Apple mail users get winmail.dat files as attachments
This happens when the email passes through a Microsoft Exchange server and you are set in the Outlook user’s contacts as someone who can receive messages in “Rich Text”. This saves the attachments as Microsoft TNEF stream files.
The files are usually received by SMTP
based e-mail programs from Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Outlook
users. The SMTP based e-mail program will usually receive either a MIME
attachment named "winmail.dat" or a MIME attachment with the type
"application/ms-tnef."
The file is a rich text (or MAPI) message that is sent from Outlook to
Exchange. When Exchange sends the message to an outside server it
writes the MAPI message as a MIME attachment. The unfortunate side
effect of this plan is if the Outlook user has someone in their address
book as a person who can receive "Rich Text" then the user will receive
the TNEF file whether the user uses Outlook or not.
To resolve this issue ask the sender to remove the check box that says they can recieve Rich Text emails, or use TNEF's Enough utility to open the file. This is a freeware application that allows you to decode the attachment. click here to go to their website.
Article Date: 4th April 2007 |
