Third-Party Tool Required to Decode BINHEX Attachments (140906)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Internet Mail and News 1.0 for Windows 95
  • Microsoft Windows 95
  • Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95
This article was previously published under Q140906

SYMPTOMS

You may experience either of the following situations:

  • When you use Microsoft Exchange and you receive an e-mail message that includes a BINHEX-encoded attachment, the contents of the encoded attachment may appear as encoded text within the body of the message, rather than as an icon for the attachment.
  • When you use Microsoft Internet Mail or Microsoft Internet News and you receive a BINHEX-encoded attachment, you may be unable to open it.

CAUSE

Microsoft Exchange and Internet Mail and News support attachments using UUENCODE and MIME encoding, but do not support attachments using BINHEX encoding.

RESOLUTION

Microsoft Exchange

To decode an attachment generated using BINHEX encoding, use the following steps:

  1. Click the message containing the encoded attachment to select it.
  2. On the File menu, click Save As.
  3. In the Save As Type box, click Text Only, and then click Save.
  4. Use a third-party program that can decode BINHEX encoding to decode the message.

Internet Mail and News

To decode an attachment generated using BINHEX encoding, use the following steps:

  1. Double-click the message containing the encoded attachment to open it.
  2. On the File menu, click Save Attachments.
  3. In the Select Attachment(s) To Be Saved box, click the attachment, and then click Save.
  4. Use a third-party program that can decode BINHEX encoding to decode the message.
The following third-party shareware and freeware tools can decode documents encoded with BINHEX encoding. These tools are available on various online services and computer bulletin board systems. Note that this listing is not comprehensive and that these tools have not been tested and are not supported by Microsoft:

  • CrossePAC
  • PC BinHex 1.3
  • StuffIt Expander 1.0 for Windows
  • WinPack Deluxe v.71

MORE INFORMATION

BINHEX file encoding converts a binary file into a hexadecimal text representation. This allows the file to be transmitted as the text of an e-mail message across a variety of mail servers and network types. BINHEX encoding and decoding is frequently used to transmit files between the Macintosh and PC platforms. BINHEX-encoded files commonly have an .hqx file extension.

The third-party products discussed in this article are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/14/2003
Keywords:KB140906
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.