DOCUMENT:Q126648  27-OCT-1999  [pcmail]
TITLE   :PC Win DOS: How the WINMAIL.DAT File Effects Attachments
PRODUCT :Microsoft Mail For PC Networks
PROD/VER:WINDOWS:3.0,3.2,3.2a
OPER/SYS:
KEYWORDS:

======================================================================
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

 - Microsoft Mail for Windows, versions 3.0, 3.2, 3.2a 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

When Microsoft Mail for Windows sends a message with attachments, it dumps some
raw data into the message body. When another Windows client receives this mail
message, it parses and removes the raw data so the user never sees it.

A problem arises when the mail message is read by different clients. For example,
the MS-DOS client or a foreign mail system client does not have the ability to
remove the raw data. As a result, the unreadable data is left in the message
body.

CAUSE
=====

The "invisible attachment," or WINMAIL.DAT file, should remove the raw data in
the attachment's message body.

RESOLUTION
==========

The MS-DOS client was changed in version 3.0b to provide the following
functionality for mail sent from the Windows client:

1. The MS-DOS client shows a text list of the file attachments in the header of
   the message file. This list corresponds to what a user would see in the
   Attachments, View or Save.

2. The WINMAIL.DAT file no longer shows up as text in the MS-DOS client. Foreign
   mail clients may, however, still see the raw text. The MS-DOS client user can
   still see the text from the View or Save menus of the MS-DOS client.

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbMailSearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbMail300 kbMail320 kbMail320a
Version           : WINDOWS:3.0,3.2,3.2a

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS
PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.  MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS
ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES
OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  IN NO
EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR
ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF
MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.  SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION
OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES
SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1999.