PC Win: Attached Mac Filenames Convert to Windows Incorrectly
Article ID: 115165
Article Last Modified on 10/30/2006
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Mail Client 3.0
- Microsoft Mail Client 3.0
- Microsoft Mail Client 3.2
This article was previously published under Q115165
SYMPTOMS
Versions 3.0, 3.0b, and 3.2 of Microsoft Mail for Windows appends a file
extension to an attached file received from a version 3.0 Microsoft Mail
for PC Networks, Macintosh workstation, even if the file has a valid
Microsoft MS-DOS filename.
NOTE: MS-DOS supports a filename limited to eight characters for the name
and three characters for the extension (for example, FILENAME.DOC). This
naming convention is commonly referred to as 8.3 format.
CAUSE
Mail's naming algorithm assumes that Macintosh file attachments do not have
valid filenames and extensions (that is, filenames in 8.3 format).
Therefore, Mail moves the decimal to the end of the filename and adds the
appropriate extension. The filename conversion is handled by VFORMS.DLL.
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in versions 3.0b and 3.2 of
Microsoft Mail for Windows. This problem was corrected in version 3.2a.
For information on obtaining this update, query on the following word in
the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):
NOTE: If the extension does not contain three characters, the updated
VFORMS.DLL file drops the extension and adds the correct one. If the
extension is three characters, it is left unchanged.
Additional query words: 3.00 3.00b 3.20
Keywords: KB115165