Allow winmail.dat attachment

[Scott Silva]

The reason people use the RTF format is because it is the default,
and most people treat their PC like a VCR or a microwave.
They use it the way it came "from the factory".

I don't like them because it locks you in to Outlook, and no one else in the
world
can open the attachments unless they also have Outlook.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Jan-Peter Koopmann" <Jan-Peter.Koopmann at SECEIDOS.DE>
To: <MAILSCANNER at JISCMAIL.AC.UK>
Sent: Friday, May 21, 2004 5:05 AM
Subject: Re: Allow winmail.dat attachment


On Friday, May 21, 2004 1:34 PM Brendan Chard <mailto:chardlist at CHARD.NET>
wrote:

> I have a number of outlook users and I'm getting some
> complaints since MS is blocking the winmail.dat file that is
> generated by Outlook's Rich Text format.

I know this is not what you want to hear but there is no real reason for RTF
mails anymore. Why do they really demand this?

> What's the best way
> to allow MS to let Outlook Rich Text e-mails get through?

Enable TNEF scanning in MailScanner. I use the internal version which seems
slower but has proven more compatible with the Microsoft stuff. How is your
MS blocking winmail.dat? Mine isn't... What is the message generated? Log
entries?

> What are the risks in doing this?  I don't know of any
> viruses that send themselves out in rich text format, could
> that be right around the corner?

You need to decode the TNEF stuff first and then run all tests against that.
MS is quite capable of doing so. Sometimes Microsoft uses strange
winmail.dat formats which used to cause the external TNEF decoder to screw
up. Never had trouble with the internal though. Other than that I personally
do not see anything dangerous in winmail.dats.

Regards,
  JP

-------------------------- MailScanner list ----------------------
To leave, send    leave mailscanner    to jiscmail at jiscmail.ac.uk
Before posting, please see the Most Asked Questions at
http://www.mailscanner.biz/maq/     and the archives at
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/mailscanner.html

--
This message has been scanned for viruses and
dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
believed to be clean.


--
This message has been scanned for viruses and
dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
believed to be clean.

-------------------------- MailScanner list ----------------------
To leave, send    leave mailscanner    to jiscmail at jiscmail.ac.uk
Before posting, please see the Most Asked Questions at
http://www.mailscanner.biz/maq/     and the archives at
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/mailscanner.html