[VistaRookie]

You are welcome.

[Itemco]

When I try to open an attachment, I get this message: "this file does not have a program associated with it for perfoming this action. Create an association in the Folder Option of the Control Panel." So I go there, and see a number of options. Please advise me what is the sequence to 'click' in order to do so, and should I then leave it alone after opening the attachment successful, or go back and place theings as they were before the changes I made?

[VistaRookie]

1) What is the extension of the attachment?
.jpg .gif .pps .doc or ?

2) Can you save it to your hard drive and then open it?
If not, you may not have the program that opens it.

[Itemco]

It doesn't say what extension it is, but I wonder if that notation is familiar to you, so I know what 'click' sequence I can follow , in principle, to get a program to open the email

[VistaRookie]

We have to find out the extension of the file. It is possible for a
filename to not have an extension but HIGHLY unlikely.

Close OE.
Go to Folder Options->View.

Hide extensions for known file types
Give this a check mark Show hidden files and folders

I am on Vista, not sure where folder options is located for
XP. Try Control Panel or Windows Explorer->Tools.

Open OE, if it still does not show an extension while on the
email, save it to your hard drive and see if it shows the
extension.

[Itemco]

Many thanks for your advise, but there is already a "radio bullet" at the place you suggested, so if you know how to , generally speaking, is the sequence to 'click' whenever such a notation comes up in XP, I'd appreciate your research on the subject.
2 other questions come to mind: Firstly, you noted in past exchanges that OE emails can not be transferred either in Folder form, or individually. Do you think even Microsoft technical support can not help me to do so? Secondly, is there a difference worth bothering about OE 2003 vs. the2007 version?

[VistaRookie]

generally speaking, is the sequence to 'click' whenever such a notation comes up in XP

Sequence? Click? Which notation? Just not sure what you mean?

2 other questions come to mind: Firstly, you noted in past exchanges that OE emails
can not be transferred either in Folder form, or individually.

The folders in OE are not like other folders on your hard drive. They
only exist in OE, so you can't transfer or send an OE folder. The
emails as you see them in OE, are only visible there because OE
deciphers the data and displays the email. You can do either one
of two things with the emails. Forward them one at a time to gmail
or change them to individual files which will have an extension of
.eml. The .eml files cannot be dragged over to Google. Because
gmail will not recognize the .eml file as an email.

Many thanks for your advise, but there is already a "radio bullet" at the place you
suggested

Filenames are in 2 parts. The name itself and an extension of usually
3 characters.

Verify: when you open Windows Explorer, go to a folder and look at the
files there, that you see the extensions?

If so, then what is the result when you save the attachment file to your
hard drive, as I asked you to do in my previous post? What is the
extension of that attachment?

Do you think even Microsoft technical support can not help me to do so?

No. Like I pointed out, it is has nothing to do with Microsoft. Your
emails work just like anyones, even the same for someone using an
Apple Mac.

Secondly, is there a difference worth bothering about OE 2003 vs. the2007 version

There is no such program. If you are using Outlook Express, it is
version 6. Microsoft Outlook comes in versions like 2003 or 2007.

Please tell me that you are not using MS Outlook?

MS Outlook is a program that you pay for. OE is free with Windows
XP. Two entirely separate clients. All my comments apply to OE.
Find out exactly which client you are using. Click Help on the menu
and then About to see the name and version. Post it here.

If you are using MS Outlook then the only part of my comments that
applies, is the fact that you will have to forward your emails one at a
time to gmail. OE and MS Outlook have an entirely different file
stucture - but the emails work the same way.