Sending "Prohibited" Attachments

There are a number of email attachments that are automatically deleted by the SEAS mail server because Microsoft recommends that we block them and they have a high risk of containing malware (i.e. viruses, worms, trojans, etc...).

Table of Contents

Which extensions are prohibited?

How can I send a prohibited attachment so that it gets through?

How do I unzip a zipped file I receive?

Which extensions are prohibited?

To see a list of all of the prohibited extensions, visit the Answers article on Prohibited Attachments.

How can I send a prohibited attachment so that it gets through?

There may be situations where you need to send an attachment with one of the prohibited extensions. The simplest solution is to zip the file in question using one of the many file zipping programs available. The email server will still scan the file for malware, but it will not block the file.

The easiest solution if you are running Windows XP is to use the Windows XP zip shell extention. If you do not have Windows XP, you can use the University recommended file zipping program - StuffIt Expander. If you are a Penn student or employee, visit ISC's StuffIt page for instructions on how to download and install it. If you are not a Penn student or employee, you can get a 30-day trial version of StuffIt at stuffit.com. Instructions on how to use both Windows XP and StuffIt are included below.

Once you have finished zipping the file, mail the zipped file as an attachment instead of the original file.

Zipping a file using the Windows XP shell extension

1. Right-click on the file you want to zip.
2. Navigate to "Send To..." > "Compressed (zipped) Folder " in the context menu that appears.
   
3. Windows will create the zip file and put it in the same folder the original file was in.

Zipping a file using StuffIt Expander

Note: StuffIt also puts an entry in the Windows context menu call "StuffIt". Unfortunately it does not always work properly, so the instructions below go through the process the long way.

1. Start StuffIt Expander by either double-clicking the icon on your desktop or by clicking on your Windows Start button and navigate to Programs > StuffIt Expander 8.5 > StuffIt Expander 8.5. Note that the version number may be different depending on what version you are using.
   
   
2. Click on New Archive
   
3. The "New Archive Wizard" dialogue will pop up. Click the Add Files button.
   
4. The "Add File(s) to Archive" dialogue will pop up. Browse to the file you want to zip. Select the file and click Open.
5. Click Next to advance to "Compression Settings". You don't need to make any changes here unless you do not want the zipped file to be save in "My Documents". If you would like to change the folder, click the Browse button. Browse to the location you want to save the file and click OK.
   
6. Click the Next button to advance to the final stage of the wizard.
7. Click the Finish button and StuffIt will create the zip file in the location you specified (or My Documents if you did not select another location).

How do I unzip a zipped file I received?

So you have received a zipped file and you'd like to extract the contents. First, be sure that you trust the contents of the file. Just because it is from someone you know does not mean it is safe - malware can automatically send copies of itself out to everyone in someone's address book. It is best to contact the person sending you the file to make sure they knowingly sent it. Even then, make sure you have antivirus software installed just in case the file is some form of malware.

Unzipping a file is generally easier than zipping it. Below are the instructions for unzipping a file using the Windows XP shell extension and using StuffIt Expander.

Unzipping a file using the Windows XP shell extension

Note: these instructions assume you do not have any other zipping software installed. If you do, please use the help files that came with the software (or see the instructions below for StuffIt Expander).

1. Double-click on the zipped file.
2. The contents will open up in a folder. You can then either drag and drop the file(s) to the destination of your choice, or you can extract all files by clicking on Extract all Files under "Folder Tasks" on the left bar.

Unzipping a file using StuffIt Expander

1. Double-click on the zipped file.
2. StuffIt will open the file in a new window. Right-click on the file you want to extract and select Extract to Desktop. The file will be extracted and placed on your desktop. If you prefer, you can choose Extract..., which will give you the option to save the file somewhere else.