Excel 2002 files attached to Outlook 2002 EMails change size
 

Does anyone else have a problem with Excel *.xls files
changing size when being attached to Outlook EMails? Is
this still a problem in Office 2003?

Problem: Attachment Size is not properly maintained
during Attach and Detach processing.

Platform: Office, Excel, Outlook 2002 MSDN version with
all current updates. Windows Server 2003 with all current
updates.

Steps to repeat the bug:

1. Open Excel, save the default blank Book1.xls (size =
13,824 bytes in my setup)
2. Open Outlook, create a New EMail Message
3. Attach the Book1.xls from step 1 to the message.
4. Observe that the Attachment Size is reported as 19k
instead of 13 or 14k - the original size.
5. Send the EMail Message to a bogus account (this
eliminates the possibility that the problem is an EMail
Server or transmission issue). The problem manifests
itself regardless of EMail Server or network topology, so
you can use a good email address if you are confident the
server is not a factor.
6. Open the SENT EMail copy, or a Inbox received EMail
with the attachment and observe that the size is still 19k.
7. Detach the Book1.xls and observe the file size
reported by the file's properties is now larger than the
original file size. (16,384 in my case).

The bug is that this file size should have been preserved!

Cross checks of my systems with multiple up-to-date
antivirus software show no indications.

In the case of the Book1.xls and Excel files in general,
loading the xls file and saving it again restores the
original size -- 99% of the time! I discovered the bug
when a client complained they could not open one of my
*.xls files.

Please let me know if anyone else is experiencing the same
or similar problem with attachments. Please let me know
if anyone has found a solution to this problem or if it
has been corrected in Office 2003.

Thanks,

AJStadlin
ISV Empower Subscriber

Excel 2002 files attached to Outlook 2002 EMails change size
 

Yep I can confirm this, however this has nothing to do with Excel.

It's all related to Outlook.
Outlook does it to Word Files too and probably all "office" files.

Just attach a 14Kb file to a new message. Save message to draft folder.
Look at attached file size.. 16Kb !!
Now send/receive 19Kb.


To keep your files intact: ZIP your files.

1 Save LOTS of space and bandwidth
2 Will prevent problems with anti virus software
3 Keep your files "as is" including dates and sizes


I checked... took a hex editor and looked at what what appended...

I both looked at the saved message, as well as at the saved xls.
several items related to the email can be found INSIDE the
workbook. (at the end after the last R O O T E N T R Y.
D o c u m e n t S u m m a r y I n f o r m a t i o n

_ A d H o c R e v i e w C y c l e I D
_ E m a i l S u b j e c t
_ A u t h o r E m a i l
_ A u t h o r E m a i l D i s p l a y N a m e

AND Microsoft does it again: ....
your COMPANY NAME as appears in the Office Registration Registry entry

hurray for Bill!!


keepITcool

< email : keepitcool chello nl (with @ and .)
< homepage: http://members.chello.nl/keepitcool


"AJStadlin" wrote:

Does anyone else have a problem with Excel *.xls files
changing size when being attached to Outlook EMails? Is
this still a problem in Office 2003?

Problem: Attachment Size is not properly maintained
during Attach and Detach processing.

Platform: Office, Excel, Outlook 2002 MSDN version with
all current updates. Windows Server 2003 with all current
updates.

Steps to repeat the bug:

1. Open Excel, save the default blank Book1.xls (size =
13,824 bytes in my setup)
2. Open Outlook, create a New EMail Message
3. Attach the Book1.xls from step 1 to the message.
4. Observe that the Attachment Size is reported as 19k
instead of 13 or 14k - the original size.
5. Send the EMail Message to a bogus account (this
eliminates the possibility that the problem is an EMail
Server or transmission issue). The problem manifests
itself regardless of EMail Server or network topology, so
you can use a good email address if you are confident the
server is not a factor.
6. Open the SENT EMail copy, or a Inbox received EMail
with the attachment and observe that the size is still 19k.
7. Detach the Book1.xls and observe the file size
reported by the file's properties is now larger than the
original file size. (16,384 in my case).

The bug is that this file size should have been preserved!

Cross checks of my systems with multiple up-to-date
antivirus software show no indications.

In the case of the Book1.xls and Excel files in general,
loading the xls file and saving it again restores the
original size -- 99% of the time! I discovered the bug
when a client complained they could not open one of my
*.xls files.

Please let me know if anyone else is experiencing the same
or similar problem with attachments. Please let me know
if anyone has found a solution to this problem or if it
has been corrected in Office 2003.

Thanks,

AJStadlin
ISV Empower Subscriber