Is there any way to work around the Outlook security update?

A. The Outlook security update prevents access to certain attachments. Since the FAQ about the problems of the new Outlook security update, I've heard of several ways to work around the update.

Move the message with the attachment to a new folder within Outlook (right-click the message and select Move to folder). Then open Outlook Express and import messages from the new folder (File, Import, Outlook, and then highlight the folder you moved the email message into). Make sure you have a virus scanner running, just in case the attachment does contain a virus.

After you install the security update, you can't open executables directly from an email message (you have to save them to disk). If you still want to open attachments from the email message, you can patch file outllib.dll (Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office):
1. Close Outlook.
2. Open file outllib.dll in a hexadecimal editor (I used HIEW).
3. Search for the occurrence of the text "zip"--there should be only one. When you find it, you will see several other file extensions. Modify the ones you want to open from an email message to something like "!@#" (I modified the .zip and .exe extensions).
4. Save changes. You'll be able to open attachments directly from an email message.

Before installing Microsoft Office 2000 Service Pack 2 (SP2), back up two files: outllib.dll (Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office) and outllibr.dll (Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\1033). Install SP2 and restore the two files you backed up. Unfortunately, you must use the SP1 files (outllib.dll Version 9.0.0.3821 and outllibr.dll Version 9.0.0.3821) instead of the files on the Office 2000 CD-ROM. Otherwise, you'll have problems with Outlook because of DLL incompatibilities.

Also see http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/esecup/getexe.htm for more options

End of Article

I could not find the extensions within outllib.dll (or any other file for that matter) in Outlook 10 beta 2. I don't konw if they're now compressing/encrypting the extensions now, but I'd love to know how to do the equivalent in Outlook 10!

Anonymous January 26, 2001

The OUTLIB.DLL binary fix works also with the Office 10 beta. (I have beta 2).

-Max

Max Rubinstein January 29, 2001

I had a newer version of the outllib.dll, it doesnt have the "zip" entry, I searched for "mdb" and found the list of file types that are excluded. I renamed the ones I wanted available to me with my hex editor to "jjj" etc. My version of outllib.dll was 9.0.0.4201 which came with my MSDN sub.

Mike Naglie January 29, 2001

I tried both of dll fixes listed and couldn't get the hex edited version to work at all. There is no "zip" wording in my outlib.dll (win2k, Office2k SP2, Outlook2k). I have checked only no other dlls hidden anywhere else etc.
Also you can find "exe" and other extentions changing these makes NO difference. What's going on?

The alternative you mention there works to a point (using SP1 dlls) but you get an application error and Outlook quits especially if you have New Mail notification turned on and click Yes when new mail arrives.

Has anyone got the hex edited method to work?

Mark Rogers February 04, 2001

It's not a bad idea to also back up the CDO.DLL library from SR-1, if you expect to be using CDO to access Outlook in any way.

Robert Morley April 04, 2001

If you want to unblock ALL attachments in OL2K, you need only change a single character in outllib.dll with your editor. Simply open the file with your editor and search for "ade;". You'll see the string "ade;adp;bas;...", i.e., the list of all extensions to be blocked. Simply replace the very first character in the entire string(the "a" in "ade;") with a null character. You must just be careful not to add or remove characters, just replace them, so you don't screw up any program offsets. That's it.

Carey Jung October 31, 2002

Basically install Office 2000 SP3, it then uses the same reg key that Office XP uses to set which file extensions you can receive.

This said, you can only set it to ask you to save to disk, not open from outlook itself.

Arie H March 06, 2003

Your Comments (required):

SAMY November 02, 2003

The outllib.dll modification works great.

First, you will want to download and install an add-in that lets you easily manage what is on Microsoft's level 1 and level 2 security warning list (Level 1 is "you can't see this", Level 2 is "you must save this to disk first". In a standalone environment, the add-in allows you to move things from Level 1 to Level 2. Download it here:
http://www.slovaktech.com/attachmentoptions.htm

Second, you should edit just one character in the outllib.dll file.

1) Close Outlook.

2) Find the "outllib.dll" file in the "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11" folder. OFFICE11 corresponds to Outlook 2003; if you are using an older version like Office 2000, the folder might be OFFICE9 or 10.

3) Make a copy of "outllib.dll" in the same folder (in case you screw it up). I like to call my copy "outllib.original.dll".

4) Open file "outllib.dll" in a hexadecimal editor -- I used XVI32 from here: http://www.chmaas.handshake.de/delphi/freeware/xvi32/xvi32.htm

5) Find the first file type that Microsoft blocks ".ade" In the editor it will look like "ade;" in older versions or "a d e ;" in newer versions. Why is that? Sometimes programmers use an integer to store a byte, the wasted byte is 00 so all text appears to be spaced out. XVI32 has a nice search feature that allows it to look at every other character. So, if you search for "a d e ;" with spaces between the letters and check the "Joker char" box and set the Joker character to 20 (space), you will find the spot we are interested in changing. The default Joker character for XVI32 is 2E (period), so if you want to leave that alone you will search for "a.d.e.;".
6) On the hex side of XVI32, change the hex 61 (a) to 00 (null). Save the file and exit XVI32.
7) I made a copy of the modified file as "outllib.modified.dll" (in case a reinstall or service pack puts the old one back).
8) REBOOT the computer. After you start Outlook you will notice in the Tools, Options dialog that there is a new tab "Attachment Security & Options". If we HAD NOT modified the .dll, anything we moved from the left window to the right window would be available to the Outlook user to save, but not open. Because we modified the file, anything on the left can be opened directly from outlook and anything on the right must be saved to disk first. This seems, backward, but works well. I left .exe files and .url files as types I want to open directly. All other files on the right must still be saved to disk (this is good because I have no idea what a .ade file is and I don't want to open .vbs files). So move everything to the right and then move only items you want to open directly from an email to the left.
9) Note the bold text that says "Restart Outlook to make all changes effective" and then restart Outlook. You are now free to choose what items you want to open directly from Outlook (items on the left).

cooperc0000 July 20, 2004 (Article Rating:

)

I tried all the options mentiond to search for ade; in the .dll and couldn't find it.

Anonymous User August 16, 2005 (Article Rating:

)

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