Kitz Forum
Internet => Web Browsing & Email => Topic started by: Oranged on March 26, 2009, 12:11:33 PM
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I've recently downloaded IE8 and Avira Antivir Personal (free).
Since then I've not been able to open email attachments (using Outlook Express+WinXP) and I'm guessing it's Avira but after checking all the settings I can't see anything that could be preventing an attachment being opened.
Likewise in IE8, nothing in the settings seems to affect email attachments.
There are no error messages etc displayed when trying to open......it's just nothing happens.....zilch ???
I can save the attachment then open it but it won't open directly from the Outlook Express message.
Any clues would be gratefully received :)
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Installing IE8 may have reset your internet security levels.
The first two places to check......both in Outlook Express.
1.......go tools>options>security>virus protection and make sure there is no check mark in the box "do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus"
2.....go tools>options>read>reading and make sure there is no check mark in the box "reaf all messages in plain text"
Try these and see what happens......might even cure the problem... ;D
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Thanks for this.
IE8 was my first thought so I had already checked the Tools > Options in both IE8 and OE.
I've double-checked those you have indicated and all seem OK.
But I have now narrowed it down to .jpg files as I can open .gif, .dat and .doc files.......... ???
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Then possibly it is a .jpg file association problem.
In windows explorer tools>folder options>file types then run down the list of file extensions and check that .jpeg and .jpg are set to be opened by an appropriate program.... :)
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:no: :no: :no:........but I'm impressed by your knowledge of XP ;D
I'm now almost convinced that Avira is the culprit.
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:hmm:
How do you get on if you disable the Avira MailGuard...?
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:P.......this is where I'm one step ahead of you.
After disproving my initial thoughts that IE8 was the culprit, I set about Avira and the first change was to disable all the active settings.....no result.
As I'm new to Avira, I'm still finding my way around it so there may be a setting that is causing the problem.....but I've yet to identify it.
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I don't use Avira so am ignorant of all the options within it.
Does your mail arrive via any sort of third party filter.........spam filter or the like ?
Also, does you ISP filter what it may consider to be dodgy stuff ?
Oh, one more place to look in Outlook Express......Tools> Options>Security and clear the check box for Block images and other external content in HTML e-mail.
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Mail is downloaded from O2 into Outlook Express, any identified spam is left in the spam folder on webmail.
But let me explain, the attachments that I can't open are historic and have previously been opened (using previous version IE and CA's eTrust AV).
This is why I'm certain that IE8 and/or Avira are causing the problem but I can't understand why all other file extensions will open except jpeg's.
I have checked that Windows Picture & Fax Viewer is functioning by opening photographs.
If Avira was blocking jpegs by reason of a setting then I would expect a message to be displayed such as when a web site is identified :
26/03/2009,15:14:53 [WARNING] Suspicious file: Contains HEUR/HTML.Malware suspicious code!
but looking at the avguard.log there is no record relating to jpeg files.
one more place to look in Outlook Express......Tools> Options>Security and clear the check box for Block images and other external content in HTML e-mail.
This was checked but is now unchecked but has made no difference, although I thought that this blocked incoming images in the body of the email.
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I'm afraid Ive nothing to add - other than say how puzzling. Normally the solution is the ones outlined by TD in his post above.
I'm not familiar with Avira, nor have I yet installed IE8 - so Im pretty useless :/
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Morning oranged.... :)
As kitz says above, this is a funny one.
Your last post puts a new complexion on the problem, and has information which would have been useful if it had been posted originally.
All the tweaks in OE mentioned above now seem irrelevant.
It is almost as if your original antivirus mail checker has somehow tagged the attachments as safe, but the upon uninstall of that av and installation of the new one, these tags have been lost and the "link" between the attachment icon and the actual image has been broken and lost.
Will have to head scratch and come back.. :)
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Hi Oranged
Am I right in assuming you are also Wonderob ?
I was going to suggest the Avira forum but looks like you already got there ;D
Regards Jeff
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@jeffbb
Yes, no further forward with resolving this little problem......although it's not causing any particular hassle at the moment.
Avira Personal Free AV does not have an email scanner as such but it does obviously catch anything in attachments.
I know from what I've read about Avira that it doesn't like certain other software and I'm also running Counterspy v3 but not in active mode so I'm wondering if there could be a conflict......but why it's only .jpg files being affected is a mystery to me.....and obviously everybody else !!
My next test is to uninstall IE8 and revert to IE7 to eliminate that possibility.
The only other software update I can remember doing in the last few days is Java on 24/3/09.
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Hi
As a matter of interest what AV did you have before ?
Jeff
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As a matter of interest what AV did you have before ?
CA eTrust which I uninstalled on 25/3/09 after I downloaded Avira.
I downloaded IE8 on 24/3/09.
Unfortunately I only discovered the attachment problem subsequent to 25/3/09 so I can't be sure if it's IE8, Avira or something else.
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Morning.. ;D
It seems not be an Avira problem, as you say there is no helpful response on the Avira forum.
The problem is that the internet is awash with posts from people with exactly the same problem, but each case seems to have a different cause and a different cure.
The concensus of opinion seems to be that if the above tweaks to Outlook Express don't do the trick, then saving to desktop or whereever and then opening is the only answer.
Not giving up though, still sniffing around........I'm sure I saw a registry hack somewhere that helps...if only I could find it again... :blush:
Will be back.
Meant to ask..............how did you uninstall CA eTrust and did you use the clean up tool to get rid of all and any leftover entries for it. ?
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Meant to ask..............how did you uninstall CA eTrust and did you use the clean up tool to get rid of all and any leftover entries for it. ?
I didn't find an uninstall in the CA directory so I used Windows Add/Remove then ran CCleaner to clean up the registry.
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CA eTrust is awkward to get rid of cleanly...........CCleaner may not be up to the job, and orphaned files from CA may be the cause of your problems, either in themselves or by causing conflict within your new av.
Set a system restore point, back up your registry and then have a look at this :-
1. Start->Run->and type in: unvet32.exe
Pay attention to what the uninstaller displays, if it can't remove
something you'll have to delete it manually.
2. Depending upon how badly the uninstaller failed after you've ran it
you "may" need to manually delete the following:
* C:\Windows\AVShlExt.dll
* C:\Windows\System32\ISafeIf.dll
* C:\Windows\System32\iSafProd.dll
* C:\Windows\System32\VetRedir.dll
* C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\VetEBoot.sys
* C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\VetEFile.sys
* C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\VetFDDNT.sys
* C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\Vet-Filt.sys
* C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\VetMonNT.sys
* C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\Vet-Rec.sys
* C:\Program Files\CA\eTrust EZ Armor\eTrust EZ Antivirus
* The EZAV start menu program group located in Start->All Programs
* In the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ComputerAssociates\Ant i-Virus
If EZAV is the only eTrust software you've ever installed it should be
safe to remove in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ComputerAssociates
If you had to manually remove any files run UnVet32.exe again to see
what it displays. If it displays a successful message it will delete
itself, thus a complete uninstall.
:)
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* unvet32.exe
* C:\Windows\AVShlExt.dll
* C:\Windows\System32\ISafeIf.dll
* C:\Windows\System32\iSafProd.dll
* C:\Windows\System32\VetRedir.dll
* C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\VetEBoot.sys
* C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\VetEFile.sys
* C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\VetFDDNT.sys
* C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\Vet-Filt.sys
* C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\VetMonNT.sys
* C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\Vet-Rec.sys
* C:\Program Files\CA\eTrust EZ Armor\eTrust EZ Antivirus
* The EZAV start menu program group located in Start->All Programs
* In the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ComputerAssociates\Ant i-Virus
If EZAV is the only eTrust software you've ever installed it should be
safe to remove in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ComputerAssociates
OK I've searched C:\ for all those files and registry references and can find none of them nor are there any Computer Associates or eTrust directories. Also as unvet32.exe cannot be found, it looks like the uninstall was 100% completed.
I must thank you for the time and effort you're putting into this problem.
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Hi
I was wondering wether your last AV was still lurking somewhere hence my question. Doesn't seem like it.
Have you tried sending an Email to yourself with a JPG attachment? . This is to rule out the possibility that there may be something wrong with those that previously opened OK.
Regards Jeff
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Morning.
Good suggestion from jeffbb above.
If you have already saved these images to a location such as My Pictures, could you go to My Pictures then go tools>folder options>view and scroll down to and untick the box "hide extensions of known file types" apply/ok and make sure that the relevant files are still .jpg
Do you have Kodak Easyshare spftware installed.?
Have you tried rolling back to IE7 ?
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Good Morning,
I have sent myself a jpg attachment and I cannot open it.
"Hide extensions of known file types" was already unticked.
No Kodak Easyshare software.
I am intending to uninstall IE8 and re-install IE7 either later today or tomorrow
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The mystery deepens.
I deleted browsing history in IE8 and 3 separate jpg attachments in OE opened then the 4th failed.
I closed all the open ones and they would not re-open even when I cleared IE8 down again.
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I think you should call in an exorcist..... :lol:
OK, it's a problem with/in IE............off to scratch head again...will be back.. :)
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Hi
@ oranged : I have sent myself a jpg attachment and I cannot open it.
Grasping at straws ! You did send one that was not involved with your current problem.
quote : I deleted browsing history in IE8 and 3 separate jpg attachments in OE opened then the 4th failed.
I closed all the open ones and they would not re-open even when I cleared IE8 down again.
Still grasping at straws .. can you reboot and repeat the first of the above actions
Just thinking that maybe some tag is being attached .
Regards jeff
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Grasping at straws ! You did send one that was not involved with your current problem.
Yes, in fact I sent 2 different ones each using 2 different email addresses (i.e. a mix of 4 x O2 and Googlemail addresses) just to be sure.
Still grasping at straws .. can you reboot and repeat the first of the above actions
Yes, I see where you're going.....too late now but I will try in the morning with a refreshed brain.....this is now really beginning to annoy me.
It's not that I receive many emails with jpg attachments and I know there's a workaround by saving the file but I just want to know why this has suddenly started happening.
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>> Do you have Kodak Easyshare spftware installed.?
More grasping at straws - by any chance do you have Samsung Sudio software installed?
A few years ago that stopped me viewing some images and playing mp3s in my pc until I applied a Samsung patch.
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@jeffbb : no, the reboot process didn't replicate the earlier success.
@kitz : no Samsung software loaded.
I've also just run a SuperAntiSpyware scan just to check that Counterspy had picked up everything.......which it had.
So this morning I will uninstall IE8 and re-install IE7 then check again.
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Well it looks like IE8 was the culprit :hmm:
Surely it can't be just me that's been affected......the Beta version would have exposed any glitch wouldn't it ?
Edit : I've logged an email with Microsoft Technical Support.
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I'm afraid Ive no idea what it could have been then in IE*. But I am glad that youve found the culprit.
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Edit : I've logged an email with Microsoft Technical Support.
And the best of luck............... :wall:
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Glad you have resolved the issue, at least in part.... :)
Will be interesting to see any comments you get from Microsoft..
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:thumbs: at least its cured !!
regards Jeff
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Yes, cured but not explained......pity because for the short time I used it, I think IE8 is a real improvement.
It must be something in the registry but somehow I doubt that :angel:Microsoft Technical Support:angel: will confirm that ;)
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Have been pondering a bit ( never a good thing for TD to do !)
Did IE8 not introduce a new generation of ActiveX controls ? If so, could that be conflicting with older files ?
Also, I notice that there are two versions of IE8, one for XP, one for Vista...............did you get the correct one ? :)
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Did IE8 not introduce a new generation of ActiveX controls ? If so, could that be conflicting with older files ?
Also, I notice that there are two versions of IE8, one for XP, one for Vista...............did you get the correct one ? :)
Not sure about new ActiveX, but as I said before, if there is an ActiveX conflict........why just me ?
Yes, definitely downloaded the correct one, I did check that as one of the first possible reasons.
Your earlier comment about the amount of problems reported concerning inability to open attachments seems to indicate a generic coding error that has run through all IE releases affecting various file types. It's now probably buried so deep even Microsoft can't find it.
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Response from Microsoft.....salient points only :
Here are a few steps that should help us resolve the problem:
Please save the attachment on the desktop and try to open it.
After saving try this option
1. Right click on the jpg file and click on open with and click on browse and select Microsoft 2. Office Picture Manager or Windows Picture and fax Viewer and check the box which reads Always use the selected program to open this kind of file and click on ok
I have responded with a more detailed descriptions of remedial actions taken so far :D
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Oh well, at least you got a reply.
It's good of them to suggest a cure that we hadn't thought of.... :lol:
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They are not connected to BT technical support by any chance :wall: :D
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Update : this should be good, having read the list of everything that I've checked, MS Technical Support believe a troubleshoot phone call is required 8)..........roll on 2pm tomorrow when a senior Technical Support Engineer will phone me.
It means I have to download IE8 again, which I've just completed and just to satisfy my own curiosity, I tried to open several of the jpg attachments again in the vain hope that something may have "unclogged"...... :no: :no: :no:........still can't open them.
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:lol: :lol: :lol:
Microsoft's Senior Technical Support Engineer decided to email me instead of making the troubleshooting phone call because :
I have checked with my resources that Internet Explorer 8 is in Beta version. Windows needs some patches to be installed before IE8 is installed. Let's uninstall IE8 and do not install it manually. It will be automatically installed when the patches are installed for Windows XP.
Now that comment regarding it still being in Beta really puzzles me because it appears the trade press think otherwise :-\ :-\
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I dont know if this is relevant or not - but Ive seen several reports of late that perhaps IE8 isnt registering a dll file properly during installation, and that re-registering the dll can speed up IE8.
The dll is actxprxy.dll and some users have noticed a real speed up of IE8 and duplicate tabs after re-registering it - The original article is here (http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=2443).
So thinking about this further... IE + OE have and share some core dll files, and if any of them arent registered properly then weird things start happening.
There is a long standing issue that OE can sometimes break and stop letting you open webpage links... and theres a well known remedy that re-registering these the dll files fixes the problem in OE. - (See Outlook Express wont open web page links. (http://www.kitz.co.uk/tute/emailFAQs.htm))
These core dll files are
urlmon.dll
Mshtml.dll
Actxprxy.dll
Oleaut32.dll
Shell32.dll
Shdocvw.dll
Now do you see my line of thought?
If its already known that re-registering actxprxy.dll can speed up IE8... because its assumed that for some reason IE8 needs it to be re-registered.... I wonder if trying to re-register the other dlls will fix anything.
It's a long shot and may not work.. but it certainly wont harm to try.
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Thanks for that suggestion.
I've re-registered each one except Mshtml.dll because it produced an error message along the lines of :
Mshtml.dll loaded but DllRegisterServer entry point not found
So I proceeded to re-boot but nothing has changed.....jpg attachments still won't open. But is the Mshtml.dll error message significant ?
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Probably not since its targeting hmtl content.
I do think this is possible to have something to do with some file or .dll not being registered properly in a very similar way to which some previous IE updates could break the link for OE to open hmtl files.
Unfortunately though, I dont know enough about IE8 & .dlls to know which ones it could be affecting in this particular case for jpegs.... so I dont want to advise you on something that Im unsure about to take you any further down that path, even though I wouldn't be too surprised if thats where the problem lies.
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More clutching at straws - are you using XP?
If so, you could try restoring jpeg file associations.
** A warning before you do this, that it will have the effect of making Windows Picture & Fax Viewer the default handler for jpegs. If you have image editing software on your PC that was previously the program which opened jpgs,you will later need to reset it from within that program, so that it will handle jpgs by default.
Dougknox (a well known and trusted site for fixing various registry problems), has a repair file for jpegs about half way down his page here (http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm). - (Restore the default associations for jpe/jpg/jpeg files)
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Thanks for all the help on this.
I'm going to follow MS's advice and uninstall IE8, re-install IE7, wait for the patches to be completed then download IE8 during an automatic update in WinXP. I hear this is likely to happen at the end of this month.
Again, thanks for all the learned advice :)
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Morning.
Oranged before doing that, TD has been pondering again..... :o
You mentioned some posts ago that you had checked your jpg file associations and all was well.
Have you tried to alter the association to make IE7 ( or 8 ) as the default opener, might work and of course you would still be free to manually open in anu prog. you wanted... :)
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hmmm Ive just been doing a little bit of googling re re mshtml.dll and IE8
From here - Whats wrong with the mshtml dll in ie8? (http://www.eggheadcafe.com/software/aspnet/33560929/ie8-beta-and-windows-fold.aspx).
Interesting that someone else has noticed that mshtml.dll isnt working properly on his version of IE8 and it had the effect of not being able to view folder background images (jpgs?)
The more Ive looked into this, more and more I see mention of IE8 incorrectly registering some .dlls and I've also seen mention of it on occasions stopping some images on the local machine that rely on other MS related software from working.
The symptoms are very similar to yours in that the image can be opened standalone but not via the other MS applications such as explorer backgound images, visual search.. and presumably this would also include OE. :/
Unfortunately though I dont seem to have stumbled on a solution. :(
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@TD & Kitz
I think the MS response :
I have checked with my resources that Internet Explorer 8 is in Beta version. Windows needs some patches to be installed before IE8 is installed. Let's uninstall IE8 and do not install it manually. It will be automatically installed when the patches are installed for Windows XP.
indicates enough to me that they know there are problems and the patches are being worked on but I am puzzled that MS are saying it's still in Beta when all other indications are that it is in general release form for manual downloading (as opposed to being in a Windows update).
Anyway as it's only the jpg attachments that are affected (to my knowledge) I'll use IE7 until the bugs are out of IE8......I'm in no hurry.
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hmm well hopefully they will have ironed out all the bugs by then :-X
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I had a similar problem,but with .exe files,so i had to edit the registry to allow .exe. The only thing that stops avira free being listed as the top AV is that it doesnt have e-mail scanner.Try this link,if its still open,its for avira premium free for 6 months,which has an e-mail scanner
https://license.avira.com/en/promotion-8821dtghledngvzkrrqr