Problem: Apple Mail splits mail content into several attachments

[4np]

Hi All,

I am noticing some strange behaviour in the way Apple Mail handles attachments.

If you create a new email, type some text, drag an image in your email, type some more text below the email, Apple Mail will attach the image as well as the text below the image as attachments.

While this does work properly with other Apple Mail users, this is problematic when sending emails to users of other mail clients (I tested with Microsoft Outlook Web Access; the same happens in Microsoft Outlook itself). Users of other mail clients will then receive an email, containing only the text you typed above the image, while the text you typed below the image will be attached to your mail as a separate attachment. Basically breaking your email.

Looking at the RAW email content you can indeed clearly see Apple Mail has cut up the email into seperate attachments.

Is there any way to resolve this issue? I read somewhere about a property 'SendWindowsFriendlyAttachments' in com.apple.mail.plist, however that property is not present any more (Apple Mail 3.2).

Some images to illustrate the issue:

How you compose the email in Apple Mail (3.2):

How a recipient will receive the email:

The contents of 'ATT7988415.txt':

Thanks

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Apple Mail has always supported viewing HTML emails. Its support for composing them, though, wasn't added until Leopard, and is turned off by default.

Since I'm not at my Mac right now, I don't know where the option to compose HTML email is located. I wish I could be more helpful.

 

[4np]

Apple Mail has always supported viewing HTML emails. Its support for composing them, though, wasn't added until Leopard, and is turned off by default.

I use Apple Mail 3.2 on Leopard, and in the 'composing' section of the preference pane there is no option to select HTML email. Only RTF or plain text... are you sure it's possible to compose HTML emails?

 

[wrldwzrd89]

I use Apple Mail 3.2 on Leopard, and in the 'composing' section of the preference pane there is no option to select HTML email. Only RTF or plain text... are you sure it's possible to compose HTML emails?

Mail Help wasn't particularly helpful on this issue, but what I did find is that the Rich Text option for composing mail DOES, in fact, use HTML... or at least it's supposed to.

As for your specific issue I'm afraid I can't be of much help.

 

[robbieduncan]

I use Apple Mail 3.2 on Leopard, and in the 'composing' section of the preference pane there is no option to select HTML email. Only RTF or plain text... are you sure it's possible to compose HTML emails?

Yep, I just sent myself a mail from Mail 3.2 on Leopard and confirmed (via the View->Raw Source menu item) that it was HTML.

To send an HTML mail:

1) Set your mail type to Rich Text
2) Open a new mail message
3) Click the "Show Stationary" toolbar item
4) Choose a stationary item. I chose "Original" under the "Stationary" group

As long as you do something that cause it to be HTML, not a plain text mail it'll be HTML. For example I set a big coloured font: HTML mail sent.

 

[JasperS]

fixed it, for those still interested

So the remedies presented in the thread didn't work for me, and I debugged my way to a satisfactory solution.

First: turn 'send windows friendly attachments' OFF. This is the main cause for the whole problem it seems.

Second, as Robbie already suggested: make sure you format the text below the attachment you want to include in the running text. I did this by automatically setting my email signature in bold face in Mail preferences.

Should work this way, let me know if it somehow doesn't!

 

[jakudo]

So the remedies presented in the thread didn't work for me, and I debugged my way to a satisfactory solution.

First: turn 'send windows friendly attachments' OFF. This is the main cause for the whole problem it seems.

Second, as Robbie already suggested: make sure you format the text below the attachment you want to include in the running text. I did this by automatically setting my email signature in bold face in Mail preferences.

Should work this way, let me know if it somehow doesn't!

Oh my god! It works!!! Thanks a lot. I was looking for the solution since bought the mac last year! Great!!! Really thank you very much