Hints, Tips, & Troubleshooting

WinZip® makes decoding these file attachments very convenient. Here are some hints to make the road even smoother:

The most common problems we encounter with files that cannot be decoded are incomplete data and missing header information. The integrity of the message is critical, and the header must be intact for decoding. We have included short examples of each of the following encoding formats. You may find them helpful for comparison purposes with messages you receive, to confirm that they appear properly encoded and are not missing header and closing data. Click to review any of these brief file examples.

UUencoded Example   XXencoded Example   BinHex Example   MIME (base64) Example

Multi-Part Encoded Files must be combined before WinZip can process them. If you encounter encoded data spread across multiple files, you can either combine the parts using a text editor, and then open them with WinZip, or you can use another program, like the UUDeview package from Frank Pilhofer. (WinZip's decoding subroutines are based on the UUDeview package.) The original UUDeview is a text mode command line driven program, or you can download a Windows interface by Michael Newcomb. These free programs are available from Internet sites in Germany and the USA.

Further information about encoding files can be found in many places on the Internet. A good place to start is the "Introduction to Decoding" article from the UUDeview home page. The MIME specification is defined in RFC 1521, and is widely available on the Internet.

Bug Reporting: If, after examining and confirming that a file seems properly encoded, you believe that WinZip should handle it, please contact WinZip support. Send e-mail to [email protected] with details, and include a Zip file of the file so that it is not changed by any mail gateways or e-mail program. Do not remove any header or other information. Please include the name of the program that created it, if possible. Smaller files are preferred over huge sample files. We will examine the file and respond as soon as possible.

UUencoded, XXencoded, BinHex, and MIME files

Sending Files using Internet Mail

The Why behind UUencoding and Other Schemes

Receiving and Preparing Files for Decoding

Decoding Files using WinZip

UUencoding a File using WinZip

Mailing a UUencoded File

Hints, Tips, & Troubleshooting

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