INTRODUCTION
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The internet mail system can only handle text email messages. If you need to send somebody a file then you need to attach that file to your email message.
Because the internet can only handle text, the attached file needs to be ‘encoded’ into a form of text and ‘decoded’ on receipt to restore it to its original format. Normally this encoding and decoding is done automatically by your mail program and you are not aware of the process.
The most common format for encoding attached files is called MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions.) There are others including UUEncode and BinHex.
If you receive a lot of files attached to your email messages which you are unable to view directly from your Compuserve software, you may wish to consider using an alternative mail program to read your email that handles attached files more easily.
For Compuserve 'classic' users, a POP3 mail program is the answer. Read the file POPMAIL.PDF in the Email & Communications Forum file libraries for more information.
For Compuserve 2000 users, an IMAP mail program is the answer. Read the file IMAPFAQ.TXT in the Email & Communications Forum file libraries for more information.
When sending an attached file it is important to include information in the accompanying email message about the name of the file, the program that was used to create it and the type of file.
For example: ‘Here is my resume, it was written using Word 97 and is called resume.doc.’ ‘Here is a picture of the new baby, it is a gif format image file called baby.gif.’ ‘Here is the presentation, it was created using Powerpoint 97 and is called product.ppt.’
Also it is important to make sure that the recipient has the necessary programs on their computer to view the attached files and even if they have the same type of computer or are running the same version of windows!
TO SEND A FILE USING COMPUSERVE 'CLASSIC.'
There is a useful help file in the UK Help Forum (GO word UKHELP) called ATTCHFAQ.HTM
Click on Mail
Create New Mail
Address your message and type any message text in the usual way.
Click on Attach File
Locate the file to be sent
Check the file type. Normally this will be selected automatically based on the filename.
If in doubt choose Binary for anything that is not a text file containing only the
characters that you can type from your keyboard.
Click on Send
If you get an error message
'Problem sending mail message. Receiver(s) not valid for binary...'
then you need to GO NEWMAIL and upgrade your mailbox to the Newmail system. This will enable you to send binary files attached to your email messages. Please note that you need to be using a version of the Compuserve access software to do this.
If you get an error message that the mail is too large for the gateway this means that your file exceeds the 2 megabyte size limit on files that can be sent from your standard mailbox. There are programs you can download from the Compuserve forum libraries that will enable you to split large files into smaller segments.
Or you can download some useful windows 95 utilities from:
http://www.softwarelabs.com/win95/win9
5404.htm
http://www.vis.inf.ethz.ch/students/cma
rkste/
For more sites and utilities connect to http://www.altavista.com and search for 'Splitting large files.'
SENDING FILES (COMPUSERVE 2000.)
Click on the Create Mail button
Address your message and include some information in the email about what type of file you are sending and what it is called. Then click on the Attachment button.
Now click on the Add button and locate the file you wish to attach to your message.
Once you have found it (you can use the Preview Picture option to make sure it is the correct image) click on the Open button.
You can continue to attach further files using the Add button. When you are ready to send your message click on the Attach button and then on the Send Now button.
You will see a progress meter that records how much of the message has been sent.
Finally you will see a message that the transfer is complete.
If you attach multiple files to an email message, then they are automatically compressed into a 'zip' archive. Your recipient will need to 'unzip' the archive to extract the individual files. The WinZip program will do this.
Q. How do I send an image from my scanner with
email?
A. With most email software, it is very easy to do. There are various
SEND menus for email in some scanning software, but it will be greatly easier if done the
conventional way instead, described here.
First, just scan the image normally, and create a normal image file from it. The file
should be fairly small, or it can be dreadfully slow both to send and receive. If the
recipient will view the image on their 640x480 or 800x600 screen, then the image should
not be larger than their screen. Save a copy of the image as a JPG file, because JPG is
very small and kind to modems (usually less than 1/10 the size of other image file
formats). The email UUE or MIME encoding causes the number of bytes actually sent to be
about 40% larger than the indicated file size. FTP or web site images are therefore 40%
faster than email images. Anyway, the smaller JPG files are much faster to send and
receive than other types. If it is not a JPG file, then at least use WinZIP to compress the files and send the ZIP file. This
also allows multiple files to be kept tidy in one file. However, some email servers will
limit the maximum file size, perhaps to 2 megabytes.
If you are somehow successful inserting the image file into the body of the message, you
just get random gibberish characters, a little like hieroglyphics. You cannot put binary
files "into" text messages.
The way you send an image with email is to "Attach" the image file to the email
text message. The email programs will have a menu item ATTACH, and the toolbar often shows
a paperclip symbol to denote "Attach" a file. See previous sections for step by
step instructions on how to do this using Compuserve.
AOL 3.0 software has (on the left side of the message text body) a large ATTACH button
with a paperclip icon
The AOL 4.0 & 5.0 Write Mail option has an "Attachment" button at the lower
left corner, under the body of the text of the message, and will allow multiple files to
be selected and attached. Multiple files will be zipped into one file and sent as one
file.
Eudora and Netscape have paperclip toolbar buttons for Attach, and they also have a text
menu "Attach file".
Microsoft programs usually instead call this attach menu "INCLUDE - FILE".
Compose your text message normally, and while you are composing the email message text
(while you have it open), also select the ATTACH menu or button. That will then allow you
to locate and select the file(s) to be attached. The file will be "attached" and
sent along with the email text. You can always send this message to yourself (to your own
email address) as a way to test your procedure.
Your internet provider is your best support for email problems, especially if that is
where you obtained the email program.
If you are determined to try to use the built-in email features of your scanner software you may need to define a 'MAPI' program. An Application Programming Interface (API) defines a standard way in which two programs communicate. MAPI defines a way (in MS Windows) for a non-email program (like your scanner software) to talk to an email program (like Outlook Express) in order to send a message.
The following Microsoft Knowledge Base article shows you how to
setup Outlook Express as your default MAPI mail client
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q178/0/77.ASP
You can get instructions on how to setup Outlook Express to work with your CS2000 mailbox at
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Iain_Noble/imap.htm
RECEIVING FILES (COMPUSERVE 'CLASSIC')
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There is a useful help file in the UK Help Forum (GO word UKHELP)
called ATTCHFAQ.HTM
If you get an email message in several parts then one or more of these parts may be an
attached file.
In order to read the file:
1) It needs to be decoded from the special format used to mail it over the internet. This usually happens automatically.
2) You need the correct program to read the file.
When your waiting e-mail is being downloaded to your Incoming Messages folder, any attached files will be stored in your \Download subdirectory. When you subsequently read the new messages in your Incoming Messages folder, a message with an attached file will appear as a multi-part message. I.e., when you open the message, you will see an indication (on the left side of the header area of the Read Mail window) that this is Part 1 of 2. You would then click on the adjacent right-arrow button to advance to Part 2 of 2, where you should see something like this:
*** File Mail ***
The name of the file is XXXXXXXX.XXX
The size of the file is NNNNN bytes
You can then click on the Open button (in the header area of the Read Mail window). If your CS4 software understands what kind of file it is that you have received, it will then open and display the file for you.
Sometimes, however, when you click on the Open button, you will get the message "Sorry! A viewer for this format is not currently available." This generally means that your CS4 software is unable to determine what kind of file you've received. If you look down at the very bottom of the Read Mail window, just above the Windows Task Bar, you will see the full name and location (normally your \Download subdirectory) of the attached file displayed. Using this information, you can then try to open the file yourself using an appropriate application program.
A general word of warning. Increasingly files attached to email messages can carry harmful code, computer viruses, 'worms' and 'trojans' - all of which can damage the data on your computer and wreak havoc with your mail system. NEVER open an attachment from an unknown sender or that you have not requested. If in any doubt check with a site such as http://198.85.228.61/ for general information and updates on the latest virus threats and hoaxes.
Here are some common file 'extensions' (the three letters after the . in the filename) and what type of file they are.
.txt a text file. Open using your Notepad or Wordpad programs.
.uue a uuencoded file
.mme .mim a mime encoded file
.hqx a binhex encoded file, used mainly by macintosh computers
Decode with the Decode Shell Extension
program
.rtf rich text format, used to exchange word processed documents. Open using your Wordpad program.
.htm .html Hypertext Markup Language, used to write web pages. Open using your web browser program (Netscape or Internet Explorer.)
.exe 'Executable file' in other words a program that you run on
your computer. TREAT WITH EXTREME CAUTION! If the program is from somebody you know
and trust then you may be safe to run it. Otherwise use virus detection software to scan
the file for potentially harmful effects before using it.
An example of an .exe file with undesirable features would be the HAPPY99.EXE
'virus.'
.ppt
.pps Powerpoint Files and Powerpoint Slide Shows
To view Powerpoint files download the free Powerpoint
Viewer
.pdf Portable Display format. Needs the Adobe Acrobat Reader program
.doc MicroSoft Word file. The MicroSoft
Word Viewer allows anyone to read word documents without having to have theMicroSoft
Word Program
Please treat with extreme caution even if you know and trust the person sending you
the document. There are a number of word 'macro' viruses that can be transmitted in word
documents. A recent example is the MELISSA email 'virus.'
.gif .jpg .bmp Image files that require an image viewer.
.tiff tagged image file format, used to exchange image files. Requires an image viewer.
IRFANVIEW will enable you to
view almost any image file.
.xls Excel spreadsheet file. Needs a spreadsheet program or the Excel Viewer
.wav Soundfile. Needs a player program
.avi .mpg Video files. Need a player program. The most popular free program is Realplayer
Any of the above files may have been 'compressed' to save storage space and transmission time. They will need to be decompressed. The most common compression formats are:
.zip Use WinZIP to decompress.
.sit StuffIt, used by macintosh computers. Use StuffIt Expander for
Windows but there is no guarantee that the file will work on an IBM PC.
If the encoded attachment is included with the text of the email message and not as a separate part, you need to use the File menu, Save As option to save the whole thing as a text file in a directory and under a filename that you can remember. Then proceed to the next section.
DECODING FILES
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There are 3 main encoding formats for files that are sent attached to your email messages
- uuencode (filename.uue) mime (filename.mme) and binhex (filename.hqx)
There is a useful help file in the UK Help Forum (GO word UKHELP) about MIME called MIME.TXT Another good file called ENCODE.HTM covers manually encoding and decoding files.
If you open the encoded file in a text editor like WordPad you can find clues as to which format you have been sent.
This is what the start of a uuencoded file looks like:
begin 644 10577_01b.jpg
M_]C_X``02D9)1@`!`0```0`!``#_VP!#``,"`@,"`@,#`P,$`P,$!0@%!00$
M!0H'!P8(#`H,#`L*"PL-#A(0#0X1#@L+$!80$1,4%145#`\7&!84&!(4%13_
MVP!#`0,$!`4$!0D%!0D4#0L-%!04%!04%!04%!04%!04%!04%!04%!04%!04
M%!04%!04%!04%!04%!04%!04%!04%!3_P``1"`)``2D#`2(``A$!`Q$!_\0`
M'0```@,!`0$!`0``````````!@<$!0@#`@D!`/_$`%40``(!`P,"!`,%!`8'
M!`@!#0$"`P0%$0`&(1(Q!Q-!42)A<0@4,H&1%2-"H192L<'1\`DD,V*"DN%3
M<J+Q%R4T0U15D[(F8](8&416@Y25PG/3XO_$`!L!``(#`0$!````````````
This is what the start of a mime encoded file looks like:
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="67893_boundary_fffef6cc"
--67893_boundary_fffef6cc
Content-Type: Application/octet-stream; name="10577_01b.jpg"
Content-Description: "10577_01b.jpg base64 encoded by XferPro32"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: BASE64
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="10577_01b.jpg"
/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wBDAAMCAgMCAgMDAwMEAwMEBQgFBQQE
BQoHBwYIDAoMDAsKCwsNDhIQDQ4RDgsLEBYQERMUFRUVDA8XGBYUGBIUFRT/
This is what the start of a BinHex encoded file looks like:
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="67893_boundary_fffef6cc"
--67893_boundary_fffef6cc
Content-Type: Application/mac-binhex40; name="10577_01b.jpg"
Content-Description: "10577_01b.jpg binhex encoded by XferPro32"
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="10577_01b.jpg"
(This file must be converted with BinHex 4.0)
:$6%`06FhAc!aBLjUF'F!DR"R!&K'8P!!!!!"#68!!!!!rFhrf2rJ!""+4NP'!!%
"!!!"!!%!!2rE!%-!!`)#!`)#!`-$!`3$!`3&#!8&"!3&#JF("JJ-#J`-#`S
,#`d
1%K!0$K%1#`X3&K!4%a39&48-$aFB&K3B%K39&2rE!%-"!`3%"33&&#
430#`d
All these files can be opened with the Decode Shell Extension program.
To download the Decode Shell Extension program connect to this web site address:
http://www.funduc.com/otsoft.htm#decodeshellextension
If you open the file in WordPad and it looks like this:
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN">
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META content=text/html;charset=iso-8859-1
http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META content='"MSHTML 4.72.3110.7"' name=GENERATOR>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Here is a test message with HTML send turned
on.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Rgds,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Iain
Noble</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
Then it is an html encoded file and you can read it using your web browser program (Internet Explorer or Netscape.) Just click on the File menu, Open option.
RECEIVING FILES (COMPUSERVE 2000)
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Single and multiple files attached to email messages should be downloaded using the
Download button on the screen. They will be placed in the C:\Compuserve200\Download directory on your
hard drive. They can be accessed using the Download Manager option under the Mail Center
menu.
Multiple attached files will be downloaded as filename.mim and need to be decoded.
There is an excellent free decoding program that can be used with CS2000 called Decode Extension Shell.
Here is a web site address that has step-by-step instructions for Compuserve 2000 users:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Iain_Noble/Decode.htm
To download the Decode Shell Extension program connect to this web site address:
http://www.funduc.com/otsoft.htm#decodeshellextension
Please note that to receive image files attached to email,
Parental Controls must be set to allow this.
FORWARDING EMAIL MESSAGES WITH ATTACHED FILES
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Forwarding multi-part messages (i.e., messages that display on your screen as having a
Part 1, a Part 2, etc.) using the CS3/CS4 software is more complicated than it should be.
There are two different situations that you may encounter.
[1] The second or subsequent parts of the message may simply consist of additional message text. A common example of this is receiving a message that has been forwarded to you. Very often, you'll find that Part-1 contains only the new message headers (directing the forwarded message to you), while Part-2 contains the headers and text of the original message.
In this situation, you can forward the entire message as follows:
(a) With any part of the message to be forwarded open on the screen, select "Send To..." from the File menu, and then select "CompuServe Mail Recipient".
(b) A new Create Mail window will open that will contain the text of all parts of the original message. You can edit this text as necessary to remove any unwanted material (such as lengthy Internet routing headers) or to add your own new material.
(c) When the message text is ready, you can then address the message to the new recipient(s) and send it on its way.
[2] The second (or a subsequent) part of the message contains a
separate attached file. You will see the words "File Mail" on the screen when
you advance to that part of the message. In this situation, you must reattach the file to
the forwarded message body, in the same way that you would attach a file to an original
e-mail message of your own. You should be able to locate the downloaded attached file in
the \Download subdirectory of the directory where your CompuServe software is installed.
THE DREADED 'WINMAIL.DAT' ATTACHMENT
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If you receive mail with an attached file called WINMAIL.DAT:
Cause:
A message in Microsoft Exchange rich-text format is sent to a recipient who is not using Microsoft Exchange.
The Sender needs to do the following:
Solution:
Right-click the e-mail address and select 'Properties'. Clear the 'Always send to this recipient in Microsoft Exchange rich-text format' check box, and click 'OK'.
More information can be found at:
http://www.white-chocolate.com.au/Manuals/outlookwinmaildat.htm
http://support.microso ft.com/support/kb/articles/q193/1/18.asp
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q138/0/53.ASP
However as a far as you (the Recipient) are concerned the file remains unreadable and will do so until the Sender corrects their settings.
But there is a free utility that you can download from
http://www.fentun.com/ that will allow you to decode
this type
of file (or so it says.)
Most of the time, the creation of these ".bin" files is
caused by the receipt of messages that use HTML formatting. Microsoft Outlook Express --
the ubiquitous e-mail program that is included with Windows 98 and Internet Explorer 5 --
is probably the major perpetrator of this annoyance. The installation default for Outlook
Express seems to be to send two versions of each e-mail message: one in plain ASCII text
and one in HTML. Many users of Outlook Express are not even aware that this is occurring.
Each of these versions of the text is sent as a separate part of the overall e-mail
message.
The only problem is that many e-mail programs (including CompuServe's WinCIM, CS3, and CS4
programs) cannot handle HTML-formatted messages. Consequently, the CompuServe mail system
treats the HTML part of the message as an attached file. This allows you to download that
part to your hard drive and then view it with an application that does understand HTML
(e.g., your Web browser). However, since the sender was not really sending an attached
file, no file name is included in the message. This means that your CompuServe software
has to make up a name for saving file on your hard drive. These made-up file names are of
the form "Untitled.bin", "Untitled[1].bin",
"Untitled[2].bin", etc.
You can often get a clue as to what is happening by examining the MIME headers in Part 1
of the message. If you see a header such as
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
then it's a pretty good bet that the second (or perhaps third) part of the message will be
in HTML format. If you also see the header
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express
then HTML is almost a certainty.
If you regularly receive these kind of multipart messages from particular correspondents,
ask them to change the settings in their e-mail programs so that they only send plain
ASCII text messages to your CompuServe account. Doing this will eliminate the problem.
In all probability, you don't have a file association defined in Windows for the extension
".bin" -- which means that your CompuServe software doesn't know what program to
invoke to open such files. This is why you get the infamous "viewer not
available" message. Here is a method of dealing with these Untitled[N].bin files that
I have found useful:
[1] Start Windows Explorer and navigate to your ..\Download subdirectory.
[2] In that directory, locate one of the Untitled[N].bin files. Click once on the file's
name to highlight it. Then hold down the Shift key and right-click on the file's name. In
the resulting context menu, select "Open with...".
[3] In the resulting Open With dialog box, do the following:
(a) In the "Description of '.bin' files" field, enter "HTML
Attachment" (without the quotes).
(b) Scroll through the list of programs in the "Choose the program you want to
use" field and find your Web browser (e.g., Internet Explorer). Click on the name of
your Web browser to highlight it.
(c) Checkmark the "Always use this program to open this file" option.
(d) Click on the OK button.
[4] Your Web browser will open and allow you to view the attachment. When you have read
the message, close your browser.
[5] From then on, any time that you receive attachments that are downloaded under a file
name of the form "Untitled[N].bin", you will be able to view them simply by
clicking on the Open File button in the Read Mail window (where you see the "File
Mail" message).
A FEW WORDS FOR MACINTOSH COMPUTER
USERS
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The procedure for sending files attached to email messages from a macintosh computer is
exactly the same as for an IBM PC. When you receive files attached to your email, you
still need to decode them and have the correct software to view them.
There is a useful help file in the UK Help Forum (GO word UKHELP) called MACATTCH.HTM
Some problems can arise when sending files from a macintosh to an IBM PC or when receiving files on a macintosh from an IBM PC.
Often files are encoded in the MacBinbary II format. This format was established in part by Apple Computer to deal with transferring Mac files to non-Mac computer systems. The MacBinary process combines the two separate parts of a Mac file, the data fork and the resource fork, into one.
Typically the extension .bin is placed on the end of the file name. The resulting file can then be transferred to and from any non-Mac system as a standard binary file.
MacBinary is used as an alternative to BinHexing (.hqx) which typically increases a files size by 30% or more. BinHexed files are converted into a 7-bit text-only format. This results in additional hard disk space requirements and increased transfers times even with modern modem data compression.
MacBinary files increase in size by only 128 bytes, the result of the addition of a special header by the MacBinary encoding process to the file.
An IBM PC user who receives a MacBinary file will have to strip off the special header before the file can be decoded and viewed in its original format. Turn off MacBinary when sending to an IBM PC user.
For more information on the MacBinary II format connect to:
http://til.info.apple.com/techinfo.nsf/artnum/n7328
It is also important that files created on a macintosh version of a program are saved in an IBM PC compatible format when being sent to this type of computer (and vice versa.) Most programs have a Save As option under their File menu which will allow this. Once again checking with the recipient of the file as to what type of hardware and software they use can save a lot of time and trouble.
Macintosh files emailed over the Internet are usually encoded in a
special format called "BinHex", indicated by the extension .hqx . Also, these
files are often stuffed or archived, sometimes indicated by the extension .sit.hqx or
.sea.hqx. You may see files with a .bin extension, indicating yet another special format.
For more information on BinHex connect to:
http://til.info.apple.com/tilarchive.nsf/artnum/n18499
For more information on using uuencoding on your macintosh, connect to:
http://til.info.apple.com/techinfo.nsf/artnum/n18758
A free program called StuffIt Expander from Aladdin Systems makes decoding these files into useful applications on your Macintosh very easy. When combined with the DropStuff Enhancer, StuffIt Expander will decode and decompress almost any file format sent from another macintosh computer or an IBM PC. The Aladdin web site is at http://www.aladdinsys.com or you can download the files from any Macintosh Forum on Compuserve.