I am running windows 2003 server enterprise edition with exchange 2003
installed - I use outlook webaccess to get emails when i am on the
move. At the moment OWA is blocking access to attachments. I need a
way of stopping outllook webaccess from blocking certain file types as
i need access to them. I am aware of how to use the office custom
install wzrd to do this in outlook, I just need a way of doing it at
the server level now for OWA. I do not want to purchase any addons to
do this and have been informed that there is a registry key that can
be tweaked to do this, but obviously i dont know which one. Hope it is
that simple, I look forward toa  solution.

Hi enform!!


I found the following info:
Exchange 2003 Outlook Web Access (OWA) blocks attachments by default.
The list of blocked file extensions and blocked MIME types are in four
registry entries, here are them with their default values:

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeWeb\OWA
Value: Level1FileTypes
Type: REG_SZ
Value Data: ade,adp,app,asx,bas,bat,chm,cmd,com,cpl,crt,csh,exe,fxp,hlp,hta,inf,ins,isp,
js,jse,ksh,lnk,mda,mdb,mde,mdt,mdw,mdz,msc,msi,msp,mst,ops,pcd,pif,prf,prg,
reg,scf,scr,sct,shb,shs,url,vb,vbe,vbs,wsc,wsf,wsh

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeWeb\OWA
Value: Level1MIMETypes
Type: REG_SZ
Value Data: application/hta,x-internet-signup,application/javascript,application/x-javascript,text/javascript,application/msaccess,application/prg,text/scriptlet
 
HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeWeb\OWA
Value: Level2FileTypes
Type: REG_SZ
Value Data: 
ade,adp,asx,bas,bat,chm,cmd,com,cpl,crt,exe,hlp,hta,htm,html,htc,inf,ins,
isp,js,jse,lnk,mda,mdb,mde,mdz,mht,mhtml,msc,msi,msp,mst,pcd,pif,prf,reg,scf,
scr,sct,shb,shs,shtm,shtml,stm,url,vb,vbe,vbs,wsc,wsf,wsh,xml,dir,dcr,plg,spl,
swf

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeWeb\OWA
Value: Level2MIMETypes
Type: REG_SZ
Value Data: text/xml,application/xml,application/hta,text/html,application/octet-stream,application/x-shockwave-flash,application/futuresplash,application/x-director

Level 1 items are totally blocked and Level 2 items can be accessed,
but only if first saved locally. When the same entry is present for
both Levels, Level 1 takes precedence and the attachment is blocked.
You can edit any of these entries to suit your specific needs, and if
you reinstall or update Exchange your changes will remain.


Note: I am not sure, but it appears to be an Administrator option to
restrict access to some or all attachments that are in messages. This
can be done by adding the following entry to the registry of the
Outlook Web Access server:

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeWeb\OWA
Value: DisableAttachments
Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 0, 1 or 2 (dec) 

If the value is set to 0, the standard Level 1/Level 2 attachment
blocking is performed. When it is set to 1, all attachments are
blocked. If you set it to 2, attachments not blocked by Level 1/Level
2 blocking are allowed on back-end servers, but not on front-end
servers.


I hope this helps you. Please feel free to ask for any clarification needed.

Best regards.
livioflores-ga

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Request for Answer Clarification by enform-ga on 11 Apr 2004 09:13 PDT

Thats fantastic mate - just wanna make sure i have this right though.
I use GFI mail security for my attachment handling so dont want
exchange to do any blocking at all. Do i need to clear compleatly all
four keys (both file type and mine type keys for L1 and Both file type
and mime type keys for L2)to get exchange outlook web access to leave
alone or do i clear just hte file type keys - let me knw please

Many thanx

Enform

---

Clarification of Answer by livioflores-ga on 11 Apr 2004 16:37 PDT

Hi again!!

You can edit these entries to suit your needs, and even if you
reinstall or update Exchange your changes will be kept. Remember that
Level 1 items are totally blocked, Level 2 items can be accessed only
if they are saved locally  and Level 1 blocks take precedence in the
cases where the same entry is present in both Levels.
Taking account on the above paragraph my suggestion is to not delete
the registry entries, edit them removing from the Level 1 and Level 2
entries all the file extensions and MIME Types entries from the Value
Data boxes leaving them empty.

See the following document for reference:
"Exchange 2003 Tips and Tricks" a sample chapter of the book Microsoft
Exchange Server 2003 Distilled by Scott Schnoll:
See the page 11 of this pdf document under the section 'Exchange 2003
Tuning Parameters - Outlook Web Access Parameters - Attachment
Blocking'.
This sample chapter has a very useful info to customize OWA as you need:
http://www.aw-bc.com/samplechapter/032124592X.pdf

-----------------------------------------------------------

Remember to do always a backup of the entries that will be edited. In
the case that you need reference on how you can do this task, visit:

"HOW TO: Back Up, Edit, and Restore the Registry in Windows XP and
Windows Server 2003" from Microsoft Knowledge Base:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;322756

"Windows 2003 Server Registry Editor overview":
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/WindowsServ/2003/standard/proddocs/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/WindowsServ/2003/standard/proddocs/en-us/regedit_overview.asp

"How to Use the Registry Editor":
http://www.helpdesk.umd.edu/os/windows_9x/general/555/

-----------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: If the empty value data is not accepted, try leaving fictitious
file extensions (like xxx) and MIME Types (like application/zzz).


I hope this helps you.

Regards.
livioflores-ga

exactly what i needed - first time I have used google answers and am def impressed