Q149203: XFOR: Preventing Winmail.dat From Being Sent Over IMC
Article: Q149203
Product(s): Microsoft Exchange
Version(s): WINDOWS:4.0,8.0,8.01; winnt:4.0
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s): kbusage
Last Modified: 19-OCT-2000
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The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Exchange Server, version 4.0
- Microsoft Exchange Windows 3.x client, version 4.0
- Microsoft Exchange Windows NT client, version 4.0
- Microsoft Exchange Windows 95/98 client, version 4.0
- Microsoft Outlook 97, versions 8.0, 8.01, used with:
- the operating system: Microsoft Windows NT
- Microsoft Outlook 97, versions 8.0, 8.01, used with:
- the operating system: Microsoft Windows 98
- the operating system: Microsoft Windows 95
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SUMMARY
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When you send mail over the Internet from a Microsoft Exchange Windows client or
an Outlook client, a file attachment called Winmail.dat may be added to the
message. This attachment contains the Microsoft Exchange rich-text information
of 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:
- Custom Recipients
The administrator can modify an existing Microsoft Exchange custom recipient
to prevent rich text information from being sent to that custom recipient by
clearing the Allow Rich Text in Messages check box on the Advanced property
page of the recipient's properties. You can view the custom 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 their Personal Address Book
(PAB) to not be sent rich-text information by clearing the Always Send to
This Recipient in Microsoft Exchange Rich-Text Format check box on the SMTP
General 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:
a. Bring up the properties of the Internet Mail Connector.
b. Select the Internet Mail property page.
c. Click on the button labeled Interoperability. This should bring up the
Interoperability dialog.
d. The Send Microsoft Exchange Rich-Text Formatting 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's 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's 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 on the Internet Mail page of the IMC
Properties. This will bring up the Add E-Mail Domain dialog. Click on the Add
button to specify an e-mail domain. Click on the Interoperability button.
Select a setting from the Send Microsoft Exchange rich text formatting list
box.
- One-Off Addressing You can send e-mail to an Internet user from a Microsoft
Exchange or Outlook client using One-Off addressing. One-Off addressing
allows sending a message to addresses that are not in the PAB, the Global
Address List (GAL), 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:
- 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. The
option Always Send to This Recipient in Microsoft Exchange Rich-Text
Format should be checked indicating that rich-text information (the
Winmail.dat file) will be sent along with the message.
NOTE: Even if you address a message to [SMTP:<SMTP Address>], you can
run the Check Names command, then get the properties of the resolved
recipient and unselect the Always Send to This Recipient in Microsoft
Exchange Rich-Text Format checkbox. This will prevent rich-text
information from being sent along with the message.
- 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 4.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:
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Keywords : kbusage
Technology : kbOutlookSearch kbExchangeSearch kbExchangeClientSearch kbZNotKeyword kbZNotKeyword2 kbOutlook97Search kbZNotKeyword3
Version : WINDOWS:4.0,8.0,8.01; winnt:4.0
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