SOLVED: Pesky vCard.vcf readers for the PC
John Gianni
After a day's work, we've come up with the following potential solutions.
Please improve!
John Gianni
(please courtesy cc jo...@cadence.com with improvements so all benefit)
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"how.to.view.pesky.netscape.vcard.vcf.attachments.in.win95.pc.eudora"
8/99 John Gianni Rev 1.03
Thanks to: Michael Nahay, Daniel Jacobson, & Dennis Bathory-Kitsz
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UTOPIA:
Recommendation #1.
Don't constantly send attachments (vCard.vcf files) your recipients
can't read; and which just pile up in the recipients attach directory.
Recommendation #2.
If you must repeatedly send attachments your recipient can't read,
at least advise them how to read or delete your (darn) attachments.
1. http://hometown.aol.com/paleymark/HowTo.htm
2. And, if their mailer isn't on that list, this file.
Note: Eudora is not on that list, so, Eudora users need to read this note.
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REALITY:
Many Netscape users send vCard.vcf attachments with their email.
[Netscape][Edit][Preferences][Mail & Groups][Identity]
[Always Attach Address Book Card to Messages]
In effect, those Netscape users (perhaps unwittingly) append
(what often turns out to be) an unreadable useless attachment to
every message; to many users; every time.
It wouldn't be so bad if the recipient actually read or viewed the
vCard.vcf attachment; but, most PC & UNIX users do not (& can not).
Worse yet, a _new_ vCard.vcf attachment gets saved (under a _new_ file
name for each email message) in the recipient's incoming-attachment dir.
Useless clutter is often the result. Most folks just delete the files.
(Some auto-delete any incoming file containing a vCard.vcf attachment.)
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TESTING:
To determine if you can read the vCard.vcf files, simply wait for one
to come by in your email & actually click on it (instead of deleting it).
If it comes up in some program (Netscape perhaps?) and looks like a
business card -- you're in business.
If not, then this application note is for you.
If you wish to see what those vCard.vcf files look like, generate one:
http://www.vicintl.com/vcf/generate.htm
If you need more vCard data, visit the internet-mail-consortium web site:
http://www.imc.org (The RFC is at: http://www.imc.org/rfc2426 )
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SOLUTION:
These are the current known PC solutions for viewing pesky Vcard.vcf files:
1) Modify both the http server (if needed) to send *.vcf files as
MIME type "text/x-vcard); and then modify your Netscape client
to understand what to do with vCard.vcf files.
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or 2) Download Microsofts vCard Reader and modify the Win95 Registry
to open vCard.vcf files using Microsoft's Vreader.exe
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or 3) Register any text editor (e.g., Notepad) to open vCard.vcf files.
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or 4) Give up -- ignore any email with vCard.vcf files attached.
Note: If you know of a better way, let me (jo...@cadence.com) know.
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COMPARISON (all IMHO & AFAIK):
1) Modify Netscape:
PRO: a) No software needs to be installed.
b) This _seems_ like the most logical solution (at first).
CON: 1. The Netscape vCard.vcf reader has big problems with
white space in front of lines longer than 75 characters;
therefore Netscape hangs forever on many vCard files!.
2. Netscape's vCard.vcf GUI is not as 'fancy' as Microsoft's;
but, like Microsoft's GUI, it does allow you to:
i. View summarized or detailed information, and,
ii. Save that information into your personal address book.
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2) Install Vreader.exe:
PRO: a) The Microsoft Vreader handles long-line white space very well.
b) The Microsoft GUI is much better than Netscape's GUI (IMHO).
c) Like Netscape's GUI, buttons allow:
i. Import into a personal address book, and,
ii. Various levels of detailed viewing.
CON: 1. The software must be downloaded from Microsoft's web site.
2. It may is a bit flaky since it's only supposed to be used
with MS Outlook (which is in the MS Office suite of tools).
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3) Use a text editor:
PRO: a) It's a simpler solution.
CON: 1. This forces the human to be the vCard.vcf interpreter. Ouch.
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4) Give up:
PRO: a) It's the simplest solution of all (we already do it).
CON: 1. Whatever info is in those Vcard.vcf files is wasted. Sigh.
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MY RECOMMENDATION:
Download Microsoft's Outlook vCard Reader.
http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/downloadDetails/msvreadr.htm
This will install as "Vreader.exe" into your MS Office directory:
e.g., c:\bin\editor\msoffice\office\vreader.exe
Even if you're not using Outlook, it will still work.
However, the first time you run it, you may need to set up a profile
and define where your personal address book is stored, e.g.,
HKU\Software\Microsoft\Windows Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\
Internet Mail Settings\...
c:\home\mail\addbooks\personal.pab
And, over time, if you want help, you may need to press the help
buttons and manually set the registry to find existing help files
in the Office directory ("outlhlp.hlp" & "oftip8.hlp"):
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Help Oftip8.hlp=
C:\bin\editor\msoffice\Office (your actual path may vary)
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Help Outlhlp.hlp=
C:\bin\editor\msoffice\Office (your actual path may vary)
Lastly, once installed, in your Win95 environment, you'll need to
manually register *.vcf files to open using Vreader.exe:
Open Any Folder & press [View][Options][File Types][New Type...]
[Description of type:] vCard
[Associated extension:] vcf
[Content Type (MIME):] text/x-vcard
[Default Extension for Content Type:] .vcf
Then, press in the Actions: box:
[New] and type in:
[Action:] open
[Application used to perform action:] c:\pathToOffice\vreader.exe
These three extra steps are a one-time affair. When done, you can
forever just double-click on those pesky vCard.vcf files either
from the Win95 folder interface, or within Eudora (or any mail user
agent) and they will always open up using this registered viewer.
Now, if we can find a way to auto-delete all the subsequent ones
that pile up in our attachments directory as vcard##.vcf :)
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FLIP SIDE:
To be fair, some Netscape recipients, actually read vCard.vcf attachments.
And, some mail user agents also send/read vCard.vcf attachments.
For more info on which mailers support Vcard.vcf technology, see:
http://hometown.aol.com/paleymark/HowTo.htm
And, for an overview of the benefits of vCard.vcf technology, see:
http://www.imc.org/pdi/vcardoverview.html
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End of "how.to.view.pesky.netscape.vcard.vcf.attachments.in.win95.pc.eudora"
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Mackenziejons
Additional information: - https://www.downloadfreeware.org/free-vcard-viewer/