Attachments will not open

[FirstNoel]

Hi! can anyone help please.
I have just received my first windows mail attachment on my new laptop. It will not open (even though I have NOT ticked the box in Tools, Security, which can prevent some emails from opening). A message comes up with "This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the "Set Associations" in Control Panel". I have gone into Control Panel and cannot find "Set Associations" to make the change. Is there an easy answer to this problem, as I need all the help I can get. Many thanks in anticipation.

[Hopper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FirstNoel

Hi! can anyone help please.
I have just received my first windows mail attachment on my new laptop. It will not open (even though I have NOT ticked the box in Tools, Security, which can prevent some emails from opening). A message comes up with "This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the "Set Associations" in Control Panel". I have gone into Control Panel and cannot find "Set Associations" to make the change. Is there an easy answer to this problem, as I need all the help I can get. Many thanks in anticipation.

In the old days just do a right click on the file and you will see "open with". Lets see if it is the same.

[litdev]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hopper

In the old days just do a right click on the file and you will see "open with". Lets see if it is the same.

'Set associations' can be found in Control panel->Default programs->Associate a file type or protocol with a program.

[Kiwi_Downunder]

You will need to look at the file extension of your attachment to have an idea of what program is required to open it e.g. .doc for word or .pdf for adobe reader. Save the attachent to your computer which will make it easier to work with

[FirstNoel]

Hi Kiwi Downunder
I have done as you said and noticed that there is a little red square at the beginning of the attachment which is an adobe reader sign, but to the right off the attachment it ends with .doc, I may have confused the attachment when I tried to open it the first time, and so I asked the sender to send it to me again, and deleted the old one. This time the same red square as before still comes up. Please can you give me instructions (as easy and straight forward as possible) so that at last I can read the contents of this attachment. Many thanks, FirstNoel.

[FirstNoel]

Hi Kiwi Downunder
I have done as you said and noticed that there is a little red square at the beginning of the attachment which is an adobe reader sign, but to the right off the attachment it ends with .doc, I may have confused the attachment when I tried to open it the first time, and so I asked the sender to send it to me again, and deleted the old one. This time the same red square as before still comes up. Please can you give me instructions (as easy and straight forward as possible) so that at last I can read the contents of this attachment. Many thanks, FirstNoel.

[FirstNoel]

Hi! Kiwi Downunder, it's FirstNoel again.
Sorry but I forgot to explain in my reply to you that a message comes up with "This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the 'Set Associations' in Control Panel". I think I may have originally asked for it to be opened in adobe reader, and this is why every attachment that is sent by this person now comes up with an adobe reader sign at the beginning of the attachment. I have looked in Control Panel, Set Association but am afraid to click on any buttons that alter settings, as I may alter other attachments that I receive from other people in the future. You can tell by this that I need step by step instructions. Don't give up on me please. Regards FirstNoel.

[litdev]

If the file ends in .doc then it is a Microsoft word document. If you have Microsoft office which includes word then you need to associate .doc files to word. If you don't have MS office, then you need to find some alternative such as OpenOffice (google to find out about this free alternative to MS office).

Once you have an application that can open a word .doc, save the .doc file somewhere on you disk e.g. documents folder. Then open windows explorer and navigate to the file. Right click, then Open With->Choose Default Program...

Tick the always use option and select the program you want to use e.g. word.

[litdev]

Adobe reader cannot read a .doc file, you need something that can (e.g. OpenOffice - I guess you don't have MS office and Word). You need something that can read this file type before you can associate this file type.

You have to get this sorted first (find something that can read the file).

Once you have something that can read the file you can use any of the methods described to associate the file type .doc.

[litdev]

If you don't want OpenOffice - a big download and some learning curve to use, you can try 'Word Viewer', a free MS word viewer, you can open read, print etc, but not create, edit or save files - it is just a viewer - perhaps all you need.

Download details: Word Viewer 2003