I started having problems with Windows users not getting my attachments from Mail.app last Summer. The most consistent issue was with simple PDF attachments. (I use OS X 10.4.11 and Mail 2.1.3.) I tried zipping them and still had problems.

Now, I'm having problems with JPEG files not being received properly. I have Zipped them and some get them and some do not. It's driving me crazy!

Anyway, does Thunderbird handle attachments in a way that will work better with Windows users?

Thanks,
Michael

I send dozens of attachments to windows users weekly using Mail.app, mostly PDFs and MS Word docs. No problems. Sounds like maybe a setting issue in Mail.app?

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jardster
I send dozens of attachments to windows users weekly using Mail.app, mostly PDFs and MS Word docs. No problems. Sounds like maybe a setting issue in Mail.app?

I don't think so. I've read lots of posts in different places with similar issues and my understanding is that Mail.app does not handle attachments well when sending to Windows users. I can send an email with a PDF attachment to 50 members of club I'm in and three won't get the attachment (nearly every one of them are PC users.) I've tried every option I could find and nothing has worked so far.

One of the Windows users was getting my attachments fine until just last month. I'm sure it's an issue that developed when he updated his version of Windows or when I ran updates for Tiger but, either way, I can't seem to get it resolved.

Michael

Sounds a lot like issues on the other end with Windows users.

My wife's aunt wasn't getting attachments in OE for years, mostly because she was using an old version of OE and Windows and ... didn't have the attachment box visible in her reader. Turned it on and there they all were--for years in back e-mail.

If you want to make sure everyone sees or gets it, send them an HTML link after you've put it on a web server somewhere.

I abandoned mail for gmail. I know they scan content but don't care. It just works.

I use Eudora still and many times my attachments get messed going to my wife on XP as do most hyper-links.

I'm another user who sends hundreds of attachments to PC users with nary an issue. The only times problems have been reported it has been something like the PC user's internet provider or Windows networking software refusing the attachment without any notification due to a very low limit on attachment size. In those cases I've simply used a service like yousendit.

That said, it's a no brainer to install Thunderbird as a second email app and then do some experiments sending duplicate emails to the addresses you're having problems with. If you consistently have problems with the same addresses, it's almost certainly a problem on their side though.

Oh, one more thing...you do have the "send windows-friendly attachments" box checked by default in Mail.app, right?

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"In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion." (1987) -- Carl Sagan



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/17/2008 08:42AM by davester.

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davester
Oh, one more thing...you do have the "send windows-friendly attachments" box checked by default in Mail.app, right?

Sure do. I actually downloaded Thunderbird before I even posted here but I hadn't got a response yet from those I sent an attachment to. As I mentioned above, I had read several posts on other forums of people having issues with Mail.app attachments that did not have problems when using Entourage. I posted about Thunderbird in case someone more knowledgeable than me would let me know if it is likely to work better.

By the way, I even had tried this shareware:
[lokiware.info]

It details some of Mail's shortcomings.

I'll post if Thunderbird is more successful.

Michael



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/17/2008 09:00AM by magicmikey.

Do you have web server space available? It would be even as little as a couple hundred MB.

Would it be inconvenient for you to upload the attachment(s) to a web server, then simply send all of your recipients the hyperlink instead of the actual file?

This method is actually very easy (a couple of extra steps), but it has the benefit of reducing the sizes of the messages you are sending, using less bandwidth, and avoiding missing attachments of the receiving end.

Worth a try, no? If you need help on doing this, I and others here would be more than happy to assist, I'm sure.

Jeff



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/17/2008 09:46AM by kj4btkljv.

i only send attachments to PC people with mail... no problems here either

if you have office, you might try entourage -- i used it for years before switching to mail earlier this year

miss a lot of things it had...

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Edited 999 time(s). Last edit at 12:08PM by jdc.

My first result with Thunderbird was successful. I sent an email with a PDF attachment to the first person who reported not receiving my attachments coming from Mail.app. I was unable to find any way to get him to receive the attachments using Mail since May. When I sent him the PDF through Thunderbird, he got it the first time. I used the same PDF I tried unsuccessfully to send him using Mail.app yesterday. (I kept trying different things to see if I could solve the issue, including sending the file zipped.)

I'll keep testing this to see if it works consistently and, if so, it looks like I'll be using Thunderbird for attachments. (I'm not ready to give up on Mail completely. I've been using it for years.)

Michael