Solved Compatibility with MS Office XP Professional

[Jeanine]

This is my 1st post. After spending 4 hours researching an issue online I've decided that this is the place to get real and relevant answers. Rather than tack onto very old threads, I thought I'd start a new one as I have one specific problem. I'm running MS Office XP Pro, which is quite sufficient for my needs, and I use Word every day. I'm the only user so my PC has a simple set-up. In Documents (Public) I keep folders of photos. If I want to email a folder of photos to someone, I compress the folder and attach it as a zip file to an email. I have triple-checked the settings in Properties and nothing is locked/encrypted/restricted. Yet the recipient can't gain access to the downloaded zip file. Is this likely to be a compatibility issue at my end or the recipient's end? Or could it be a security software issue? I don't want to switch to using Open Office or whatever it's called.

My computer knowledge is very basic. A couple of years ago I moved from much-loved Windows XP to Windows 7 Home Premium and am now fairly comfortable with it. I'm self-taught and learn through experience - mostly by way of trial and error!

I would greatly appreciate any genuine advice.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

You won't like this advice but you really need to get off XP and upgrade to a newer OS. XP hasn't been supported since early last year and is now subject to virus and other malware infections. You can still buy OEM copies of Win 7 Home Premium or Win 7 Pro if you look around a little (here in the U.S., Newegg still sells them); that is the one most likely to be compatible with your system.

Also, what version (year) of MS Office Pro are you using?

 

[Jeanine]

But I'm not running Windows XP. I'm using Windows 7.

 

[Kari]

I would greatly appreciate any genuine advice.

Hi Jeanine, welcome to the Seven Forums.

Could you please be more specific and tell exactly how do you attach the ZIP file to email message? Are you using the attachment button selecting File as in screenshot from Outlook XP below:

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You won't like this advice but you really need to get off XP and upgrade to a newer OS. XP hasn't been supported since early last year and is now subject to virus and other malware infections. You can still buy OEM copies of Win 7 Home Premium or Win 7 Pro if you look around a little (here in the U.S., Newegg still sells them); that is the one most likely to be compatible with your system.

Also, what version (year) of MS Office Pro are you using?

Mylady, the only reason OP would not like your advice I can think of is that it's invalid. The OP is already running Windows 7 as her specs clearly tell. She also mentions as clearly that the issue in question is with MS Office XP, not with Windows XP so that's the version of Office she is using. The Office XP is also known as Office 2002.

Kari

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

You are correct. My mistake.

 

[Jeanine]

Thank you, Kari, for your enquiry. I don't use Outlook at all. I use Yahoo Basic Webmail for 99% of my emailing. I also have a secondary account with Orange.

I'm such a computer novice that I don't even know if I'm having an Office issue here!

 

[Kari]

OK, I read too much in between the lines. You mentioning you use MS Office XP I assumed you also use Outlook XP (Outlook 2002).

That does not change the my question: please tell how do you attach the ZIP files to your emails? Tell the whole procedure as exactly as you can (which buttons / links you click and so on).

Attachments in Yahoo Mail should be attached from the Attachment button at bottom left in Compose window:

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Kari

 

[ThrashZone]

I compress the folder and attach it as a zip file to an email. I have triple-checked the settings in Properties and nothing is locked/encrypted/restricted. Yet the recipient can't gain access to the downloaded zip file.

Hi and welcome to SevenForums,
Are you using a third party zip program like 7zip... or windows to zip the files ?

Yahoo is a weird email and does have some restrictions on attachment sending :/

Have you attempted to use another email service like gmail or outlook.com to send with ?

The exact sending process would also help a great deal as well as how you zipped the files and what file types were inside the zip folder,
Cheers.

 

[Jeanine]

I use Yahoo Basic so the Attch Files button is to the right of the Subject box. This takes me to the Attch Files page. I click on the File 1 Browse button. In the window that opens I find and select the compressed folder containing JPG photos and click the Open button. This puts the folder onto the Attch Files page as File 1 and I click the Attch Files button to right of Compose. This attaches the folder (shown as a zip file) to the email, ready to Send. I make sure that the attachment doesn't exceed any size limit and it's usually less than 10 MB.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi and thanks,
One thing is for sure any email service can not open a zip folder so these zip folders would have to be downloaded and than the files would have to be Extracted by the recipients,
There could be user error in the saving and extracting process

Also are you using a third party zip folder creator ?

 

[DavidE]

You could send yourself an email with an attachment.
See if you have any errors reading the email or attachment.
If you do get any errors, then post exact error message(s) here.

 

[Kari]

Jeanine, please zip some unimportant and non-personal content as you would normally do, then email it to me at my test mail address (email removed, test done). I will check if I can open it.

 

[Jeanine]

The compressed folder/zip file would be downloaded by the recipient. I do not use a 3rd party zip facility.

The recipient gets a message saying that access is denied, in spite of there being no restrictions.

I sent a zip file from my Yahoo Mail to my Orange Mail as a test and everything worked perfectly.

 

[Kari]

OK, so we don't have to use my test mail for this. I removed the email from my previous post.

Your original post was a bit confusing, the fact that you are using Office XP has nothing to do with this. Seems that the issue is in receiver's end, you mail your attachments correctly as proved by yourself that they work.

 

[Jeanine]

Thank you, Kari. I have sent an email as you suggested,

 

[Kari]

Thank you, Kari. I have sent an email as you suggested,

No issues, both ZIP archives opened normally:

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[Jeanine]

Many thanks, Kari. I will assume the problem is not at my end. Do you think it likely that the problem lies with the recipient's security software?

 

[Kari]

I can think of many reasons, the security (AV and / or Firewall) system used by receiver is not top on my list. Most common reason in this kind of issues is false usage, the receiver simply doing something wrong.

Without knowing the system specifications (OS, browser, possible email client and so on) of the receiver it is almost impossible to tell why he / she / them cannot open your attachments.

Anyway, rest assured you are doing everything correctly. Your a bit outdated Office version, your archiving program you use for zipping your files, nothing in your system or the way you mail your ZIP archives is wrong and causing this .

Kari

 

[Jeanine]

Thank for the reassurance. You have been understanding regarding my predicament and generous with your advice. I will mark this thread as Solved and may I wish you a Happy New Year.

 

[Kari]

Happy New Year to you, too .