Why can't I open up attachments?
 

Now I'm getting really mad. Alan did something while he was fooling around with the computer. I have no idea what he did with the email opening up attachment thingee but when people send me stuff that's attached, well it prompts me "where do I want to open up this attachment"?

Since I don't know what this attachment is, how do I know where to open it up.

Help, puleeeeze, anybody!!!

mel

Are you using Outlook (or similar) for mail?

It sounds as if, previously, attachments were configured so that they were viewable as embedded or inserted images and that he changed the preference on how attachments are viewed.

I don't use Outlook but I'm sure that someone will be along shortly to help and explain how to re-set the configuration or preference.

:)

maybe these will help you - got a bad cold so my brain isn't up to snuff tonite -

http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/esecup/getexe.asp
http://www.regvac.com/forum/m-1158022215/s-12/

Hi Bobbi:

Yes, I use Outlook express as my default mail thing. And I'm SURE MY HUSBAND FOOLED AROUND WITH SOMETHING! because every time he does, something goes wrong, and then he goes "oh, what did I do this time". I WANT TO BANG HIM!!!

Oh, and for some reason, when I switch identities, (my husband's email is the default), and when I want to view, mine, I go to File, then switch identities, then I click on my e-mail, then okay.

Well, it always switches immediately (at least that's what it used to do).

Now for some reason, it takes forever, so I have to go to Verizon to view my mail.

Hope someone can figure this out and help me.

I feel like such a dodo bird. lol

Jo55

After I clicked on the first link, and I read all the information on re-registering, or changing the registering, or unlocking the keys, or WHATEVER it said to do, after I stopped laughing m head off I picked myself off of the floor.

You're lucky I know how to do youtube.

I am absolutely hysterical that people understand all this. My god, the next generation could build spaceships to Venus.

Mel

mmm so you might have more than just attachment problems...
attachment info I found-
[If you haven't worked it out yet, here are some other possibilities. I don't know how much computer experience you have, so please forgive me if I give the instructions in the same way that I do for my Mother-in-law, who is just starting.

Before all else, please be sure that the file you want to see is safe: that does not have any virus or spyware associated with it or contained it it. But that's another (very important) discussion.

1. Highlight the file by clicking on it once. The file should now appear as if it had been coloured by a blue highlighter.

2. Now point to that file with your mouse, and "right-click" it -- click once with the right button on the mouse.

3. Wait for a few seconds, and you should see a menu appear. One of the items on the menu should be "Open with" with a black triangle on the right side.

4. Run your mouse up to (or down to) that item on the list. As the pointer goes up (or down) the list, each item it passes will be highlighted in order.

5. When you get to "Open with" another Menu should appear beside the one you are "in". It will list one or more programs that your computer thinks may work for that particular attachment.

6. You can try out each of the programs in the list. If any of them work, then that's good. Problem solved.

7. However, if those do not work, there is still another choice in the "Open With" menu. You will find it at the bottom, where it says: "Choose program..."

8. Choose that option, and you will find a list of most of the programs on your computer. If you look through that list, one of them might seem to be a good one to try.
NOTE: If you do that, let me suggest that you do NOT have a check-mark in front of the line at the bottom of that little "dialog box" which says "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file." In otherwords, please click on that box to REMOVE the check-mark if it is there.

If none of that works, perhaps you can do a couple of things.

Post the name of the file here (we do not want the complete file, just its name. Most importantly, we want to be sure to see what the three-letter "extension" is -- that is, the three letters that are at the end, just after the dot in the filename. (For example: filename.txt, fielename.doc, filename.pdf, filename.vmv, filename.jpg or whatever -- we need the .txt, .doc, .pdf, .vmv, .jpg and so on.) This will give someone a clue as to what the program might be that you need.

Finally, if you are, or anyone else is curious, there is an interesting web-site that helps to explain all this "file extension" stuff. It also lists all the file extensions known to those who run the site, and tells you what program(s) are associated with any particular extension. You will find it at:

http://filext.com/


I hope that this will help you, or anyone else having the same problem. We all get it at one time or other.]
http://www.regvac.com/forum/m-1158022215/s-12/#num7

boy - i think I'd make separate user accounts for the whole computer.

make your account the administrator - you can make major changes :D
make his a limited account - he can't make major changes..:)

then you would both have your own setup and your own copies of programs.
___

Or you could use the Thunderbird mail program for your self only -and he can keep using the Outlook Express program.
I don't remember if you deleted it or just stopped using it.

I really couldn't guess at what he might have changed to lose your email identity.
unless you go thru the settings if you think he was messing around in those- he must have been...

Hi. I went through all the steps that you said to go through. I have always been able to open up attachments.

In outlook express, I would go to the subject thing, and there would be a little thing to the left of the subject, which I would double click on, and then it would prompt me to Open or to Save to Disc. I would always choose Open.

Then it would give me various methods to open with. Now, for some reason, it prompts me to open EVERYTHING with Wordpad. Now how stupid is that?? If it's an image or something, of course Wordpad can't open this. It's usually a bunch of code up on the screen.

I tried opening it up in Paint, in all the other options. After a while it doesn't let me open up anything.

I even went back to Verizon mail (where all my mail goes first). I know this guy and he sent me an email with an attachment.

It prompted me to "download the attachment". I did. Then it gave me (on the left side of my screen), the prompt to "Open it". I clicked on Open. And nothing happened.

I'm going a bit crazy. I mean, it's not the most serious thing in the world, but I'd like to not go nuts over this.

I'm not computer illiterate by any means, but I'm not a techno savvy person like many of the younger ones are today. I know people in their 40's (who do not own, nor will they go near a computer) who look at me incredously and they go: "you know how to use a computer???"

sigh!!!!!

i copied that attachment info from that one website.
just in case it would help.

I'm thinking Alan must have changed something the settings, preferences or tools section of Outlook Express
I haven't used it for years..ok got it loaded up-

let's see --
did you check both the manage identity and the switch identity sections , and the properties
if that looks normal like you remember it

then go to tools
and check thru each tab and section to see if you can find anything that seems different?

if all else fails you might try a system restore - since OE is part of XP it should restore it back -but i'm not 100% sure on it..

or re install OE from your XP CD
but then I don't know for sure if that would fill in whatever is changed or give you a whole "new" copy and you would have to start fresh or not??

sorry not much help

Alan may have even gone into the main hard drive files and deleted something by accident.

:idea:oh check in the recycle bin- maybe if he did that is is there and you can restore it from there. It goes back to where it came from.
just right click and click restore.

Okay, here's what I just did. I went back to the e-mail with the attachment. I clicked on open and it told me that the type was a Thunderbird document (I have no idea what this is).

the ending of the document was .eml

Does this tell you anything. Maybe you can tell me which program to open it up with??

When prompted it told me to go on the internet to choose the program to open it with. I did so, and I got a webpage from Windows telling me it did not recognize this type of document.

Very confusing.

I think I'll do a system restore.

God knows what will happen when I do this.

mel