I stand by my recommendation to only send the text of the link, as Dave's quote shows Microsoft agree with me, and more importantly a plaintext link still works when emailing Mac, Unix, Linux, BSD, BeOS etc. owners.

 

[Dave Gorman]

Almost %100 of the business community uses Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express.

...while lamenting and bemoaning the proliferation of virus and worm infections and wailing that something should be done about it....

 

[Darren Lewis]

Chad Ellinger
Thanks for that link. I followed the instructions and can now easily send a link by email using Outlook XP.
As regards receiving rogue attachments, I'm very careful with my personal email address (have a couple of online junk ones for spam), and if I don't recognise the person who's sending me an email, I don't open the attachments.
Thanks.
Darren.

 

[Dave F]

Almost %100 of the business community uses Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express.

Yes, the majority does. However, people have personal lives outside of the business community. There is a wider variety of email clients outside of the business world. Plus, zillions of people use AOL email for some reason. Besides, I was talking about compatibility, and you have to paste the url to be compatible with Outlook. But hey, if you want to fight against ease, compatibility and security, go right ahead.
And pasting the url is a better idea - I got that straight from Microsoft. Outlook is doing it's job by blocking attachments, etc... It's Internet Explorer that is screwing things up by sending an attachment.
-Dave

 

[Chad Ellinger]

In fact, if it was even within spitting distance of perfect, it wouldn't be the breeding grounds of the majority of the most destructive & widespread viruses.

I don't think that's a very fair statement. Outlook (along with IIS, Word and all kinds of other Microsoft software) are targeted by the majority of viruses because there are used by the majority of the market. If you wanted to code a malicious virus, it would make sense to find and exploit a flaw in a software that the majority of computer users use. I'm not saying that Microsoft's software is infallible, but if Eudora had 90% of the market share, you can bet there would be hundreds of Eudora viruses floating around.

 

[Shayne Lebrun]

So many people forget that 15 years ago, it was the various commercial UNIXes that were being hit by new viruses and compromises once a week, and were doing BLOODY STUPID things like granting root access to anybody who telneted to, say, SendMail and typed 'debug.'