XFOR: Preventing WINMAIL.DAT Sent to Internet Users

Last reviewed: November 13, 1997
Article ID: Q138053
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Exchange Server, version 4.0
  • Microsoft Exchange Window 3.x client, version 4.0
  • Microsoft Exchange Window 95 client, version 4.0
  • Microsoft Exchange Window NT client, version 4.0
  • Microsoft Outlook Windows 95 client, versions 8.00, 8.01, 8.02, and 8.03
  • Microsoft Outlook Windows NT client, versions 8.00, 8.01, 8.02, and 8.03

SUMMARY

When you send mail to the Internet from a Microsoft Exchange Windows or Outlook client, an file attachment called WINMAIL.DAT may be added to the message. This attachment contains Microsoft Exchange rich-text information for the message being sent. The WINMAIL.DAT file may not be useful to non-Microsoft Exchange recipients. The information in the WINMAIL.DAT file may appear on the receiving end as binary information at the end of the mail message.

This article describes how to prevent sending the WINMAIL.DAT attachment to Internet users when you are using the Microsoft Exchange Internet Mail Connector (IMC).

MORE INFORMATION

You can control whether or not to send rich-text format in any one of the following ways:

  1. Creating Custom Recipients When the administrator creates a custom recipient using the Microsoft Exchange Administrator program, clear the "Always Send To This Recipient In Microsoft Exchange Rich-Text Format" check box.

  2. Modifying Existing Microsoft Exchange and Custom Recipients The administrator can modify an existing user account (Microsoft Exchange user or custom recipient) to not send rich-text format information, by clearing the MAPI Recipient check box in the Advanced property page of the recipient's properties. You can view the recipient's properties by selecting the recipient name and then choosing Properties from the File menu.

  3. Addresses in the Personal Address Book The user can modify the Internet addresses in a their personal address book not to send rich-text information by clearing the "Always Send To This Recipient In Microsoft Exchange Rich-Text Format" check box in the SMTP - Address property page of the Internet address in the PAB. To obtain the properties of an entry in a PAB, select the entry and choose Properties from the File menu.

  4. Configuring the Internet Mail Connector (IMC) The administrator can configure the IMC to send or not to send rich-text information by following the steps below:

    a. Bring up the properties of the Internet Mail Connector.

    b. Select the General property page.

          The Send Microsoft Exchange Rich Text list box controls the sending
          of rich-text data. There are three values to choose from:
    

           - If the value is set to User, the recipient properties are used to
    
             determine whether or not to send rich-text information.
    
           - If the value is set to Always, rich-text information is always
             sent, regardless of the recipient properties.
    
           - If the value is set to Never, rich-text information is never sent.
    
       You can also configure whether or not to send rich-text information on
       a per-domain basis. To define e-mail domains and the message settings
       for that domain, click the E-Mail Domain button.
    
    

  5. One-Off Addressing You can send e-mail to an Internet user from an Exchange or Outlook client, using One-Off addressing. One-Off addressing allows sending a message to addresses that are not in the Personal Address Book, the Global Address List, or in any recipient containers.

    Depending on the type of the One-Off address used, rich-text information is or is not sent with the message:

    a. Rich-Text Information Sent:

          If the One-Off address has the following format, rich-text
          information is sent with the message:
    

             [SMTP:<SMTP Address>]
    
          where SMTP Address is any valid SMTP address, for example:
    
             user@domain.com
    
          To verify that rich-text information is sent:
    
             1) Select the Check Names command from the Tools menu after typing
                the address in the above format.
    
                This should display the SMTP address without the "SMTP:." The
                name should be underlined.
    
             2) Bring up the Properties of the address by double clicking it.
    
                If the option "Always send to this recipient in Microsoft
                Exchange rich-text format" is checked indicating that rich-text
                information (the WINMAIL.DAT file) is sent along with the
                message.
    
       b. Rich-Text Information Not Sent:
    
          If you use a One-Off address and you do not want to send rich-text
          information to the recipient, the address should have the following
          format:
    
             <SMTP Address>
    
          where SMTP Address is any valid SMTP Address, for example:
    
             user@domain.com
    
       NOTE: Unlike the address in step 5.a. above, the SMTP Address is not
       proceeded by "SMTP:" and the address is not enclosed in square
       brackets.
    
       If you click the Check Names command and then get the properties of the
       address, you can see that the rich-text option is not selected.
    
       However, no matter what option is selected for the address of the
       recipient, the IMC settings determine whether or not rich-text
       information is transmitted. If the IMC is set to never send rich-text
       data, then even if the properties of the recipient address have the
       rich-text option selected, no rich-text is transmitted.
    
       If the IMC has separate settings for individual domains, then the
       settings for those domains takes precedence for all messages addressed
       to users in those domains.
    


Additional query words: rtf internet mail .dat
Keywords : XFOR kbusage
Version : 4.0 5.0
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto


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Last reviewed: November 13, 1997
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