I have attachment blocking enabled in Exchange 2003. How do I stop a smart user from renaming a file (e.g. from file.exe to file.txt) and attaching it in OWA, as Exchange will let it through?

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You can block the attachments for the specific user by changing the registry:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.

2. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Outlook\Security

3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click String Value.

4. Type Level1Add, and then press ENTER.

5. On the Edit menu, click Modify.

6. Type <file_name_extensions>, and then click OK.

MEMBER FEEDBACK TO THIS ASK THE EXPERT Q&A:

The method you describe in your response works if ".exe;.txt" is <file_name_extensions>. Is there any way to block all attachments? I tried ".*" but it didn't work. Thank you for your help.
—Vito W.

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My suggestion is to try to block the most common file extensions. You could also invest in software that provides the capability to block by user.
—Patricia Guerrero, Clients and Mobility expert

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This was first published in January 2005

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