I can't send attachments because of a virus

[whitey5777]

I have a MacBook and for the past couple months I can not send any emails with an attachment because my computer tells me " your attachment contains a virus and can not be sent" I have tried sending a word document through my gmail, my hotmail, and even my mac email and it tells me the same thing. I don't know how to solve this problem. My screen also flickers all the time. I have spoken to apple tech support and they didn't know what to tell me. I could use any advice as to how to solve this problem, or what virus software to download.
Thanks a bunch!

 

[MarkMS]

You may have a Windows virus that the email services don't want you to attach. You may accidently and unintentionally send it to a Windows user.

Anyway, try this free antivirus checker for OS X. http://www.clamxav.com/

Keep us updated. By the way, are you using Mail.app or a web browser to send the attachments?

 

[kuwisdelu]

This may be obvious, but I can't tell from your post. Have you tried sending other attached files of different kinds? Like have you tried sending an rtf, or a picture, or anything other than that Word file and other Word files? That would let us know whether it's an actual virus in the file or some kind of weird bug.

 

[whitey5777]

So I just tried sending a picture file and a excel and both worked. So I guess that it is just preventing me from sending Microsoft word documents. I hope that helps with narrowing it down.
Thanks

 

[whitey5777]

I also have tried using both the mac email and the web browser emails and both will not allow me to attach a word document.

 

[andaman4]

Any resolution

My daughter just came to me with the same attachment problem. Did you get it resolved?

 

[Bobbi Flekman]

Go to VirusTotal and submit that Word file.

What is the result?

 

[kuwisdelu]

My daughter just came to me with the same attachment problem. Did you get it resolved?

Is it the same case? Can she attach other filetypes (like pictures, txt files, etc.?) but not Word documents (or possibly other MS Office documents)?

If that's the case, it's a MS Office macro virus. I'm not sure how to fix it. You might want to check out some Windows forums to see how to cure an Office macro virus, or maybe someone else here will know the answer. Try out the online virus scanner suggested above, or download ClamXav and scan it with that to confirm.

In the mean time, if it's just affect MS Office documents, I'd resave the whatever the problem file is as .rtf (perhaps copying and pasting into TextEdit just to be extra safe) for now.

 

[gnasher729]

I have a MacBook and for the past couple months I can not send any emails with an attachment because my computer tells me " your attachment contains a virus and can not be sent" I have tried sending a word document through my gmail, my hotmail, and even my mac email and it tells me the same thing. I don't know how to solve this problem. My screen also flickers all the time. I have spoken to apple tech support and they didn't know what to tell me. I could use any advice as to how to solve this problem, or what virus software to download.
Thanks a bunch!

Never, ever download virus software. Virus software is harmful to your computer. You may consider download anti-virus software though

I would suggest to take your computer to someone who knows how to use a Macintosh (if an Apple Store is anywhere nearby, that would be a good idea) and show them what happens. Alternatively, try to tell us _exactly_ what you are doing. Remember that we can't read your mind. So start like "In the Dock, I start the Mail application. I choose "New Message" from the File menu. A new window with title "New Message" appears" and so on. Write down every step.

 

[RodBerg]

Hi Whitey5777. Quick Question...

Were you ever able to fix your email problem when trying to attach word docs getting the virus msg???

I have the same problem as of late and its driving me crazy... any help would
be so very appreciated...

Thanks from a fellow suffer!!!

Rod in NYC

 

[SLohrer]

I'm having a similar problem. The attachments I send are around 50KB Word documents using Entourage, Mail (both use DotEasy's SMTP service on port 587), or the Web mail from my Web site (DotEasy). I've also used my ISP's Web mail with the same result. Occasionally an attachment arrives safely in the recipient's inbox, but usually I have to upload it somewhere and send a link for the recipient to download it. Very occasionally, messages without attachments haven't been going through. No error messages, either. If it didn't work all the time, it would be easier to figure out, but sometimes it does work. Really frustrating.

What I do step by step: Wake up MacBook. Click Entourage icon in dock (Entourage is open already), receive messages and send replies. Open Word and open an existing document, or open and save new Word attachment (from an e-mail message) and then edit it with Track Changes. Save and close Word document. Click Entourage icon in dock. Select message to reply to. Click Reply. Compose message. Click Finder in dock. Drag Word file to message to attach it. Click Send. Check e-mail later and receive message asking whether I've sent the file.

I wonder whether it would help to
1) quit and re-open Entourage daily
2) click Attach while composing a message rather than dragging a file onto the message

I've forwarded or CC'd messages to myself when I send them, and it looks like the ones that don't make it to my inbox are the ones that aren't making it to anyone else's inbox, so at least I can tell whether something's gone missing. (Darn it--I was wrong. Some of the forwards arrive safely, while the originals, sent to another addy I have, are going missing.)