Enable blocked file types in Outlook
Outlook blocks certain file types like exe and vbs by default giving you no option to open enable certain files or entire types of files that you would like to access. This is for instance a big problem if you are expecting an email with attachments that contain blocked file extensions.
The only possible option for most users is to ask the sender to send the mail in a format that is not blocked automatically by Microsoft Outlook. This can be arranged for instance by zipping the files and resending them, but that requires extra communication and may delay work that needs to be done as quickly as possible.
A possible format is zip for instance. There is however another option for Outlook users. It is possible to add a key to the Windows Registry to enable certain file types that are then no longer blocked in Microsoft Outlook. To do so hit Windows R, type in regedit and hit enter.
This opens the Windows Registry Editor.
Navigate to the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER / Software / Microsoft / Office / 10.0 / Outlook / Security for Outlook XP using the left sidebar navigation. Change 10.0 with 11.0 if you run Outlook 2003, or another value depending on which version of Outlook or Office you are running.
Right-click in the right window and select New > Key. Name it 'Level1Remove' (without the '') and add one or more file extensions to the key. It could for instance look like '.exe;.vbs'.
This unblocks .exe and .vbs file types in Microsoft Outlook so that you can receive email messages containing those files in the email program.
Please note that the Registry key changes with every version of Outlook that gets released. I suggest you browse the available versions and add the option to the latest one first and test if it works by sending an email with an unblocked file extension to yourself. If it does not try another version in the Registry until it does.
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You said that Outlook isn’t your main email client, so which is your main one?
I think its thunderbird
It is Mozilla Thunderbird.
Awesome! This actually solved my problem… what a stupid bug.
If this is the same bug that I’ve encountered, there may be another fix: (1) hover over open Outlook item in Taskbar, cursor up to hover over Outlook window item, and right-click; (2) this should give you Restore / Move / Size / Minimize / Maximize — choose Move or Size; (3) use your cursor keys, going arbitrarily N/S/E/W, to try to move or size the Outlook window back into view. Basically, the app behaves as though it were open in a 0x0 window, or at a location that’s offscreen, and this will frequently work to resize and/or move the window. Don’t forget to close while resized/moved, so that Outlook remembers the size/position for next time.
THANK YOU Claude!!! I could get the main window to launch but could not get any other message window to show on the desktop. You are my hero!!!!
Solved my issue! 6 years later and this is still problem…
Fantastic. Thank you. Size did the trick.
This solved my Outlook problem, too. Thank you. :)
Thank you so much, this started happening to me today and was causing big problems. You are a life saver, I hope I can help you in some way some day.
You are a god – thank you!
thanks a lot…. work like charm.. :-)
Yah…thanks Claude. I’ve been having the same problem and tried all the suggestions…your solution was the answer. It had resized itself to a 0/0 box. Cheers
Excellent post. This had me baffled even trying to accurately describe the problem. This fixed it for me.
Thank you
Thanks a lot for the article. Don’t know why it happenend, don’t know how it got fixed, but it was really annoying and now it works :-)
Thanks a lot. I was facing this issue from past 3 week. I tried everything but no resolution. The issue was happening intermittently and mainly when I was changing the display of screen ( as i use 2 monitors). The only option i had was to do system restore. But thanks to you.
I’ve been tried to sole this problem for 12hours. Your comment about changing the display of screen helped me a lot!! Thanks!!
Thank you…don’t know why this happened but your instructions helped me fix it. Running Windows 10 and office pro 2007
Great tip! Thanks!
Worked for me, too – thank you!!!
It’s Worked for me, too
thank you very much!
I had a similar issue with Outlook 2013 on Windows 10 and this helped me to fix it. Thank you very much!
Thank you so much. Solved!
Considering you published this in 2012, incredible not been debugged by Microsoft.
Thank you again. M
This problem was faced by only one user logging to TS 2008 r2 using outlook 2010.The issue was resolved.
Thanks.
Great tip. Thank you!!!! If it helps, I had to use the Control Key and the arrow keys at the same time to bring my window back into view. Worked like a charm.
Thank you, this worked !!!!
Man, you are a fucking god. Thanks a lot, what an annoying bug!!
Awesome, this post solved the issue. Many thanks!