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Configuring WinZip Courier: Attachments Options

The Attachments Options dialog controls how the Zip file attachment is named as well as several aspects of the zipping process:

Zip file name

Zip files before attaching to message

This controls whether the default in WinZip® Courier is to automatically zip all attachments or not. When this checkbox is checked, the Zip Attachments button on the new email message ribbon or toolbar is selected by default; all email attachments in Outlook are automatically zipped before sending unless you manually click on the Zip Attachments button to deselect it. When this checkbox is unchecked, the Zip Attachments button on the Outlook ribbon or toolbar is not selected by default and you will need to manually click on it to select it before WinZip Courier will zip your attachments.

Default Zip file name

This is the default Zip file name, used when WinZip Courier automatically zips multiple attachments. To change the name, simply type a new name in the space provided. Do not include drive or folder names.

Use custom file extension

Zip files normally use the ".zip" or ".zipx" extension. Some e-mail systems may restrict or reject attachments with this extension due to security concerns.

If you find this to be a problem, you can instruct WinZip Courier to use a different extension for your zipped attachments; simply type the extension you want to use in the Use custom file extension field and check the box in front of the field. For example, if you type "zea" (zipped e-mail attachment), the zipped attachments might be named "WinZip Courier Compressed Attachments.zea" rather than "WinZip Courier Compressed Attachments.zip".

  • Of course, if you use this feature you must be especially careful about the contents of your attachments. Be certain that all of your attachments are checked and safe.
  • This option also affects WinZip Courier's Send as Zip File feature in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Documents that you zip and e-mail from your Office applications will also use the alternate extension.
  • This option also affects WinZip Courier's feature for manual zipping e-mail attachments. Files zipped using this feature will also use the alternate extension.

You will need to let your recipients know that the attachments are Zip files. In general, your recipients will not be able to open the zipped attachments by double-clicking them as they normally would (but see below). Recipients will need to use the "Save As" feature in Outlook to save the attachment with the normal ".zip" extension.

Recipients to whom you frequently send Zip files with an alternate extension may be able to configure Windows to "know" that these are Zip files so that they can be opened normally.

For example, a recipient using WinZip and Windows Vista or Windows 7 could follow these steps:

  1. Right-click the WinZip desktop shortcut and choose "Run as administrator".
  2. Choose the Settings tab and click Options (or pull down the Options menu and choose Configuration).
  3. In the System tab of the Configuration dialog, check the box to "Associate WinZip with the specified alternate extension for Zip files".
  4. Enter the alternate extension you want to use in the "Alternate Extension" field.
  5. Click OK to close the configuration dialog and save your changes.

The alternate extension is now associated with WinZip and the attachments can be opened by double-clicking.

For other versions of Windows or other Zip file utilities, consult your system and program documentation.

Compression method

In the Compression method section, you can choose the compression method to be used in automatic zipping. Choose Zip: Legacy (compatibility) or Zipx: Best method (smallest size), depending on what Zip file utilities your recipients have; please read about compression methods for further information.

Single attachments

Zip file name

This area changes the default Zip file name for messages with only one attachment and which single attachments get zipped.

  • If you check Use single attachment name instead of the default Zip file name, WinZip Courier will use the base name of the attachment, with the extension changed. For example, a file named "2006 Sales.doc" would be zipped as "2006 Sales.zip".
  • If you uncheck Use single attachment name instead of the default Zip file name, WinZip Courier will use the default name as specified in the Default Zip file name field.

Exclusion options

Certain classes of single attachments can be excluded from automatic zipping. The next three items allow you to control this behavior.

  • Don't zip single attachments smaller than controls the minimum size of a single attachment that WinZip Courier will zip. By default, WinZip Courier zips all single attachments, regardless of size, except those that are excluded due to file type (see below). If you would prefer not to zip small, single attachments, you can adjust this value. For example, if you would prefer not to zip attachments that are less than 15KB in size, set this value to "15".

    • If a message has multiple attachments, all of the attachments will be zipped; attachment size is not considered.

  • The Don't zip single attachments with the following file extensions allows you to specify the types of files that WinZip Courier will not zip. WinZip Courier will not normally zip single attached compressed archives, including attached Zip files. You can edit this list to add or remove file name extensions. Separate the extensions using semicolons; it is not necessary to include the dot before the extension. Note that Zip files are always excluded.
  • The Reset extension list to default setting button resets the list of excluded extensions to its original (default) value.

Remember that

  • these exclusions apply only to single attachments (multiple attachments are always zipped), and that
  • they are ignored if encryption is requested.

Image Resizing

In addition to the space savings you gain from compression, you can also save space by resizing the images being saved so they are smaller than the original images. The size of your originals will not be changed. Images will only be resized if the selected size is smaller than the original. Images will be resized as close to the selected size as possible without changing the aspect ratio (the relationship of an image's width to its height).

  • Keep original size: The size of the images saved will be identical to the original selected images.
  • Smaller: The image will be reduced to fit in a window that is 640 by 480 pixels.
  • Small: The image will be reduced to fit in a window that is 800 by 600 pixels.
  • Medium: The image will be reduced to fit in a window that is 1024 by 768 pixels.
  • Large: The image will be reduced to fit in a window that is 1280 by 1024 pixels.

See also