Q197064 - OL2000: (CW) Winmail.dat Attachments Included in Received Messages


OL2000: (CW) Winmail.dat Attachments Included in Received
Messages


The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Outlook 2000


NOTE: These procedures only apply if you have installed Outlook with
the Corporate Workgroup/Other option. This option allows you to use
Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) services. To
determine your installation type, on the Help Menu click About
Microsoft Outlook. In About Microsoft Outlook you should see
"Corporate" if you have the Corporate Workgroup installation.

SYMPTOMS
When you use Microsoft Outlook to send e-mail containing attachments
through the Internet, some recipients using e-mail clients, other
than Outlook, report that the mail message includes an additional
file called Winmail.dat. The file is usually very small, but cannot
be opened in the mail message.


CAUSE
The Winmail.dat file is used to preserve formatting that the sending
client includes in the message, but is not recognized by the
receiving client. In the case of Outlook, the Winmail.dat file
includes Rich Text Formatting (RTF) instructions. This type of
formatting is used with the Microsoft Outlook Rich Text Format and
when using Microsoft Word as an e-mail editor.


RESOLUTION
To avoid including Winmail.dat, use the Plain Text mail format. To
select Plain Text for all messages, follow these steps:


On the Tools menu, click Options and then Mail Format.


In "Send in this message format", click to select Plain Text.


To send to certain recipients with RTF format and others with Plain
Text, you must set the option for the recipient in either the
Personal Address Book or the recipient's contact record.

To set Plain Text by recipient in the Address Book, follow these
steps:


On the Tools menu, click Address Book.


In Show Names From, select the Personal Address Book.


Select the addressee you want to set as Plain Text and on the File
menu, click Properties.


Click to clear the "Always send to this recipient in Microsoft
Exchange Rich Text Format" check box and click OK.


To set Plain Text in the recipient's contact record, follow these
steps:


Open the recipient's record in the Contacts folder.


Double-click the recipient's e-mail address.


Click to clear the "Always send to this recipient in Microsoft
Exchange Rich Text Format" check box and click OK.