Copyright (C) 1993-2000 ASCENT SOLUTIONS Inc. (ASi)
QuantaZip (R) and QuantaCentral (R) are trademarks of ASCENT SOLUTIONS Inc. (ASi).
All Rights Reserved
Last Revised: May 3, 2000
This README is intended to give you a place to start. If you need any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our Technical Support Department at: SUPPORT@QUANTACENTRAL.COM or call 937.847.2687.
Thank you,
The ASi Support Team
Section 1. - What is QuantaZip?
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QuantaZip for Outlook« is an add-in for MS Outlook that automatically manages the compression and decompression of outgoing email file attachments. QuantaZip allows users to transparently compress and decompress email attachments; therefore, reducing network traffic, dial-up charges and storage costs.
QuantaZip has email safety features to password protect your email. Additionally you can create self-extracting files for your attachments. QuantaZip will automatically archive all email attachments saving hard drive space.
QuantaZip for Outlook works on Outlook 97/98 and 2000.
Section 2. - Installing QuantaZip.
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Installing QuantaZip is as easy as unzipping the zip file and executing the '.exe' file that is included. An installation wizard will walk you through installing the product.
Q. When I SEND a message within Outlook, and QuantaZip is active, the message I just tried to send is still sitting in the OUTBOX, why?
A. This problem is occurring because of the way that MAPI (Messaging Application Programming Interface) is handling the outbound email. Open Outlook, and go to TOOLS menu | OPTIONS | click on the QuantaZip tab and click on the DECOMPRESSION button. Go to the ADVANCED tab and notice the 'Use MAPI Advise Sinks'.
1. Default checkbox value : unchecked.
- Outlook new mail notification facilities are used. Essentially, Outlook walks through all of the add-ins and says, "Hey, I've got a new mail, do want to do anything with it?"
Some misbehaving add-inÆs can, by mistake, tell Outlook to stop notifying all other add-ins, QuantaZip might not get its chance to process a message This is a very common issue.
Pros: There are no side effects.
Cons: If used in Outlook 97, or along with some misbehaving third-party add-ins, not all incoming messages will be decompressed.
2. Checkbox is checked
- use Extended MAPI notification sinks. QuantaZip asks MAPI
sub-system to notify it of all new mail coming to the Inbox; that is exactly the same
way Outlook communicates with either Exchange Server or PST files.
Pros: It works all the time.
Cons: McAfee (and probably other software) doesn't like it, and mail might get stuck in the Outbox.
Since side effects are much more severe when Extended MAPI sinks are used, the checkbox is unchecked by default.
So, to resolve your hanging outbound email, go TOOLS menu | OPTIONS | click on the QuantaZip tab and click on the DECOMPRESSION button. Go to the ADVANCED tab and notice the 'Use MAPI Advise Sinks'. Check this box.. Close Outlook, re-open it, and then try to send a new email. Most likely, you will have to delete the email sitting in the Outbox before trying to send a new one.
Q. Can I control who I send ZIPPED attachments and ZIPPED message bodies to?
A. This can be controlled by opening Outlook, and go to TOOLS | OPTIONS | and click on QuantaZip and click on the COMPRESSION button. From there, click on the ADDRESSES tab. Here you will have several different options or ways to æconfigureÆ your compression settings.
Q. When I receive an email attachment, the attachment is still ZIPPED, why?
A. This is a known issue when using QuantaZip and an Exchange server that has McAfeeÆs GroupShield (Virus Scanner for email attachments) running on it. An example of what is going on is provided below:
If you (weÆll call you æJohnÆ) send an email with an attachment to a college in the office (weÆll call her æSallyÆ), the process that the mail goes through to get to Sally goes something like this:
The email leaves JohnÆs system with an attachment that was ZIPPED by QuantaZip. This then goes through the Exchange server that is running GroupShield. GroupShield picks up this attachment (it actually makes a copy and scans the copy, not the original). While GroupShield is busy scanning, Exchange continues to push the email through to SallyÆs system . SallyÆs system receives the email and its attachment. The attachment is then decompressed with QuantaZip. By the time QuantaZip has decompressed the attachment, GroupShield has finished scanning the attachment that it made a copy of and replaces the attachment that SallyÆs system received (which was UNZIPPED by QuantaZip), and replaces it with a scanned ZIP file.
Now, the email attachment is back to being ZIPPED because of the replacement process by GroupShield. You can easily UNZIP this attachment (yes, again!) by first highlighting the email in your INBOX and then go to the FILE menu and clicking on DECOMPRESS ATTACHMENTS. This will UNZIP your email attachment.
A. QuantaZip uses the standard encryption for the ZIP file format. The ZIP format uses a 40-bit encryption that is not governed by the export laws of the United States.
To minimize a chance of an unauthorized access to the attachments you encrypt, please use a password containing both letters and numbers and try not to use obvious passwords, such as your name, dogÆs name, birth date, etc . . .
Please note that ZIP file encryption does not provide the same level of security as more robust encryption schemes such as PGP, Blowfish, etc. An average amount of time needed to break an encrypted ZIP file is on the order of several hours.
Since the export laws of the United States have just changed since our release of QuantaZip, we do have plans to make the encryption a more robust package in the very near future.
Q. I would like to use QuantaZip, however, most of the people I send emails and attachments to do not have QuantaZip or any type of UNZIP utility.
A. One of the great things about QuantaZip is that it allows you to create self-extracting ZIP files for your email attachments. We made this option available, as we understood that not every one has an UNZIPPING utility. The self-extracting portion of QuantaZip allows you to make an executable (*.EXE) self extracting file. When the person on the receiving end of the email receives the email, the attachment on the email will be called as an example 'WHATEVER.EXE'. When they double click this file, the file will extract to a folder of their choice on their PC.
To make sure that you have this option enabled, please go to TOOLS | OPTIONS | and click on QuantaZip and click on the COMPRESSION button. Check the box that reads, 'Create Self Extracting ZIP files' (EXE). This will make it the default (meaning all email attachments will be created as EXEÆs). So, if you do not want to send EXE files to ever recipient of your emails, then you will need to make sure that you uncheck the EXE box.
Q: When I send a message, sometimes an orphaned compose window is created and shown on the taskbar
A: This behavior is caused by a bug in Outlook 98 and 2000 (Outlook 97 does not appear to be affected): showing any dialog just before the message is actually sent causes Outlook's hidden compose window to become visible. This bug only manifests itself on Windows NT 4.0 (any Service Pack).
To fix this problem, download and install Outlook attachment security patch (available since July 1999).
Outlook 98 (US edition): http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/downloadDetails/O98attch.htm
Outlook 98 (International) : http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/Articles/O98attchinternational.htm
Outlook 2000 (US Edition): http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/2000/downloadDetails/O2Kattch.htm
Outlook 2000 (International): http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/2000/articles/O2Kattchinternational.htm
Q: When I send my Word document from within Word, embedded files are not compressed
A: The chances are document only contains a link to the file, but not the file itself. Another possible cause might be that you have an embedded OLE object, not a real attachment - QuantaZip is careful not to compress this kind of attachment as your recipient might not be able to read it. To make sure Word document itself with all the embedded objects is sent as a real attachment, use "File | Send To | Mail Recipient (as attachment)" menu command in Word.
Q: I installed QuantaZip under Outlook Express, but my attachments are not compressed!
A: Outlook Express is not supported by QuantaZip. You need to have Outlook 97, 98 or 2000. As far as I know MS Exchange Client is fine too, but not too many people are using it these days. As much as I'd love to support Outlook Express, MS does not provide any means (documented at least) for QuantaZip to hook it up. If you know otherwise, please drop me a note.
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All trademarks acknowledged.
Any reference to licensed programs or other material, belonging to any company, is not intended to state or imply that such programs or material are available or may be used.
The copyright in this work is vested in ASCENT SOLUTIONS Inc. and the document is issued in confidence for the purpose only for which it is supplied. It must not be reproduced in whole or in part or used for tendering purposes except under an agreement or with the consent in writing of ASCENT SOLUTIONS Inc. and then only on condition that this notice is included in any such reproduction. No information as to the contents or subject matter of this document or any part thereof either directly or indirectly arising therefrom shall be given or communicated in any manner whatsoever to a third party being an individual firm or company or any employee thereof without the prior consent in writing of ASCENT SOLUTIONS Inc.
Copyright(C) 1993-2000 ASCENT SOLUTIONS Inc.(R). All rights reserved.
