Outlook XP annoyances

ntl customer · 11-01-2004, 16:03

I've just upgraded to Outlook XP from Outlook 2000 and find the new "features" very annoying.

Firstly all images in HTML emails never appear, so I get a load of red X's.

Secondly I hate the way it tells me what I can and can't open. It is my computer and I should be free to open whatever attachment I want to regardless of its extension.

Does anyone know how to switch off the attachment blocking and make images appear in my HTML emails?

Thanks :o

darkangel · 11-01-2004, 16:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by ntl customer

I've just upgraded to Outlook XP from Outlook 2000 and find the new "features" very annoying.

Firstly all images in HTML emails never appear, so I get a load of red X's.

Secondly I hate the way it tells me what I can and can't open. It is my computer and I should be free to open whatever attachment I want to regardless of its extension.

Does anyone know how to switch off the attachment blocking and make images appear in my HTML emails?

Thanks :o

best to dump outlook unless u really need it as most viri etc use outlook features but if u need to keep it look here think this should help http://slipstick.com/outlook/esecup/getexe.htm#ol2002

Sociable · 11-01-2004, 16:21

I think you will find the setting for that in the security tab in the main options menu under tools in outlook.

You will need to specify what is allowed for each of the seperate zones I think.

Will post back if i can find any more info on any other setting changes possible as this used to covered by an option to view as html rather than plain text just in case that's the problem. Just can't find that option right now myself either Or the one allowing to specify attachemnet could be opened. LOL

EDIT: Ok found one that may help. Under "Mail Format" Tab in the options menu you can specify to view in "Rich Text" and there is also an option to change how it treats content linked from webpages too.

Think I got round the "attachment" problems by having set to allow attachments in Outlook express and then imported the settings from Outlook Express to Outlook so that might work for you too.

ntl customer · 11-01-2004, 16:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkangel

best to dump outlook unless u really need it as most viri etc use outlook features but if u need to keep it look here think this should help http://slipstick.com/outlook/esecup/getexe.htm#ol2002

I shall be keeping Outlook as I cannot stand any of the other ones I have tried. If you do not open any dodgy attachments then you should be safe, and that goes for all email programs. Also I cannot stand the way Microsoft think that all of its users are all stupid simpletons, and blocking the attachments for them and giving them no way to turn it off in the options box without downloading additional software.

That said, that page contained loads of useful thing to switch off the attachment blocking so thanks the link

Quote:

EDIT: Ok found one that may help. Under "Mail Format" Tab in the options menu you can specify to view in "Rich Text" and there is also an option to change how it treats content linked from webpages too.

Think I got round the "attachment" problems by having set to allow attachments in Outlook express and then imported the settings from Outlook Express to Outlook so that might work for you too.

Isn't that for how you write messages?

It's a fairly bizarre setup - I run Outlook Express 5 & IE5 on Windows 2000 with Word, Access, Excel, Powerpoint and Frontpage 2000 and Publisher & Outlook XP.

br3ach · 11-01-2004, 16:59

Outlook is so over complicated and restrictive its unreal.

If only all mail clients could be like the mail client in opera...So simple, yet so effective

Sociable · 11-01-2004, 17:00

Covers the read options too I think.

EDIT: Ahhh just checked you have yet another version of Outlook with different options so my bad on mine the write and read options are on same page.

darkangel · 11-01-2004, 17:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by ntl customer

I shall be keeping Outlook as I cannot stand any of the other ones I have tried.

fair nuff, u tried eudora?

Shaun · 11-01-2004, 17:53

Tweak XP will allow you to alter the type of files Outlook will allow you to open, an all round excellent prog

keithwalton · 11-01-2004, 18:01

its outlook express thats so vunerable dont get it confused with the real outlook which is alot more organiser orientated than just a mail reader, i personally use outlook 2003 and its very good. though can be quite stubborn with attachments when it wants to but never completly blocks them off.

It also has a neat feature of not downloading anything from the net unless you allow it (spam stuff often contains verification in its content)

K

Stuart · 11-01-2004, 18:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkangel

fair nuff, u tried eudora?

I tried Eudora once (after being a long time Outlook user). I quite liked it, but the filtering options were (and still are as far as I know) crap. The best email client I have found (and the one I use today) is Mozilla Thunderbird.

ntl customer · 11-01-2004, 18:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkangel

fair nuff, u tried eudora?

I did ages ago but I don't really want the hassle of changing from one email client to another, as I will lose most of my email. And also I have been using Outlook for a good few years now so its a bit hard to change to something else as I will have to learn how to do everything again.

I have tried Thunderbird but again I don't like it either. I guess I'm not at one with alternative email programs!

ntl customer · 23-02-2004, 02:06

So does anyone know how to fix the problems with the images not appearing in HTML emails?

And how do you stop it from defaulting to medium whenever you open a HTML email. I get sick of seeing such large text all the time!

philip.j.fry · 23-02-2004, 02:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kedoo

Outlook is so over complicated and restrictive its unreal.

If only all mail clients could be like the mail client in opera...So simple, yet so effective

What is really needed is for someone to port Evolution over to windows. Evolution for linux systems is similar to outlook, but without all of the annoyances plus some good extra features.

Sociable · 23-02-2004, 02:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by ntl customer

So does anyone know how to fix the problems with the images not appearing in HTML emails?

And how do you stop it from defaulting to medium whenever you open a HTML email. I get sick of seeing such large text all the time!

I found that it was my McAfee firewall that stops images appearing in Outlook rather than outlook itself. Same also applies to being able to connect to hotmail as I can only use Outlook to collect the mail from hotmail if I turn off the firewall just long enough to download the mail.

I'm sure there is a way to authorise the stuff so I dont have to do this just haven't had the time to sort it yet.

matstace · 24-02-2004, 23:50

At the top of the message there should be a notice about outlook blocking images, and you can right click this to put the senders address into your allowed to show images list.

As for allowing what attachments can be seen, I found some plugin for Outlook 2003 that allows you to move extension between type 1 (no access at all) and type 2 - you can get to it if you want. It's called "Attachment options" and I got it from http://www.slovaktech.com/attachmentoptions.htm

HTH