XCLN: Macintosh Screen Shot Attachment Won't Open on Windows Client

ID: Q161491

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Exchange Windows 3.x client, versions 4.0, 5.0
Microsoft Exchange Windows NT client, versions 4.0, 5.0
Microsoft Exchange Windows 95/98 client, versions 4.0, 5.0
Microsoft Exchange Macintosh client, versions 4.0, 5.0

SYMPTOMS

When you send a screen shot from the Exchange Macintosh client to the Exchange Windows client, the Windows client cannot open the screen shot.

If you send the Macintosh screen shot as an attachment in a message, and the user of the Windows client tries to open the attachment, the user receives the following error message:

Unable to open attachment.
Incomplete or missing association for file.

If you cut and paste the Macintosh screen shot into the message itself and send it using a Macintosh client, when the Windows client opens the message, the following error message will appear in the message body:

Error: unloaded OLE object or mail attachment.

CAUSE

The Windows operating system does not recognize the Macintosh screen print.

WORKAROUND

NOTE: The following two workaround procedures work for attachments only.

From the Macintosh client, save the file as a Microsoft PowerPoint file or another file type that is recognized by the Windows client.

For example, do the following:
1. Start the Exchange Macintosh client.
2. Create a screen snapshot (Apple key+SHIFT+3). This places a file called Picture(x) in the root of the startup disk.
3. Open Picture(x). On the Edit menu, click Select All, and then click Copy.
4. Open PowerPoint, and choose a New Blank Presentation.
5. On the Edit menu, click Paste.
6. On the File menu, click Save As. In the Save As Type box, click either Presentation or PowerPoint 3.0 file.
7. When you send the attachment, use the PowerPoint file.
-or-

Open the Exchange Windows client. Save the attachment as a Macintosh picture file.

For example:
1. Start the Exchange Windows client.
2. Highlight the message.
3. On the File menu, click Save As, and then click Save These Attachments Only.
4. Rename the file to <file name>.pct.
5. Open the attachment of the message with the appropriate application, such as Picture It.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Exchange versions 4.0 and 5.0 for Macintosh and for Windows. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Additional query words:


Keywords          : kbusage XCLN 
Version           : WINDOWS:4.0,5.0
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        :

Last Reviewed: April 10, 1999