OUTLOOK
Attaching a File to an e-Mail
One of the most useful features of e-mail is the ability to
send files to another person. It
does not matter what program was used to create the file but you should be aware
that your server may be set up to stop you sending files with extensions like
.exe, .bat, etc which could be used to transport viruses.
As an attached file adds a lot of size to your e-mail you
should
try to limit attached files to no more than 1-2 Mb.
Some Internet Service Providers may actually refuse to carry attachments
that exceed this limit and your e-mail will not be delivered.
Large attached files also take a long time to download if the recipient
has a slow internet connection, it would probably be cheaper to write the file
onto a CD and post it than to pay the telephone bill when it takes an hour to
download.
If you do want to attach a file to an e-mail you simply
need to start a new e-mail and then click on the Insert drop-down menu
and choose File or click on the paper clip icon if one is displayed at
the top of the window. You will now
see the window below where you can navigate around your drives to find the file
you want to insert. Click on the
file name and then click the Insert button and your file will be
attached.
You will now be returned to your e-mail and you can see the
file attached to it. Further files
may be attached by using the Insert menu again but remember to try and
keep their total size to 1-2 Mb.
If you choose the wrong file or change your mind about sending an attachment, click your right mouse button on the attachment while you are creating the e-mail and choose Remove from the menu that appears.
When you
are happy with your attachments, click the Send button to send your
e-mail as normal. When the e-mail
arrives the recipient will see a paper clip in the attachments column of their
Inbox so they will know there is something attached. A paper clip symbol also appears in the corner of the e-mail
when it is previewed and this can be used to open
the attachment. However, it is better to double-click
the e-mail to open it in its own window, the attachment icon will then be
displayed in the message body of the e-mail and you can right-click your mouse
on the icon to choose whether to open it or save it.
When you click on an attached file you may be given the
choice of opening it or saving it to disk if the type of file is not
automatically recognised as one associated with a particular program.
If you cannot open it directly from the e-mail, choose the ‘S
ave it to disk’
option and save it somewhere where you will be able to retrieve once you are
running the relevant program.
Click here to return to the Outlook index.