E-mail attachments with no file association

Question

E-mail attachments from only some of my regular communicants come through with no file associations.

Is this problem caused by my computer or the person who sent me the e-mail? How do I correct this problem?

Answer 1

Associations between filename extensions and applications are defined in your computer. When you install a program, then most programs change the settings on your computer, so that when you click to open a file with a format (identified by the filename extension) this program can read, this program gets started.

If you are getting mails with attachments with an extension not associated to any program, then probably you have no program to open this format of files or when installing the program did not register it's filename extensions associations. Or someone changed/removed this associations.

It's easy to add new associations, just right click on the file you want to open and select "Open with...", select the program you want to use to open this format of files (all with this filename extension) and select "Open always with ...".

Answer 2

It's a problem at your end.

There's no file association set up for the type of file they are sending you.

What's the extension of the attachment?

You will either need to install a program (which will set up the file associations) to read this format or if you already have a program save one of the attachments to your hard drive and then right click over it and select "Open With > Choose Program..." to select the program. If you always want to use this program then select the "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" option.

Answer 3

This may or may not be a problem at your end.

Typically file associations are handled by your computer and, as the other two answers, thus far, have said you can set these associations using the 'default programs' controls in Win 7.

However Windows 7 is relatively intelligent about setting up default programs to open most common file types. Depending on what platform your contacts are sending their emails from, ipads and iphones(and to some degree macs in g) will often allow the email of files that will not have recognizable extensions on a Windows machine, it may be