XFOR: Outlook Express Using IMAP4 Doesn't Display Attachments

• Microsoft Exchange Server, version 5.5

SYMPTOMS

When using a mail client, for example Microsoft Outlook 98, to send messages, you may have enabled Transport Neutral Encapsulation Format (TNEF) to guard against information loss when sending mail. Because of this setting, Internet Mail recipients (POP3 and IMAP4) report that these attachments aren't being displayed. Upon viewing the Message Source information of the message, you see the attachment information, but it is not displayed within the message itself.

CAUSE

When TNEF is enabled by selecting Rich Text Format (RTF) as your Send option, attachments are handled by this format. The Internet standards for encoding and attaching files such as Multipart Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) and UUENCODE are not invoked while TNEF is active; therefore, e-mail clients that do not read TNEF in the message do not receive an attachment.

RESOLUTION

1. Start the Exchange Administrator program, and double-click the POP3 and IMAP4 object from either the Site or Server location.



2. Select the Message Format tab.



3. Click to clear the Use Microsoft Exchange rich-text format check box.



4. Stop and restart the information store. You will now be able to see the attachments using Outlook Express configured to use POP3 and IMAP4.

MORE INFORMATION

By disabling the Use Microsoft Rich-Text Format option on the Message Format tab for the IMAP4 protocol, all IMAP4 clients that request and receive messages will receive them without TNEF in the message, and can interpret the MIME or UUENCODE as they normally would.

Additional query words:

Keywords : exc55
Version : winnt:5.5
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbprb