Unblocking Blocked Attachments in Outlook

Ever wondered why Outlook 2003 makes it so difficult to send and receive certain attachments? It's all for your own protection (especially you Dad!) but I've enclosed some handy tips here to help you get round Outlook's draconian settings!

Which files get blocked?

There's a long list of file types that Outlook blocks here: https://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011402971033.aspx

What happens when they get blocked?

If you have attachment blocking switched on in Outlook 2003 ('on' is the default) you will receive a warning whenever you try to send an attachment which Outlook considers could be harmful. Hence the appearance of this delightful warning message:

Then, when another Outlook 2003 user receives your email they will discover, to their frustration, that Outlook will block the attachment completely, preventing them from doing anything useful with it. Drat! And because Outlook 2003 allows for central control (from the server) this setting cannot be overridden by the user (not strictly true, see below! ***),

Life's easier for users of Outlook Express. OE users who receive an attachment and have attachment blocking on (the default in latest service pack) simply need to go to the Options panel, then Uncheck the Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus option. Then simply re-open the email.

 

OE users should, of course, remember to go back and check the box again if you're worried about accidentally opening a potentially unsafe file in the future!

*** How to get round attachment blocking in Outlook 2003

Here's an insider's secret for Outlook 2003 users: See this page to find out how to permanently switch off Attachment Blocking to bypass any central setting in Outlook 2003. Do this at your own risk! Don’t come crying to me if Aunt Freda sends you a dodgy attachment that subsequently wipes your hard drive!

Knowing this registry hack can be really useful if someone sends you a 'dodgy' attachment before departing on a six month holiday on the remote island of UmBongo. Without Internet access on UmBongo they cannot resend the file, and Outlook has blocked the file they sent from the airport departure lounge! What to do? Simply tweak the registry and the file will become accessible once again faster than a cheetah on anabolic steroids. And, of course, this way there’s no need for you to drag your chum back from UmBongo to send you the file again!