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Entourage docx Attachments and iPhone incompatibility

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ima...@officeformac.com

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Mar 24, 2010, 4:15:15 PM3/24/10
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Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel I've tried to get a response on this in the Office forum with no results. SO, I'm trying here.
Is there a solution to the problem where docx attachments sent from Entourage cannot be opened on the iPhone?
Attachments from Entourage come up as invalid file format on the iPhone.
If the same file is sent from Apple Mail or Google Mail, it is fine.
What is the solution, and why are MS taking so long to resolve this?

Corentin Cras-Méneur

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Mar 24, 2010, 5:05:28 PM3/24/10
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On 2010-03-24 16:15:15 -0400, ima...@officeformac.com said:

> Is there a solution to the problem where docx attachments sent from
> Entourage cannot be opened on the iPhone?
> Attachments from Entourage come up as invalid file format on the iPhone.
> If the same file is sent from Apple Mail or Google Mail, it is fine.

Have you tried using a different encoding while sending through Entourage?

> What is the solution, and why are MS taking so long to resolve this?

No idea what MS might be doing about it. In all fairness, I wasn't even
aware there was a problem (but I might be using a different encoding
method than you).

Corentin


--
--- Office:Mac MVP http://www.cortig.net/wordpress/ ---
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MVPs are not MS employees - Les MVP ne travaillent pas pour MS
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ima...@officeformac.com

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Mar 24, 2010, 5:53:19 PM3/24/10
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Have you tried to send a docx file to an iPhone 3Gs?
Also, how do I change the encoding format?
Thanks.

ima...@officeformac.com

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Mar 24, 2010, 6:09:14 PM3/24/10
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OK, I see how to change the encoder, and none of them work.
I tried AppleDouble, BinHex, MIME and UUENCODE.
All produce 'Invalid format' on the iPhone.
This is crazy, if the same file is sent by Apple Mail or Google MAil then it's fine.
What is the solution here. There are quite a few happy, MS bashing, people on the Apple support forum about this!

William Smith [MVP]

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Mar 24, 2010, 11:31:18 PM3/24/10
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I'm with Corentin. I'm not seeing this problem and I doubt that
Microsoft is perusing the Apple forums for problem reports about their
own products.

Are you using the exact same Gmail account that you're using in Mail?
Have you tested using another type of account such as MobileMe or Hotmail?

--

bill

Entourage Help Page <http://entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>
YouTalk <http://nine.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/youtalk>
Twitter: follow <http://twitter.com/meck>

ima...@officeformac.com

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Mar 25, 2010, 3:13:42 PM3/25/10
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Sorry, but that response is the kind of thing that annoys everyone about the Apple/MS rivalry. It's not Apple's product - it's Microsoft's! It's Entourage that's the issue here. The iPhone supports the docx format, but Entourage's encoding is not compatible.
There is a problem, and it is clear to me that it is MS' responsibility to fix it.
I am a life-long MS supporter and have bought every version of Windows since 3.1, so believe me I have no hidden agenda here!
However, this is a problem that needs resolving.
I have sent the same file by Google Mail, Apple Mail and MobileMe all completely successfully.
But Entourage.... no way. It just doesn't work.
You say you're not seeing the problem, but have you tried to send a docx file to an iPhone via Entourage?

Corentin Cras-Méneur

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Mar 25, 2010, 4:55:59 PM3/25/10
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On 2010-03-25 15:13:42 -0400, ima...@officeformac.com said:

> Sorry, but that response is the kind of thing that annoys everyone
> about the Apple/MS rivalry. It's not Apple's product - it's
> Microsoft's! It's Entourage that's the issue here.

Well no one here works for MS (or Apple).
There is no rivalry of any sort since we're all Mac folks using MS products.
This is a *peer* support group.

Now I'm sorry you don't like the answer but as far as I am concerned, I
believe that knowing it's not a generalize issue affecting everybody
can be of some use in order to attempt to identify the source of the
problem.

> The iPhone supports the docx format, but Entourage's encoding is not
> compatible.


How do you know?
I don;t see the problem when I send from Entourage on my Mac.
It could mean that your SMTP is performing conversions that affect the
readability of the file on your iPhone.
Have you tried using the same settings to send from Mail to see if you
still had the same issue?
Using some sort of webmail doesn't help (gMail webpage) since then, the
e-mail is not going through the same SMTP.

> There is a problem, and it is clear to me that it is MS' responsibility
> to fix it.

I'm not so sure, but if it is indeed a bug, use Help > Send feedback
from Entourage itself.

> I am a life-long MS supporter and have bought every version of Windows
> since 3.1, so believe me I have no hidden agenda here!
> However, this is a problem that needs resolving.
> I have sent the same file by Google Mail, Apple Mail and MobileMe all
> completely successfully.

Are you using the same account (and especially the same SMTP server to
send out and sending on the same e-mail account) to send from Mail?

> But Entourage.... no way. It just doesn't work.
> You say you're not seeing the problem, but have you tried to send a
> docx file to an iPhone via Entourage?

Yes I have and I don't have any problem reading the file.
That's why I *suspect* the problem is somewhere else along the line.

ima...@officeformac.com

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Mar 26, 2010, 4:22:28 AM3/26/10
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Thanks Corentin.
Sorry about the tone earlier.
There is a problem here as many people are experiencing it over on the iPhone forums. Usually they just workaround it by sending the files by Apple Mail.
I can't see that it can be the SMTP performing conversions that is the problem as if I send the files via Outlook on my PC using the same SMTP server, then there is no problem.
How can I try Mail using the same settings? Do you mean SMTP settings? or encoding settings?
I'm glad that you don't have the issue of sending docx files via Entourage to iPhone 3Gs, because hopefully, we can solve this odd problem.
BTW, I don't get email notifications of replies on this forum.

ima...@officeformac.com

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Mar 26, 2010, 4:36:01 AM3/26/10
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OK, I've done some experimenting.
I created a 2-line document in word 2008 and sent it using the same SMTP server, i.e. my MobileMe account, both using Apple Mail and Entourage.
The Mail attachment is perfectly fine on my iPhone, but the Entourage one just gives the usual 'format is invalid' error message.

ima...@officeformac.com

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Mar 26, 2010, 10:18:58 AM3/26/10
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I've done some further experimenting, and it's only docx files produced from Word for Mac 2008 that have the problem.
I can read docx files from Word 2007 and 2010 (PC) via Entourage OK, and Excel xlsx files.
Any help would be appreciated.

Corentin Cras-Méneur

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Mar 26, 2010, 12:47:55 PM3/26/10
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On 2010-03-26 04:22:28 -0400, ima...@officeformac.com said:

> Thanks Corentin.
> Sorry about the tone earlier.

Not a problem, don't worry.

> There is a problem here as many people are experiencing it over on the
> iPhone forums. Usually they just workaround it by sending the files by
> Apple Mail.
> I can't see that it can be the SMTP performing conversions that is the
> problem as if I send the files via Outlook on my PC using the same SMTP
> server, then there is no problem.


It could be a combination of encoding and the SMTP server. Hard for me
to go beyond speculations since I can't reproduce the problem on my Mac.


> How can I try Mail using the same settings? Do you mean SMTP settings?
> or encoding settings?

Well before I knew about your tests in Outlook, I was thinking about the SMTP.
Now it sounds like the SMTP isn't a problem.


> I'm glad that you don't have the issue of sending docx files via
> Entourage to iPhone 3Gs, because hopefully, we can solve this odd
> problem.

And I sure hope we'll find a solution.
I need to make a few additional tests.
Is it by any chance through a gMail account using their SMTP?


> BTW, I don't get email notifications of replies on this forum.

I don't use the forum interface at all. I access the same groups
through usenet with a usenet client (which I find FAR more convenient).

Corentin Cras-Méneur

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Mar 26, 2010, 1:30:45 PM3/26/10
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I made additional tests and couldn't come up with a solution.
I don't see what might be wrong.
I've tried all the encoding methods I could think of and had no problem
on my iPhone or Mac (getting the e-mails back in Mail, I can also see
the content through QuickLook and open the file).

I've looked around on the Web and saw another thread (in addition to
yours in the Apple forums) that mentioned this (without solution).
I'll ask around to see if anybody around me ever experienced this,

ima...@officeformac.com

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Mar 26, 2010, 1:31:52 PM3/26/10
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Corentin, did you see my previous 2 posts?
It's not through a Gmail SMTP. The tests are done with 2 accounts, MobileMe and my main BT Internet SMTPs. Both are tested using Entourage and Apple Mail.
Just to summarise again, docx from Office 2007 and 2010 on PC work perfectly when sent via Entourage on both accounts, but docx created by Mac Word 2008 just get the 'invalid file format' on the iPhone.
I have tested this on my 2 iPhones and they are both the same.

ima...@officeformac.com

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Mar 26, 2010, 4:07:17 PM3/26/10
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Sorry, I think our posts crossed a little earlier.
If you look hard enough, there are more than 2 threads on this! Still, like you, I have no problem at all getting the mails back in both Mail and Entourage, and attachments look fine.
It's only on the iPhone from Entourage that there is a problem. As I said, it's only with docx. If I save the same files as doc, then they show up perfectly (embedded photos and all!).
I look forward to your thoughts.

William Smith [MVP]

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Mar 26, 2010, 11:31:23 PM3/26/10
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Just wanted to let you know that I've managed to reproduce this with
Entourage. I've still yet to see what happens with Mail, webmail, etc.
At least now I can do some testing and troubleshooting.

Please keep in mind that the best I can do is pass this problem along to
the MacBU folks. You should do the same using the Help --> Send Feedback
tool in any Office application.

If I discover anything or hear anything that may resolve this I'll let
you know.

ima...@officeformac.com

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Mar 27, 2010, 7:44:46 AM3/27/10
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Thank you William.
I will follow it up with some feedback, but if you could let me know on progress that would be great.

ima...@officeformac.com

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Apr 16, 2010, 2:01:40 PM4/16/10
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Been some time now. Any news?

Corentin Cras-Méneur

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Apr 19, 2010, 11:38:14 AM4/19/10
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On 2010-04-16 14:01:40 -0400, ima...@officeformac.com said:

> Been some time now. Any news?

Nope, and I bet it's going to take a lot longer than that. Any testing,
implementing a solution, retesting, approving, putting an updater
together, etc takes forever.
And that's only assuming it got high enough in their priority list to
get fixed before anything else.

Corentin


--
--- Office:Mac MVP http://www.cortig.net/wordpress/ ---
http://www.mvps.org - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
MVPs are not MS employees - Les MVP ne travaillent pas pour MS

Remove "NoSpam" to e-mail me - Retirez "NoSpam" pour m'�crire

Giri...@officeformac.com

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Apr 20, 2010, 6:16:01 PM4/20/10
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> Been some time now. Any news?

We have a workaround for this issue i.e. by sharing the workbook. You can go to 'Tools' menu in Excel and choose 'Share Workbook'.

Girish

ima...@officeformac.com

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Apr 24, 2010, 1:29:12 PM4/24/10
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>
> We have a workaround for this issue i.e. by sharing the workbook. You can go to 'Tools' menu in Excel and choose 'Share Workbook'.
>
> Girish
HI Girish. I'm afraid you've confused me! This is about Word and docx files via Entourage. Where does Excel come into that?

ima...@officeformac.com

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May 12, 2010, 10:48:33 AM5/12/10
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I've heard that the same problem exists in the beta version of Outlook from Office 2011. So where does that leave the issue now?

Shenan Stanley

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May 21, 2010, 6:48:22 PM5/21/10
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ima...@officeformac.com wrote:
> I've heard that the same problem exists in the beta version of Outlook
> from Office 2011. So where does that leave the issue now?

With people using OS X Mail for their Exchange interface? *grin*

Here is this conversation in its entirety for an indefinite time period
(for review in the future - so it is not just one post...)
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.mac.office.entourage/browse_frm/thread/1d7a787538ba28cf/

A few questions:

Where are the postings you are seeing about the same problem existing in the
beta version of Outlook from Office 2011? Can you link to this - as it
seems fresh in your mind and might bring new life to this aging
conversation - please? It is possible to link to the other conversations
(since I just gave you a link for this one - surely the others have links -
and a little cross-talk between the various conversations cannot be a
horrible thing.)

From your 'further experimenting', you stated that, "it's only docx files

produced from Word for Mac 2008 that have the problem. I can read docx files

from Word 2007 and 2010 (PC) via Entourage OK, and Excel xlsx files." <-- is
it the same with the beta version of Outlook from Office 2011 - but using
the other office components from Office 2011 to make the documents (not Word
for Mac 2008)?

Do you think this is a problem with Entourage/Outlook or - possibly - a
problem with "Word for Mac 2008" (or just "Word for Mac" whatever version -
since your 'further tests' would seem to implicate that more than
Entourage/Outlook? ;-)

Why do you post in HTML? (The last one is just a curiosity.)

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html


Diane Ross

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May 21, 2010, 8:44:23 PM5/21/10
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On 5/21/10 3:48 PM, in article en4h8eT#KHA....@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl,
"Shenan Stanley" <newsh...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Why do you post in HTML? (The last one is just a curiosity.)

This newsgroup is also mirrored on the Mactopia forums. Both allow HTML and
Mactopia actually defaults to it.

--
Diane Ross, Microsoft Mac MVP
Entourage Help Page <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/>


Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>

YouTalk <http://tinyurl.com/bzcrjy> <-- Entourage mailing list
Twitter: follow <http://twitter.com/entouragehelp>

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