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General discussion

Can't read txt file sent to me as zipped email attachment

Jan 14, 2011 11:29PM PST

Hi, hope you can help. I have successfully unzipped the attachment to an email but when I double click on the file it opens in notepad but is just gobbledegook. Any suggestions please. I am running Windows Vista Home and have Open Office loaded not Microsoft Office.

Discussion is locked

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Re: text file
Jan 15, 2011 12:20AM PST

Two options:
1. It isn't a real text file. It's another filetype that by accident got a .txt extension.
2. It isn't a .txt file, but you didn't set Explorer to show extensions so you don't know. Let's say it's a .xxx file. And - somehow - your Folder options are set in such a way that a .xxx file opens with Notepad.

Why not ask the sender?

Kees

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Can't read txt file sent to me as zipped attachment in email
Jan 15, 2011 1:15AM PST

Bit naive with this stuff so not really sure what you are telling me. I have unchecked the default 'hide' setting on my computer so that file extensions are shown. To be honest I only did that as it was advised to me on another site when I asked for solutions to this same problem I have asked here. This is the instruction I received from the sender on opening instructions:

[The message and any attached files have been turned into a ZIP attachment. Once downloaded and unzipped, open it with a word processor or text editor for reading.]

and here are the file details in the unzipped folder NAME:'zpfile001,txt and TYPE: 'text document'

Does that assist you to explain to me what I should do to open it so it is readable?
Thanks for your help.

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Post 3 of 3 Can't read txt file sent to me as zipped attachm
Jan 15, 2011 1:42AM PST

Hi again. Have asked a friend of mine to have a look at the file and he says it can't be opened as it is a 'Dat' file. I am going back to the sender to get it resent in a readable format. Looks like you were right on with your earlier reply. Thanks for your input.

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Re: txt-file
Jan 16, 2011 3:52PM PST

It says zpfile001.txt, you say (assuming the comma is a full stop), so to me it seems a text file. But that doesn't mean the contents need to be text.

Going back to the sender seems the best, especially if your friend (who could have a look at the file itself, what I can't) thinks so also.

Kees

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Can't read txt file sent to me as zipped email attachment
Jan 16, 2011 9:09PM PST

All sorted - They have resent it as a word doc and I've opened it without further problems. Thanks for taking the trouble to reply.