Microsoft Outlook includes a feature that blocks attachments that are considered unsafe. If you receive an e-mail message that contains an attachment that contains one of the file types that are considered unsafe, you may receive the following message:
Outlook blocked access to the following potentially unsafe attachments: [...]
Although Outlook blocks access to the attachment, the attachment still exists in the e-mail message.
This security feature provides an additional level of protection against malicious e-mail messages. By default, this feature has been implemented in each version of Outlook since Microsoft Outlook 2000 Service Release 1 (SR1).
Warning: Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.
Important: Before you can customize the attachment security behavior in Outlook 2000 SR1 and Microsoft Outlook 2000 SR1a, you must first apply either Microsoft Office 2000 Service Pack 2 or Microsoft Office 2000 Service Pack 3.
| 1. |
Quit Outlook if it is running. |
| 2. |
Click Start, and then click Run. |
| 3. |
In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK. |
| 4. |
Verify that the following registry key for your version of Outlook exists. If it does, go to step 5. |
| |
Microsoft Outlook 2000:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Outlook\Security
Microsoft Outlook 2002:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Outlook\Security
Microsoft Office Outlook 2003:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Security
If the registry key does not exist, create it. To create the registry key, locate and then click the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft
| a. |
Click the Edit menu, click New, and then click Key. |
| b. |
Type Office, and then press ENTER. |
| c. |
Click the Edit menu, click New, and then click Key. |
| d. |
Type 11.0, and then press ENTER.
|
| |
Note This is the correct name if you are using Outlook 2003. If you are using Outlook 2000 or Outlook 2002, you will have to type "9.0" or "10.0", respectively. |
| e. |
Click the Edit menu, click New, and then click Key. |
| f. |
Type Outlook, and then press ENTER. |
| g. |
Click the Edit menu, click New, and then click Key. |
| h. |
Type Security, and then press ENTER. |
|
| 5. |
Click the Edit menu, click New, and then click String Value. |
| 6. |
Type the following name for the new value:
|
| |
Level1Remove
|
| 7. |
Press ENTER. |
| 8. |
Right-click the new string value name, and then click Modify. |
| 9. |
Type the file name extension of the file type that you want to open in Outlook. For example: |
| |
.exe
To specify multiple file types, use the following format:
.exe;.com |
| 10. |
Click OK. |
| 11. |
Quit Registry Editor. |
| 12. |
Restart your computer. |
When you start Outlook, you can open the file types that you specified in the registry.
Note We recommend that you enable only the file types that you require. If you rarely receive a particular file type, we recommend that you give Outlook temporary access to the file type that is in question and then reconfigure Outlook to block the file type by undoing the changes to registry.
