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Attachments

Overview - Attachments 

If attachments exist for a message, a paperclip will appear in the attachment column of the message list pane, and a paperclip will appear on the right side of the message preview header.

Attachment security 

Email attachments can contain programs or other executable objects. If the attachment happens to be a computer virus then opening the attachment, either within the message or later when you have saved it, can cause serious harm to your computer. Viruses can also harm the computers of your correspondents if you spread it by sending them a message, or even simply by having them in your address book.

To help reduce the spread of viruses, security measures are available to you. The attachment behavior in NEO mimics the behavior in Microsoft Outlook.

Important:     NEO does not scan for, identify or protect you from viruses. Only what types of attachments are permitted for opening and/or saving is controlled.

Be sure to exercise caution when dealing with attachments.

The type of security available in NEO depends on the security you have installed in Outlook. In June 2000, Microsoft made available an optional update called the E-mail Security Update. The security update provides for much stricter attachment control than previously.

Microsoft E-mail Security Update installed

NEO exactly mimics the behavior of the Microsoft update. To modify your settings in NEO, consult your Outlook documentation and make the changes in Outlook. NEO will observe those settings.

Microsoft E-mail Security Update NOT installed

Certain file types may be saved to disk only. Other file types may be opened or saved to disk. In NEO, the list of file types that can be saved to disk only is the same as the list used in Outlook. However, the NEO list can be modified in the registry.

Changing the save-to-disk only list

Note that you should not make changes in the registry unless you are very confident in what you are doing. The registry setting to change is:

NEO Find:  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\CAELO SOFTWARE\NEO FIND\1.0\OPTIONS\ALERTEXTENSIONLIST

Simply add or remove from the list, being sure to preserve the format.

Alternative for confirmation prompts for a file type

When you save or open certain types of files, you can uncheck a box that says "Always ask before opening or saving this type of file."  If you do, it will subsequently automatically open or save the attachment when you click the attachment name from the icon. However, when clicking the paperclip icon, NEO now also shows a “Save Attachment” icon below the file name to allow the user a choice to save the attachment.

Re-enabling confirmation prompts for a file type

When you save or open certain types of files, you can uncheck a box that says "Always ask before opening or saving this type of file."  If you do, it will subsequently automatically open or save the attachment when you select it.

You can re-enable prompting again for one or more file types by editing the following registry entry:

NEO Find:  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\CAELO SOFTWARE\NEO FIND\1.0\OPENATTACH

Simply remove the entry(s) associated with the extension of the file type in question (e.g., remove DOC entries to re-enable prompting for Word DOC attachments).

Opening attachments 

To open an attachment, click on the paperclip at the right of the message preview header. It the entry is grayed-out (disabled), attachment security has prevented you from accessing it.

Choose Open it.

To help prevent computer viruses, certain types of files may not be opened. To open these types of attachments, save them to disk and open them there, after you have ensured they do not contain viruses.

Saving attachments 

To save an attachment, click on the paperclip at the right of the message preview header.

Choose Save to disk. With multiple attachments, the option to Save All Attachments is available to save them all at once to disk.

You may open saved attachments after you have ensured they do not contain viruses.

Removing attachments 

If you delete a message that contains an attachment, all the objects attached to the message are also deleted.

To remove an attachment from a message (and keep the message), follow the following steps:

1. Open the message in the message editor (double-click the message or enter Ctrl+O).

2. Select the attachment(s) you want to remove.

3. Right-click and choose remove.

Note that when you remove attachments in this way, they are permanently removed (they do not go to the Deleted Items folder).