Outlook - Hotmail Issues

[JulesTH]

While I am at it (asking questions on this forum, I mean) I am wondering if anyone has had similar issues and found out how to fix them.

I use Microsoft Outlook for e-mail (and usually like it) and have been accessing my Hotmail account that way for years now. Only issue I had was that I couldn't download files/messages with attachments larger than about 350kB, but I just did that by accessing hotmail directly. No big deal in general, even though not very convenient as it doesn't allow me to save the e-mail in Outlook.

FIRST QUESTION:

The problem I have for a while now is that I cannot attach files anymore. Means, I can, but the receiver of the message always gets a "winmail.dat" file which cannot be opened with any software normal users have. Format of the original file doesn't matter (Word, Excel, Powerpoint ... makes no difference; haven't tried .jpg's, though, I think) and it still is the original file on my PC after sending the message.

Latest Outlook invention: it sends winmail.dat files even when I don't attach any file to the message

What can I do?

I have checked my PC for Viruses and according to the latest update of McAfee Virus Scan there is none.

SECOND QUESTION:

I have tried to setup 2 accounts in Outlook trying to access 2 different hotmail-accounts I have and keeping them separate. That never worked! Why? I cannot send or receive from the second account at all. It usually complains about time-out error trying to connect to the server. (no such issues with the main one!) Any idea?

Thanks a lot!

Jules

[lopburi3]

Don't know about first question but at about the new year Hotmail no longer allowed OE access to new accounts unless you get the paid type. Old accounts are still usable with OE.

[sajal]

STEP 1 : Dump your hotmail account and get something decent.

abt 1 or 2 months ago i was fiddlin on OE with a friends hotmail account, i could download the mails and read them.....after abt 1 hour when i tryed send n receive it gave me the $h1t somethin like hotmail no longer sopports OE and crap...

[RDN]

While I am at it (asking questions on this forum, I mean) I am wondering if anyone has had similar issues and found out how to fix them.

I use Microsoft Outlook for e-mail (and usually like it) and have been accessing my Hotmail account that way for years now. Only issue I had was that I couldn't download files/messages with attachments larger than about 350kB, but I just did that by accessing Hotmail directly. No big deal in general, even though not very convenient as it doesn't allow me to save the e-mail in Outlook.

FIRST QUESTION:

The problem I have for a while now is that I cannot attach files any more. Means, I can, but the receiver of the message always gets a "winmail.dat"  file which cannot be opened with any software normal users have. Format of the original file doesn't matter (Word, Excel, Powerpoint ... makes no difference; haven't tried .jpg's, though, I think) and it still is the original file on my PC after sending the message.

Latest Outlook invention: it sends winmail.dat files even when I don't attach any file to the message 

What can I do?

I have checked my PC for Viruses and according to the latest update of McAfee Virus Scan there is none.

SECOND QUESTION:

I have tried to setup 2 accounts in Outlook trying to access 2 different Hotmail-accounts I have and keeping them separate. That never worked! Why? I cannot send or receive from the second account at all. It usually complains about time-out error trying to connect to the server. (no such issues with the main one!) Any idea?

Thanks a lot!

Jules

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUESTION 1

It's a long time since I had that "winmail.dat" problem - I'll do some research and get back to you, unless someone else posts the answer first.

QUESTION2

I always wanted to use Outlook too, because of it's rich feature-set, but I too get the server time-out error when I add more than one account. So I use Outlook Express - it can deal with dozens - literaly - of Hotmail accounts and get all your email down on to your PC, no problems. So if I were you I would switch to OE, which I know does not have half the great features of Outlook, but at least the email works.

Alternative email: Hotmail has not yet stopped POP access to any of my (dozens of) email addresses, so you should still be able to access them. However, in preparation for the day the Hotmail does stop POP access, I have started using GMail, and it is quicker - on my old lap top - than Hotmail. So I recommend you also get a GMail account and give it a try. It is very easy to set up the POP access.

Best of luck!

[RDN]

There are lots of references to winmail.dat attachments here:

http://www.google.com/search?q=winmail.dat...:en-US:official

But this one gives a summary of what to do:

http://www.keypoint.com.au/knowledge.html?strid=1454

Attachments appearing as Winmail.dat

Email messages arrive or are sent with file attached called winmail.dat. Attempting to open this file fails, or displays bogus data

This problem is most commonly caused by the sender using Outlook 97 and Outlook 2000. Some Netscape Messenger clients may also experience this although rare.

Outlook allows for multiple email formats, Plain Text, Rich Text and HTML. When sending messages as Rich Text or HTML, Outlook automatically attaches a winmail.dat file containing all the formatting options included, however Outlook is the only email program that uses winmail.dat. If the person receiving the email does not have Outlook, they may receive a winmail.dat file rather then the original attachment, or may receive a message which is the size of the attachment, although no attachment is visible (this often happens to Outlook Express users)

If you are sending winmail.dat files

  1. Select 'Tools'

  2. Select 'Options'

  3. Select the 'Mail Format' tab in the window that appears

  4. Under 'Message Format', select 'Plain Text'

  5. Click the "OK" button.

By changing the default format of your email, all emails will be sent out as plain text. You can change the format of an individual email by selecting the desired type from the 'Format' menu when composing a new message.

[JulesTH]

Thanks to everyone!

The winmail.dat issue is solved. I did in fact change my default message format to Rich Text recently. Have changed back and no problems any longer!

And I have given up trying to access my second hotmail account via Outlook (Express didn't work either; tried it). It's a shame though ... will have to find a different way to make it more user friendly, I guess.

Cheers

[Mr_Happy]

I have Gmail invites if you want to go that route, it supports POP directly...

[dclaryjr]

I have Gmail invites if you want to go that route, it supports POP directly...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My understanding is that you can use your POP account to read your gmail but not the other way around. THAT's what I would like to see added.

[Ken]

I have Gmail invites if you want to go that route, it supports POP directly...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My understanding is that you can use your POP account to read your gmail but not the other way around. THAT's what I would like to see added.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If I understand what you mean, I use gmail to both receive and send mail using POP (I use Incredimail as opposed to Outlook/Outlook Express or others, but don't think that would make any difference).

[dclaryjr]

If I understand what you mean, I use gmail to both receive and send mail using POP (I use Incredimail as opposed to Outlook/Outlook Express or others, but don't think that would make any difference).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What I mean is: My main email account is through my Road Runnner account. With Yahoo mail I can download mail that is in my Road Runner mailbox. The way I read it, I can't do that with gmail. If you're saying I can than that is good news and I'll check it out.

[RDN]

...And I have given up trying to access my second Hotmail account via Outlook (Express didn't work either; tried it). ...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Jules,

Don't take this the wrong way, but you may be doing something wrong if you can't get multiple Hotmail accounts to work using Outlook Express as I have currently 39 working!

There is a possibility that it's a Hotmail problem: all my Hotmails have been accessed by me using OE for a long time, and I have recently started to get a message from Hotmail to each account saying that because I am "an existing and valued customer" that they will let me continue to use POP on these accounts - presumably, but not stated, for ever.

Maybe your Hotmail accounts have not been given this "exemption from restriction" - as Hotmail puts it - because you have not accessed them from OE or Outlook before the restriction was applied.