Problems Opening Email Attachments

You need the correct software to open email attachments.

There are several possible reasons why you may experience problems opening certain email attachments. The ability to open attachments depends on you having compatible application software installed on your computer.

Background

Email communication allows you to attach electronic files to email messages, giving you the ability to send and receive text documents, images and other items over the Internet.

Software applications are usually required to open these attachments; for example, PDF (Portable Document Format) files require you to have a suitable PDF reader application, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, installed on your machine.

Checks

If you have a problem opening an attachment, check with the sender to see which program should be used to open it and which version of the program is required.

If you are sure you have the correct software, request that the sender resend the attachment in case it was corrupted during transmission.

Warning

Email attachments are a common method of transmitting viruses and malware. Ensure you trust the sender before opening any unsolicited email attachments. If in any doubt, do not open the attachment. It is best to always use antivirus software capable of scanning your incoming email attachments.

References

• Microsoft: How to handle suspicious e-mail