A reader asks:
Can you please help with a huge frustration I have with Outlook? After applying one of the “security patches” a while back, Outlook now deletes .txt files and others out of hand without asking me. I work in an environment with many Unix-heads and thus get lots of .txt file attachments, as well as other types I can’t think of off the top of my head, that Outlook summarily deletes. Not only is this an asinine excuse for security, it requires I open Netscape and read my mail through its client in order to view the attachment – DUMB! Is there a way for me to go back to sanity without completely reinstalling the Outlook client?
Why, yes, dear reader– there is.
The Outlook Security Update (included in Outlook 2002 and available for Outlook 2000 and Outlook 98) blocks certain file types. Unfortunately, .txt isn’t one of them. Outlook isn’t deleting the blocked attachments; it’s just preventing you from opening them. You can customize the list of blocked attachment types, though. See Sue Mosher’s resource page for more information on how this works, or read Chapter 13.
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