Mac Mail question: attachments

I am looking to attach a word document to my mac mail. With netscape mail this was easy; i'm trying to switch to mac. I drag the file into the message as the help menu says, then send it to an alternate gmail account. When i open that message however, the file says "noname 60k" But it's a word document with a specific name! When i try to open it, it's just garbled code and text, etc.

Can you tell me please how to resolve this? So i can send attachments with mac mail.

Thank you.

I just type the message, and then go into the filemenu and select attach ( or hold down shift, command and A) to attach what I want. Browse my HD for it and away you go.

Kevriano said:

I just type the message, and then go into the filemenu and select attach ( or hold down shift, command and A) to attach what I want. Browse my HD for it and away you go.

Click to expand...

Thank you Kevriano. Shift apple A is helpful. But still no success. ; ( I tried sending to an additional Gmail account, plus a yahoo one. It keeps coming out "noname", and when you save and open it, it's just garbled code.

Could there be some settings issue with how my mac mail sends attachments?

Thanks for any help.

Is the format rich text (rtf)?

No, but with my old email, Rich Text was good if i wanted them to be able to open a word doc. But you should be able to attach any kind of file, whether or not they can open it, right?

Maybe mac mail just doesn't work well for attachments on my machine? I use 10.4.7 on a G4 desktop Power PC. Thank you.

Does the doc rely on formatting? I'm not sure but I don't think there should be any problem as long as the recipient had the app that the doc was created with and the file extension is correct ....

Just so we are all on the same page here, I have Mail version 2.1.1 in Tiger.
I created my test .doc file with Word 2004 for Mac. The file consists of text and an inserted picture. OK?

When I attach a .doc to a new message in Mail, the file appears hyperlinked in the composition area. Do you get this too? If I click the hyperlinked file (still composing the email here, don't send yet) it opens as I saved it. I addressed this message to a gmail account and a hotmail account. Send.

I assume you are using gmail in a web browser? I open Safari, sign in to gmail and open the message. I see my file, named as I saved it. My options for the file are to 1)View as HTML or 2)Download. If I click View as HTML, the file spawns a new Safari window and appears as I saved it. Above the displayed file is a link to Download the Original Attachment. Clicking that link gives a little pause, as the file is downloaded. Safari's Downloads window pops up and saves the file to...heaven knows where on my Mac. Luckily I can click on the Spotlight icon there to Show it in Finder. The same thing happens if I go back to the message window and click Download instead.
Once in Finder, I double-click, Word opens, and there is my file as I saved it.

I have Mail checking my hotmail account (thanks httpmail 1.49!). Anyway, Mail displays my new email message, with a hyperlinked file, named as I saved it. Clicking the link opens Word, which opens the attachment as I saved it.

From what you said, this is what you'd expect. Where in that process do you depart from my experience?

Neo said:

ownloads window pops up and saves the file to...heaven knows where on my Mac. Luckily I can click on the Spotlight icon there to Show it in Finder.

Click to expand...

Neo, you don't need to Spotlight your downloads, just launch Safari and press ⌘ + , which is the keyboard shortcut to launch Preferences (this is System Wide).

Next make sure you're looking at the General Tab and it's here you can set the place you want your downloads to appear.

I always use the Desktop as it's easier for me. There's also a box you can check that allows the opening of "safe" files after downloading. For security reasons I think it's best to leave this box unchecked but it's really up to the individual.