winmail (dat) files

**Malibu02** · 07-28-2011, 05:45 AM

I get some of my mail thru Comcast and I have no problem with excel, word, powerpoint , videos etc.
Anything that is marked "winmail (dat)" I get a message "unable to open this type of file".
Does anybody know of a fix?

**FrankXS** · 07-28-2011, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by Malibu02

I get some of my mail thru Comcast and I have no problem with excel, word, powerpoint , videos etc.
Anything that is marked "winmail (dat)" I get a message "unable to open this type of file".
Does anybody know of a fix?

The Internet standard for email is Plain Text only. However, in modern days html has become pretty common because every platform has a web browser which supports html (didn't used to be that way).

Anyway, the problem here (windmail.dat) is on the senders' side. They are sending out (probably unknowingly) a unique proprietary MS Outlook format email. You should inform them to change their MS Outlook setup. Point them to any of the following links that explain winmail.dat and how to prevent sending it out.

Another alternative might be to purchase an office suite that supports MS Outlook Rtf (Rich Text Formatting). I use Officesuite Pro from the Market (on sale now for $14.99 - I paid $29.99).

I should add, this is not unique to the Thunderbolt or Android.

-Frank

**neil154** · 01-07-2012, 11:58 AM

I am using Outllok 2007 and sent a email using HTML and my internet setting is to convert to HTML so I have followed all of the Microsoft instructions that you referenced but still the email (which I sent from my PC to myself) still shows up as winmail.dat on my Bionic but as a PDF on my PC.

Can anyone suggest how to prevent this problem in the future.

**FrankXS** · 01-07-2012, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by neil154

I am using Outllok 2007 and sent a email using HTML and my internet setting is to convert to HTML so I have followed all of the Microsoft instructions that you referenced but still the email (which I sent from my PC to myself) still shows up as winmail.dat on my Bionic but as a PDF on my PC.

Can anyone suggest how to prevent this problem in the future.

Did you go to the Market and install the Adobe Reader?

-Frank

**neil154** · 01-07-2012, 01:15 PM

I have several app loaded that will read a PDF but since the extention is a dat they will not open it. If I change the extention to pdf it opens fine.

**FrankXS** · 01-07-2012, 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by neil154

I have several app loaded that will read a PDF but since the extention is a dat they will not open it. If I change the extention to pdf it opens fine.

As the sender, are you doing an attachment? Or are you doing a copy/paste into the body of the email?

Also, try taking a look at the first link I posted in the first message in this thread. Go into your Outlook program and set it to send PLAIN TEXT and then try the attachment PDF again. Make sure MS Outlook is NOT set to send in RTF format.

-Frank

**neil154** · 01-07-2012, 02:53 PM

I used Outlook Attachment so it is NOT a paste.

I also tried sending as text format and that way the file was received as PDF. Not exactly logical nor a method that I would prefer but at least it is a solution. Thanks for the help.

**FrankXS** · 01-07-2012, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by neil154

I used Outlook Attachment so it is NOT a paste.

I also tried sending as text format and that way the file was received as PDF. Not exactly logical nor a method that I would prefer but at least it is a solution. Thanks for the help.

Great. Glad it worked. Actually, you should also be able to use HTML. I think it's RTF that usually causes that issue. RTF is not a universal standard like TEXT or HTML.

-Frank

**bmarotat** · 01-16-2012, 01:27 AM

You can open the winmail.dat files using the

**neil154** · 01-16-2012, 04:50 PM

It is a lot easier to just change the extension of the attachment rather than installing another app. I was just hoping that I could somehow figure out how tp prevent the .dat but of course I can not control it because I am not the one ususally sending the attachment to me.

**FrankXS** · 01-16-2012, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by neil154

It is a lot easier to just change the extension of the attachment rather than installing another app. I was just hoping that I could somehow figure out how tp prevent the .dat but of course I can not control it because I am not the one ususally sending the attachment to me.

You should inform the sender that anyone using a non-Microsoft email client probably won't be able to read any of their emails. Perhaps, if they care, they will change their configuration. This happens all the time. Not just to you and not just to smartphones or Android. People in MS Office environments just assume that everyone else in the world is also using MS Office. <sigh>

-Frank

**janeshare** · 12-29-2012, 03:38 PM

I don't get it! I clicked on the "here" for download winmail.dat for my android phone and it says "save or open". Both need me to give it a Windows program. I need this on my phone, so I don't get it!

thank yuou

**neil154** · 12-29-2012, 04:24 PM

If you go to there is a link to download and install the apk file and then it should work for you.

**Alexsandra Seidel** · 03-12-2013, 10:44 AM

Pessoal, escrevendo em português.....sou um usuário inicial do Android e possuo um galaxy s3. Esta semana a samnsung atualizou meu android para a versão 4.1.2, e somente depois desta atualização que passei a receber os anexos do outlook 2010 como Winmail.dat. Anteriormente a atualização eu recebia todos os anexos sem problemas. O que eu faço para voltar a receber os anexos corretos? Obrigada