


For example, a web page may be sent as an attachment in e-mail.īad file association or problem with program Be cautious of any executable sent through e-mail as this is the primary method of distributing viruses through e-mail. Movie files that require a compatible media player program to play.Īn executable file that starts the installation of a program. Windows bitmap image that is primarily opened in Microsoft Paint and can be opened with many but not all image editors. These basic image formats are widely used and can be opened and viewed by every image editor or viewer.Ī compressed file that must be uncompressed before the files contained in the file can be viewed. Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that can be opened with Microsoft Excel, OpenOffice Calc, or Google Sheets.

Microsoft Word documents and can be opened with Microsoft Word, OpenOffice Writer, or Google Docs.Īdobe PDF file that is opened with Adobe Acrobat or PDF reader. Below is a listing of some common file formats sent over e-mail, their file extension, and the programs used to open those files. If you are going to be working with this file format often, install a program or viewer on the computer that supports the file format. In this situation, we recommend you have the sender save the file as a different format that the computer supports and re-send the attachment. PSD image file and you don't have Adobe Photoshop or another program that supports it, the file format cannot be opened. For example, if someone is sending you a. One of the most common reasons why you can't open an e-mail attachment is because your computer doesn't have the necessary program installed to recognize the file format. If the attachment is missing or not available, see: Why can't I receive any e-mail attachments? Unrecognized file format This page is for people who cannot open an e-mail attachment.
