XCLN: Unable to Open Attachments Without File Extensions (145979)

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to send a message that has file with no extension (.DOC, .TXT, .XLS,...) attached to it, even if the host application is installed in the system, the following error is displayed:

The application associated with this attachment could not be started. Verify the application is installed on your system with a correct directory path. C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\<filename>.

NOTE: On all client platforms, the attachment can be dragged into the Inbox and viewed regardless of the presence of the extension. On the Windows 95 Microsoft Exchange client, the file can also be opened in the Explorer window or the desktop.

CAUSE

When a document is dragged to the Inbox and then opened, the OLE specification calls for the application, such as Microsoft Exchange, to look at an internal pointer within the file itself to determine which OLE server application needs to be activated. However, when a file is placed in a message as an attachment, there is no way to determine the internal OLE identifier. A file extension such as .DOC would be required to have Microsoft Word open the attached document.

RESOLUTION

All documents that are made attachments in message must be given a file extension. This is a default setting in most Microsoft Windows based applications.