XFOR: Preventing WINMAIL.DAT Sent to Internet Users

• Microsoft Exchange Server, version 4.0
• Microsoft Exchange Windows 3.x client, version 4.0
• Microsoft Exchange Windows 95/98 client, version 4.0
• Microsoft Exchange Windows NT client, version 4.0
• Microsoft Outlook Windows 95/98 client, versions 8.0, 8.01, 8.02, 8.03
• Microsoft Outlook Windows NT client, versions 8.0, 8.01, 8.02, 8.03

SUMMARY

When you send mail to the Internet from a Microsoft Exchange Windows or Outlook client, an file attachment called WINMAIL.DAT may be added to the message. This attachment contains Microsoft Exchange rich-text information for the message being sent. The WINMAIL.DAT file may not be useful to non-Microsoft Exchange recipients. The information in the WINMAIL.DAT file may appear on the receiving end as binary information at the end of the mail message.

This article describes how to prevent sending the WINMAIL.DAT attachment to Internet users when you are using the Microsoft Exchange Internet Mail Connector (IMC).

MORE INFORMATION

You can control whether or not to send rich-text format in any one of the following ways:

• Creating Custom Recipients
  When the administrator creates a custom recipient using the Microsoft Exchange Administrator program, clear the "Always Send To This Recipient In Microsoft Exchange Rich-Text Format" check box.



• Modifying Existing Microsoft Exchange and Custom Recipients
  The administrator can modify an existing user account (Microsoft Exchange user or custom recipient) to not send rich-text format information, by clearing the MAPI Recipient check box in the Advanced property page of the recipient's properties. You can view the recipient's properties by selecting the recipient name and then choosing Properties from the File menu.



• Addresses in the Personal Address Book
  The user can modify the Internet addresses in a their personal address book not to send rich-text information by clearing the "Always Send To This Recipient In Microsoft Exchange Rich-Text Format" check box in the SMTP - Address property page of the Internet address in the PAB. To obtain the properties of an entry in a PAB, select the entry and choose Properties from the File menu.



• Configuring the Internet Mail Connector (IMC)
  The administrator can configure the IMC to send or not to send rich-text information by following the steps below:



1. Bring up the properties of the Internet Mail Connector.



2. Select the General property page.
   
   The Send Microsoft Exchange Rich Text list box controls the sending of rich-text data. There are three values to choose from:



• If the value is set to User, the recipient properties are used to determine whether or not to send rich-text information.



• If the value is set to Always, rich-text information is always sent, regardless of the recipient properties.



• If the value is set to Never, rich-text information is never sent.



You can also configure whether or not to send rich-text information on a per-domain basis. To define e-mail domains and the message settings for that domain, click the E-Mail Domain button.


• One-Off Addressing
  You can send e-mail to an Internet user from an Exchange or Outlook client, using One-Off addressing. One-Off addressing allows sending a message to addresses that are not in the Personal Address Book, the Global Address List, or in any recipient containers.
  
  Depending on the type of the One-Off address used, rich-text information is or is not sent with the message:



1. Rich-Text Information Sent:
   
   If the One-Off address has the following format, rich-text information is sent with the message:
   

   
            [SMTP:<SMTP Address>] 

   
   where SMTP Address is any valid SMTP address, for example:
   

   
            user@domain.com 

   
   To verify that rich-text information is sent:



1. Select the Check Names command from the Tools menu after typing the address in the above format.
   
   This should display the SMTP address without the "SMTP:." The name should be underlined.



2. Bring up the Properties of the address by double clicking it.
   
   If the option "Always send to this recipient in Microsoft Exchange rich-text format" is checked indicating that rich-text information (the WINMAIL.DAT file) is sent along with the message.



2. Rich-Text Information Not Sent:
   
   If you use a One-Off address and you do not want to send rich-text information to the recipient, the address should have the following format:
   

   
            <SMTP Address> 

   
   where SMTP Address is any valid SMTP Address, for example:
   

   
            user@domain.com 




NOTE: Unlike the address in step 5.a. above, the SMTP Address is not proceeded by "SMTP:" and the address is not enclosed in square brackets.

If you click the Check Names command and then get the properties of the address, you can see that the rich-text option is not selected.

However, no matter what option is selected for the address of the recipient, the IMC settings determine whether or not rich-text information is transmitted. If the IMC is set to never send rich-text data, then even if the properties of the recipient address have the rich-text option selected, no rich-text is transmitted.

If the IMC has separate settings for individual domains, then the settings for those domains takes precedence for all messages addressed to users in those domains.

Additional query words: rtf internet mail .dat

Keywords          : kbusage XFOR 
Version           : WINDOWS:4.0,8.0,8.01,8.02,8.03; winnt:4.0
Platform          : WINDOWS winnt 
Issue type        : kbhowto 

Last Reviewed: March 10, 1999