XCLN: How to Not Convert Outbound Attachments to MacBinary

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Exchange Macintosh client, version 5.0

SYMPTOMS

Users and administrators of the Microsoft Exchange Macintosh client version 5.0 Service Pack 1 (SP1) have the ability to edit the Exchange Preferences file to declare which Macintosh file types will not be encoded to MacBinary. This ability will be useful to users and administrators who want to send attachments to clients other than Microsoft Exchange Client.

CAUSE

Before the release of the Microsoft Exchange Macintosh client 5.0 SP1, administrators with X.400 gateways could not properly send files from the Macintosh client because there is no specified mechanism for transporting Macintosh file types via X.400. In addition, Microsoft has been asked to address requests from organizations asking for the ability to send specific Macintosh File/Creator pairs as a data fork only.

This ability takes the form of editing a new string ID in the Exchange Preferences file, ID #134, "Windows File Types." An editor such as ResEdit will be required.

NOTE: ResEdit can manipulate resources crucial to the running of a Macintosh application. Users and administrators should run the Command-D keystroke combination against the Exchange Preferences file to create a copy for safekeeping.

To add a global extension that will always be excluded from MacBinary Conversion (in this example, ResEdit is used):

1. Open the Exchange Preferences file (located in the Preferences folder.)

2. Open ID 134.

3. Highlight String 7. It will appear as 7) *****

4. Do the Command-K keystroke combination (to insert a new field).

5. Enter the extension to be excluded in the form of

         EXT 7 = .<extension>
   

   It is a "7" because 6 common extensions have already been inserted. Increment as required.

1. Open the Exchange Preferences file.

2. Open ID 134.

3. Scroll down to the last string ID; 83) *****

4. Do the Command-K keystroke combination.

5. Enter the Creator/Type and Extension to be excluded as follows:

         :[CREATOR]:[TYPE]= .[Extension]
   

6. Save the file and quit the editor. Test when done. If the attachments arrive as expected, you can delete the saved copy of the Exchange Preferences file.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.0. This problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft Exchange Server 5.0 U.S. Service Pack. For information on obtaining the service pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):