Theslaz

Just received a email from my sister and she had a RTF attachment. Went
to open it and it was all garbled. It tried to open in Microsoft Word. I
then tried to open it in Adobe and it to failed. A warning came up
stating that it probably was sent as an email attachment and probably
wasn't decoded properly.

I'm using XP Professional. Is there a way to get remedy this problem as
I have had this happen before?

Bruce Hagen

"Theslaz" <theslaz@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:hwcYk.1165$si6.241@edtnps83...
> Just received a email from my sister and she had a RTF attachment. Went to
> open it and it was all garbled. It tried to open in Microsoft Word. I then
> tried to open it in Adobe and it to failed. A warning came up stating that
> it probably was sent as an email attachment and probably wasn't decoded
> properly.
>
> I'm using XP Professional. Is there a way to get remedy this problem as I
> have had this happen before?


Are you using Outlook Express? OE, and most other e-mail clients, can't
understand MS Outlook's Rich Text Formatting, (RTF). Have her send it in
Plain Text, or HTML.
--

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA

Ken Blake, MVP

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 14:41:17 GMT, Theslaz <theslaz@gmail.com> wrote:

> Just received a email from my sister and she had a RTF attachment. Went
> to open it and it was all garbled. It tried to open in Microsoft Word.


Yes, Microsoft Word is an appropriate program for an rtf file.


> I
> then tried to open it in Adobe and it to failed.


Yes, certainly. Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat (if one of those is what
you mean by "Adobe") are *not* appropriate programs for rtf files.


> A warning came up
> stating that it probably was sent as an email attachment and probably
> wasn't decoded properly.
>
> I'm using XP Professional. Is there a way to get remedy this problem as
> I have had this happen before?


How are you trying to open it? Directly from the E-mail message, or
are you are first saving it to your drive, then opening it? If the
former, try the latter and see if it works.

Also ask your sister to send it to someone else, and see if the other
person can open it.


--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

Jerry Ed

Use WordPad.

It has been in all Windows since Windows 95.

Start > Programs > Accessories > WordPad

JE


"Theslaz" <theslaz@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:hwcYk.1165$si6.241@edtnps83...
> Just received a email from my sister and she had a RTF attachment. Went to
> open it and it was all garbled. It tried to open in Microsoft Word. I then
> tried to open it in Adobe and it to failed. A warning came up stating that
> it probably was sent as an email attachment and probably wasn't decoded
> properly.
>
> I'm using XP Professional. Is there a way to get remedy this problem as I
> have had this happen before?

Theslaz

Bruce Hagen wrote:
> "Theslaz" <theslaz@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:hwcYk.1165$si6.241@edtnps83...
>> Just received a email from my sister and she had a RTF attachment.
>> Went to open it and it was all garbled. It tried to open in Microsoft
>> Word. I then tried to open it in Adobe and it to failed. A warning
>> came up stating that it probably was sent as an email attachment and
>> probably wasn't decoded properly.
>>
>> I'm using XP Professional. Is there a way to get remedy this problem
>> as I have had this happen before?
>
>
> Are you using Outlook Express? OE, and most other e-mail clients, can't
> understand MS Outlook's Rich Text Formatting, (RTF). Have her send it in
> Plain Text, or HTML.
Sister can't send in any other format. She works for a company that
restricts what can be sent and how.

Couldn't find WordPad in my copy of windows. I also tried to open the
file in Note Pad; didn't work.

I have saved it to my desktop and tried to open it from there with
negative results.

I'm using Mozilla Thunderbird as my email client.

My wife uses Incredimail and she could not open the file either.

Sent the file to my laptop. Same problem there. Laptop does have
Wordpad. Same problem.

I have a laptop with Vista; will try that and see what happens.

Bruce Hagen

"Theslaz" <theslaz@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:4931658D.2060401@gmail.com...
> Bruce Hagen wrote:
>> "Theslaz" <theslaz@gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:hwcYk.1165$si6.241@edtnps83...
>>> Just received a email from my sister and she had a RTF attachment. Went
>>> to open it and it was all garbled. It tried to open in Microsoft Word. I
>>> then tried to open it in Adobe and it to failed. A warning came up
>>> stating that it probably was sent as an email attachment and probably
>>> wasn't decoded properly.
>>>
>>> I'm using XP Professional. Is there a way to get remedy this problem as
>>> I have had this happen before?
>>
>>
>> Are you using Outlook Express? OE, and most other e-mail clients, can't
>> understand MS Outlook's Rich Text Formatting, (RTF). Have her send it in
>> Plain Text, or HTML.
> Sister can't send in any other format. She works for a company that
> restricts what can be sent and how.
>
> Couldn't find WordPad in my copy of windows. I also tried to open the file
> in Note Pad; didn't work.
>
> I have saved it to my desktop and tried to open it from there with
> negative results.
>
> I'm using Mozilla Thunderbird as my email client.
>
> My wife uses Incredimail and she could not open the file either.
>
> Sent the file to my laptop. Same problem there. Laptop does have Wordpad.
> Same problem.
>
> I have a laptop with Vista; will try that and see what happens.


I have never used this, but it's freeware and worth a try.

RTF Viewer 1.5:
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/rtfviewer.html
--

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA

Theslaz

Bruce Hagen wrote:
>
> "Theslaz" <theslaz@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:4931658D.2060401@gmail.com...
>> Bruce Hagen wrote:
>>> "Theslaz" <theslaz@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:hwcYk.1165$si6.241@edtnps83...
>>>> Just received a email from my sister and she had a RTF attachment.
>>>> Went to open it and it was all garbled. It tried to open in
>>>> Microsoft Word. I then tried to open it in Adobe and it to failed. A
>>>> warning came up stating that it probably was sent as an email
>>>> attachment and probably wasn't decoded properly.
>>>>
>>>> I'm using XP Professional. Is there a way to get remedy this problem
>>>> as I have had this happen before?
>>>
>>>
>>> Are you using Outlook Express? OE, and most other e-mail clients,
>>> can't understand MS Outlook's Rich Text Formatting, (RTF). Have her
>>> send it in Plain Text, or HTML.
>> Sister can't send in any other format. She works for a company that
>> restricts what can be sent and how.
>>
>> Couldn't find WordPad in my copy of windows. I also tried to open the
>> file in Note Pad; didn't work.
>>
>> I have saved it to my desktop and tried to open it from there with
>> negative results.
>>
>> I'm using Mozilla Thunderbird as my email client.
>>
>> My wife uses Incredimail and she could not open the file either.
>>
>> Sent the file to my laptop. Same problem there. Laptop does have
>> Wordpad. Same problem.
>>
>> I have a laptop with Vista; will try that and see what happens.
>
>
> I have never used this, but it's freeware and worth a try.
>
> RTF Viewer 1.5:
> http://www.snapfiles.com/get/rtfviewer.html
Downloaded the program. weird to say the least. Opens with a blank
document/program; only gives three choices under file: Print; Print
setup and exit. I therefore clicked on my RTF file and used "Open With"
and choose the "RTF Viewer"; it then gave me a choice of saving a file
as an .exe file; which I did. The RTF viewer than opened up with the
garbled contents that I had before!

Dave Cohen

Jerry Ed wrote:
> Use WordPad.
>
> It has been in all Windows since Windows 95.
>
> Start > Programs > Accessories > WordPad
>
> JE
>
>
> "Theslaz" <theslaz@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:hwcYk.1165$si6.241@edtnps83...
>> Just received a email from my sister and she had a RTF attachment. Went to
>> open it and it was all garbled. It tried to open in Microsoft Word. I then
>> tried to open it in Adobe and it to failed. A warning came up stating that
>> it probably was sent as an email attachment and probably wasn't decoded
>> properly.
>>
>> I'm using XP Professional. Is there a way to get remedy this problem as I
>> have had this happen before?
>
>
It's not an rtf file, if it were it would open in MS Word, I get them
all the time. It may have been sent as .rtf, but it's not .rtf format
when you get it.
I suspect it's in some form of mime code. I used to have a utility that
was supposed to decode this stuff. Sometimes it did,but not always.
Do a google search on 'mime decoder'. I looked at this:
http://www.miken.com/uud/
Can't hurt to try.
Dave Cohen

Bruce Hagen

"Theslaz" <theslaz@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:6beYk.1185$si6.375@edtnps83...
> Bruce Hagen wrote:
>>
>> "Theslaz" <theslaz@gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:4931658D.2060401@gmail.com...
>>> Bruce Hagen wrote:
>>>> "Theslaz" <theslaz@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>>> news:hwcYk.1165$si6.241@edtnps83...
>>>>> Just received a email from my sister and she had a RTF attachment.
>>>>> Went to open it and it was all garbled. It tried to open in Microsoft
>>>>> Word. I then tried to open it in Adobe and it to failed. A warning
>>>>> came up stating that it probably was sent as an email attachment and
>>>>> probably wasn't decoded properly.
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm using XP Professional. Is there a way to get remedy this problem
>>>>> as I have had this happen before?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Are you using Outlook Express? OE, and most other e-mail clients, can't
>>>> understand MS Outlook's Rich Text Formatting, (RTF). Have her send it
>>>> in Plain Text, or HTML.
>>> Sister can't send in any other format. She works for a company that
>>> restricts what can be sent and how.
>>>
>>> Couldn't find WordPad in my copy of windows. I also tried to open the
>>> file in Note Pad; didn't work.
>>>
>>> I have saved it to my desktop and tried to open it from there with
>>> negative results.
>>>
>>> I'm using Mozilla Thunderbird as my email client.
>>>
>>> My wife uses Incredimail and she could not open the file either.
>>>
>>> Sent the file to my laptop. Same problem there. Laptop does have
>>> Wordpad. Same problem.
>>>
>>> I have a laptop with Vista; will try that and see what happens.
>>
>>
>> I have never used this, but it's freeware and worth a try.
>>
>> RTF Viewer 1.5:
>> http://www.snapfiles.com/get/rtfviewer.html
> Downloaded the program. weird to say the least. Opens with a blank
> document/program; only gives three choices under file: Print; Print setup
> and exit. I therefore clicked on my RTF file and used "Open With" and
> choose the "RTF Viewer"; it then gave me a choice of saving a file as an
> .exe file; which I did. The RTF viewer than opened up with the garbled
> contents that I had before!


I don't have anything to add, except that WordPad is in Start | All Programs
| Accessories.

I don't know if WordPad can read an RTF file, just going by what Jerry Ed
said.

Save the attachment to your HDD if you haven't yet and Right Click | Open
With and choose WordPad.
--

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA

Twayne

> "Theslaz" <theslaz@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:6beYk.1185$si6.375@edtnps83...
>> Bruce Hagen wrote:
>>>
>>> "Theslaz" <theslaz@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:4931658D.2060401@gmail.com...
>>>> Bruce Hagen wrote:
>>>>> "Theslaz" <theslaz@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>>>> news:hwcYk.1165$si6.241@edtnps83...
>>>>>> Just received a email from my sister and she had a RTF
>>>>>> attachment. Went to open it and it was all garbled. It tried to
>>>>>> open in Microsoft Word. I then tried to open it in Adobe and it
>>>>>> to failed. A warning came up stating that it probably was sent
>>>>>> as an email attachment and probably wasn't decoded properly.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I'm using XP Professional. Is there a way to get remedy this
>>>>>> problem as I have had this happen before?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Are you using Outlook Express? OE, and most other e-mail clients,
>>>>> can't understand MS Outlook's Rich Text Formatting, (RTF). Have
>>>>> her send it in Plain Text, or HTML.
>>>> Sister can't send in any other format. She works for a company that
>>>> restricts what can be sent and how.
>>>>
>>>> Couldn't find WordPad in my copy of windows. I also tried to open
>>>> the file in Note Pad; didn't work.
>>>>
>>>> I have saved it to my desktop and tried to open it from there with
>>>> negative results.
>>>>
>>>> I'm using Mozilla Thunderbird as my email client.
>>>>
>>>> My wife uses Incredimail and she could not open the file either.
>>>>
>>>> Sent the file to my laptop. Same problem there. Laptop does have
>>>> Wordpad. Same problem.
>>>>
>>>> I have a laptop with Vista; will try that and see what happens.
>>>
>>>
>>> I have never used this, but it's freeware and worth a try.
>>>
>>> RTF Viewer 1.5:
>>> http://www.snapfiles.com/get/rtfviewer.html
>> Downloaded the program. weird to say the least. Opens with a blank
>> document/program; only gives three choices under file: Print; Print
>> setup and exit. I therefore clicked on my RTF file and used "Open
>> With" and choose the "RTF Viewer"; it then gave me a choice of
>> saving a file as an .exe file; which I did. The RTF viewer than
>> opened up with the garbled contents that I had before!
>
>
> I don't have anything to add, except that WordPad is in Start | All
> Programs
>> Accessories.
>
> I don't know if WordPad can read an RTF file, just going by what
> Jerry Ed said.
>
> Save the attachment to your HDD if you haven't yet and Right Click |
> Open With and choose WordPad.

Of course it can; RTF is its default, in fact.