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jw19782003

Someone sent me a document as a attachment to an email. Upon
downloading, there seems to be no program in my computer to allow me to
open it. When it goes to Microsoft Word, it opens with a jumble of
letters and numbers. What might I need, and where can I get it?
 
jw19782003 said:
Someone sent me a document as a attachment to an email. Upon
downloading, there seems to be no program in my computer to allow me to
open it. When it goes to Microsoft Word, it opens with a jumble of
letters and numbers. What might I need, and where can I get it?
Click to expand...

Enable the ability to see file extensions from Folder Options>View if
you don't already have that. Then look up the extension at
www.filext.com to see what program can open it. Or if you can't figure
it out from that, post back with the file extension for more help.


Malke
 
In
jw19782003 said:
Someone sent me a document as a attachment to an email. Upon
downloading, there seems to be no program in my computer to
allow me
to open it. When it goes to Microsoft Word, it opens with a
jumble of
letters and numbers. What might I need, and where can I get
it?
Click to expand...

That depends on the file format. Look at the name of the
attachment. It should be something like Document.XXX. Once you
identify what XXX is you can go to this web site and see what
program opens that type of file.

http://filext.com/

Note: In order to see the file extension you may have to do the
following,
Go to Control Panel and double click Folder Options.
Click on the View tab.
In the Advanced Settings box, uncheck "Hide extensions for
known file types".
Click OK.
After you retrieve the file extension from that attachment you
can go back and put the check mark back.

Good luck

Nepatsfan
 
What type of document is it?

|
| Someone sent me a document as a attachment to an email. Upon
| downloading, there seems to be no program in my computer to allow me to
| open it. When it goes to Microsoft Word, it opens with a jumble of
| letters and numbers. What might I need, and where can I get it?
|
|
|
|
| --
| jw19782003
 
jw19782003 said:
Someone sent me a document as a attachment to an email. Upon
downloading, there seems to be no program in my computer to allow me
to open it. When it goes to Microsoft Word, it opens with a jumble of
letters and numbers. What might I need, and where can I get it?
Click to expand...



Nobody can answer that question without more information from you.

File names have two parts: the part before the dot and the part after the
dot. The part after the dot is called the extension, and that's the
significant part for your question, since the extension tells Windows what
kind of file it is and what program is suitable for opening it. For example,
a .doc file opens with Word, an .xls file opens with Excel, and so on.

Note that file extensions are (unfortunately) hidden by default in Windows
XP. In My Computer, go to Tools | Folder Options, and on the View tab, make
sure that "Show hidden files and folders" is checked. Once you've done that,
you'll be able to see the full name (including the extension) of the file
you want to open. Tell us what that is, and one of us will be able to help
identify what program you need to open it.

*However* (and it's a big however), it's very important to realize that
opening attachments received in E-mail messages is one of the most dangerous
things you can do with your computer. Many attachments can carry viruses or
other malware, and if you open them, you can easily get infected.

You often see advice not to open attachments from people you don't know. I
think that that's one of the most dangerous pieces of advice you see around,
because it implies that it's safe to do the opposite--open attachments from
friends and relatives. But many viruses spread by sending themselves to
everyone in the infected party's address book, so attachments received from
friends are perhaps the *most* risky to open.

Even if the attachment legitimately comes from a friend, it can contain a
virus. I'm not suggesting that a friend is likely to send you a virus on
purpose, but if the friend is infected without realizing it, any attachment
he sends you is likely to also be infected.

Personally I never open executable attachments at all, except from a *very*
few trusted sources, and then only when I'm expecting them.
 
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