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Q161945: XCON: MSMail Shows Blank Icon for File Attachments from Internet

Article: Q161945
Product(s): Microsoft Exchange
Version(s): 4.0 5.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 01-MAY-1999

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 4.0, 5.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When you are using the Microsoft Mail client or the Microsoft Exchange Client
connected to a Microsoft Mail postoffice, file attachments included in messages
from Internet users contain blank icons. This is true even for icons that are
associated with programs on the local computer. The document does open correctly
when it is clicked, if an associated program exists for the attachment.

For example, your Microsoft Mail client shows a blank icon for an attached
Microsoft Word document, even though you have Word installed. Double- clicking
the blank icon starts Word (if it is not already started), and the document
opens correctly in Word.

CAUSE
=====

Microsoft Mail clients display icon images according to the following
algorithms:

Winmail.dat File Does Not Exist
-------------------------------

If an e-mail message has an attachment, and no Winmail.dat file, the mail client
will display an icon for the file if an association for the file extension has
been established. The Winmail.dat file is a special file created by Microsoft
Mail clients that contains MAPI property information, rich-text formatting, icon
images, and other non-text related items.

Winmail.dat File Does Exist
---------------------------

If an e-mail message has an attachment and a Winmail.dat file, the mail client
will display the icon image present in the Winmail.dat file. The Winmail.dat
file always contains an icon image for each attachment.

When mail from the Internet Mail Connector (IMC) is passed to the Microsoft Mail
Connector interchange (MSMI), the MSMI always projects a Winmail.dat file for
any message that contains an attachment. Because the original message received
by the MSMI may not contain an icon image (if it originated from a client other
than Microsoft Mail), the MSMI inserts a blank icon image into the Winmail.dat
file.

Because the Microsoft Mail client sees a Winmail.dat file (created by the MSMI),
it expects an icon image to be present.

WORKAROUND
==========

Use either of the following methods:

Method 1: Migrate Users
-----------------------

Migrate users to the Microsoft Exchange Client using Microsoft Exchange Server as
their message store. In this standard configuration, Microsoft Exchange clients
will display an icon if present from the sender. If no icon is present, the
client will display an icon associated with the file based on its associations.

Method 2: Use the Fix Described
-------------------------------

The Status section of this article describes a fix that is available from
Microsoft Technical Support.


STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Exchange versions 4.0
and 5.0. This problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft Exchange Server 4.0
and 5.0 U.S. Service Packs. For information on obtaining the service pack, query
on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

  S E R V P A C K

MORE INFORMATION
================

To operate, the fix requires that the Microsoft Exchange Server computer that is
running the Microsoft Mail Connector interchange (MSMI) must be running
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0. In addition, the fix works by allowing the MSMI to
provide an icon image for documents (instead of using a blank icon image). For
the fix to work, the applications for the documents that are received as blank
icons must be installed on the Microsoft Exchange Server computer with the fix.
(That is, you must install Microsoft Word for Windows on the Microsoft Exchange
server, if .doc files are received with blank icons.)

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious, system-wide
problems that may require you to reinstall Windows NT to correct them. Microsoft
cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of Registry Editor can
be solved. Use this tool at your own risk.

- To activate the fix, you must add a value to the registry:

  Edit the registry key as follows:

     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
        \MSExchangeMSMI\Parameters

  Add the following registry value (type of DWORD set to 1):

     Search for icon on server

If this registry entry is present and the value is set to 1, the MSMI will search
the Windows NT registry of the server that it is running on to locate an
executable file that contains the icon for the associated extension of the
attachment file name.

If this registry entry is not present, the default value is FALSE or 0. In this
case, the MSMI will use the default icon for attachments in a message that do
not already have an icon image. This is normal behavior of the MSMI.


For additional information about Winmail.dat, please see the following article in
the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q136204 XCLN: Sending Messages in Rich-Text Format
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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbExchangeSearch kbExchange500 kbExchange400 kbZNotKeyword2
Version           : 4.0 5.0
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix

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