Digest Version of Mailing Lists - Microsoft Outlook Express Issues


Recently, we have received a number of problem reports from Microsoft Outlook Express users that subscribe to the periodic digest. The problem is that Microsoft Outlook Express does not conform to Internet email standards. As a result, the individual messages do not appear directly in the periodic digest message. Instead, the individual messages appear as separate .ezm attachments. We have tried to change the format of the digest messages, but nothing was really solved the problem. The best thing to do, if you insist on using Microsoft Outlook Express is to associate the .ezm file extension with "Outlook Express Mail Message". The preferred solution would be to get a real email client such as Eudora.

In Windows 2000

To associate a file extension with a file type:

  1. Open Folder Options in Control Panel.
  2. Click the File Types tab.
  3. Click New.
  4. Type a new or existing file name extension, and then click Advanced.
  5. In File type, click New to create a new file type that is associated with the file name extension. Or, click one of the existing file types.

Notes

  • To open a Control Panel item, click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click the appropriate icon. Or, in Windows Explorer, click Tools, and then click Folder Options.
  • For information about how to make modifications to the file type, see Related Topics.
  • To change the program that opens a file, on the File Types tab, click Change.

In Windows 98, try this to correct file type issue.

Associating the .EZM extension with Outlook Express in Windows 98:
Double click My Computer
Choose View -> Folder Options
This should give a dialog box Folder Options with 2 tabs.
Take the 3rd tab: File Types
Click the button New Type
This should give you a dialog box: Add New File Type
Enter the following information:
- Description of type: EZM Attachment
- Associated extension: EZM
- Content Type (MIME): message/rfc822
Than click the New button.
This should give you a dialog box: New Action
- Action: open
- Application used to perform action: Click Browse button and browse to: C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\MSINM.EXE. Click Open to close this dialog.
- Click OK to close New Action dialog
- Click Close to close Add New File Type dialog.
- Click Close to close Folder Options dialog.

If you can follow all these steps up to the last one, clicking on a .EZM attachment should open the attachment as an email messages.

In Mac OS X, try this to correct the file type problem

Mac OS X 10.0
1. Click the document's icon in the Finder to select it.
2. Choose Show Info from the File menu.
3. Choose Application from the Show pop-up menu.
4. Click "A specific application" to enable that option.
5. Choose the application you want to use from the pop-up menu.

Mac OS X 10.1
1. Click the document's icon in the Finder to select it.
2. Choose Show Info from the File menu.
3. Choose "Open with application" from the upper pop-up menu in the Info window.
4. Choose the desired application from the lower pop-up menu in the Info window. You may choose Other to select an application not on the list.
5. If you wish to open all documents of this type with the selected application, click Change All.

Mac OS X 10.2
To open a document once
1. Click the document's icon in the Finder to select it.
2. Choose File > Open With.
3. Choose the desired application. You may choose Other to select an application not on the list.
To configure documents of this type to open with a certain application
1. Click the document's icon in the Finder to select it.
2. Choose File > Get Info.
3. Click the disclosure triangle next to "Open with:".
4. Choose the desired application from the "Open with" pop-up menu. You may choose Other to select an application not on the list.
5. Click Change All.