How to Troubleshoot an Email Attachment

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Some email attachments are easy to read. They are included in the body of the email as you scroll down. But how do you read the ones that you must click on as an attachment in your email? What do you do if the photos do not appear or the attachment won't open or asks you how to open it and displays a list on your screen. The following steps will give you some suggestions on how you can have greater success when it comes to attachments.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Computer
Email
Internet

Step1

Understand that if you cannot open an email attachment, it is not your fault. Your computer could be set to block all attachments, or it may have discovered a virus in the attachment. In both cases it is for your protection. You can set the security to a different level if you feel comfortable.

Step2

It is possible the sender used software to send the file that you do not have or is not installed on your computer. See the links below if you know what the sender used.

Step3

Do not hesitate to ask the sender what software they used to send the file or to cut and paste it into the body of the email if it is just text. If it is your employer, ask your supervisor how they would like you to proceed.

Step4

While Adobe reader is installed on most newer computers, if you have recovered the hard drive, it may have uninstalled itself. Or, if you have an older computer, you may not have it at all. Remedy this by installing the latest version.

Step5

Some files just do not work for reasons beyond anyone's understanding. Try having the file sent to another address or have the sender print out the information or use a different program. The more that emails are forwarded, the more errors they seem to pass along. Especially those pictures with a square with a line through it that do not display properly if at all.

Tips & Warnings

If it is an audio file, make sure your sound card is working and your speakers are turned on. Alternatively, make sure your volume is turned up and not accidentally muted.
Never open an attachment you are not expecting. Forwarded emails are not that important.