[see reply below]

>> "JCW" <JCW@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:A36A665F-BBCA-4E32-BC31-03770FA12751@microsoft.com...
>>>
>>> Robert -- Since I don't know how to attach files to forum posts, I'll
>>> try sending a direct e-mail to the address in your profile. Please let
>>> me know whether you receive it. -- JCW


>"Robert Aldwinckle" <robald@techemail.com> wrote in message
>> news:u$bSO403JHA.2656@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>>
>> That is NOT an .mht file (Web Archive, single file). It is probably
>> an instance of the use of Web Page Complete (*.htm; *.html)
>> To simplify receipt of that you could have zipped it first,
>> so that in either case I would only have to deal with one attachment,
>> not the 27 you have sent me.
[snip]


"JCW" <JCW@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:486FE511-C3FB-47CD-A71C-23E84363FC27@microsoft.com...
>
> Robert -- Sorry. On my machine it shows up and handles as a single file.
> It was produced by the default "Save As", which calls itself "Web archive,
> single file (*.mht)." Maybe something in Outlook 2007 converted the
> attachment. (I view all messages as plain text, so I wouldn't have
> noticed the expansion.) I'll try again, zipping it first in hopes of
> preventing any transformation. -- JCW

Hi Robert and JCW, actually it was an MHT (mhtml) file. The M stands for
MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions), which is the same encoding
that email and mail attachments use. Apparently, the receiving mail reader
interpreted the MHT attachment as a "multi-part message in MIME format"
PACKET, and separately de-coded each of the parts into separate files, as if
there had been 27 separate files attached to the original email. And yes, it
is always a good idea to ZIP all email attachments, even if only a single
plain text document, to reduce connect time, and internet bandwidth.

If you open Windows NOTEPAD, and drag and drop an MHT file into it, you will
see that it is mostly human readable ASCII characters, with some hexadecimal
codes, such as "3D", which is the same as decimal "61", the character number
for the "=" equal sign. Maximize the Notepad window, (and display with a
fixed width font like "Courier New",) and you will see that all the lines
are 76 characters or less, the same as typical USENET newsgroup line length
limits. For illustration, I added a small GIF graphic to a simple HTM page
on my local drive, and saved as MHT. Here's the header part of the MHT
before the HTML part:

[begin quote:]
From: <Saved by Microsoft Internet Explorer 5>
Subject: Blank Start-up Page
Date: Mon, 1 Jun 2009 21:25:55 -0400
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/related;
type="text/html";
boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0000_01C9E2FF.8C3C26E0"
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5512

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C9E2FF.8C3C26E0
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="Windows-1252"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Location: file://C:\OldStuff\BLANK.HTM
[:end quote]

Note that the first part of the MHT file looks like an email message, and I
used IE6 to make the MHT, not IE5, so apparently that file save function in
the browser was not changed in the later IE version. Also note that the
MimeOLE Version number above is the same as my Outlook Express version
number in headers of my newsgroup messages. (Outlook Express 6.00.2900.5512)
There is some connection between OE and IE, and if I recall correctly, when
upgrading to IE7 or IE8, Outlook Express is not upgraded, but remains
version 6. (BTW: I'm using XP-pro SP3.)

Could the problems with MHT files not opening in IE7 have something to do
with the MimeOLE version, rather than being either IE or OE issues? Could
third party mail readers or IE addons affect the way MHT files are saved or
displayed? or if a mail program other than Outlook Express or Outlook is set
as the default? (I'm just thinking outloud. :)

Here's the "NextPart" from the end of the html part:

[begin quote:]
</P></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C9E2FF.8C3C26E0
Content-Type: image/gif
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Location: file:///C:/OldStuff/papyr.gif

R0lGODlhMAAwALMAAAAAAIAAAACAAICAAAAAgIAAgACAgMDAwI CAgP8AAP/du///AAAA//8A///u
zP//7iH5BAQAAAAALAAAAAAwADAAAATX8EnpJrWvWj353ZjmZWEJnp 35KKTitm/lsnK82jNM31+K
9kDST4ghBkdI1fG2y9WauCh0aqwmh1efL7vEKonUp24sLjNhXW 16XVVbv9y382ye26VkuN7Lj/v3
WmF0g3eCd2x/fG5uiYx6hXmQdXiNiIAflW+KPYaUhJ6Hmo6bopelp0mSn52sqK aZIq+yKK2TtZ+W
pJmjvLkpqsCgnrqzo7DFnJHCt6HHxEO9rsTBzMvS0c7O2CrV3c q+4Kfbz47Uyt7a4Vfp18m25/CT
6sht8+QX5u/6dBEAIf6HqTIwMDAgYnkgUmljaENsYXJrN0Bhb2wuY29tDQpDb 3B5cmlnaHQ6IEFs
bCBSaWdodHMgUmVzZXJ2ZWQuDQpBLlYuIEJpYmxlIFRyYWN0cy BhbmQgQm9va3MNClAuTy4gQm94
IDcyMjkyDQpOZXdwb3J0LCBLWSwgVVNBLCA0MTA3Mi0wMjkyAD s=

------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C9E2FF.8C3C26E0--
[:end quote]

Again, notice the GIF in base64 encoded lines are 76 characters long or
less. When I right-clicked on the GIF in the original page, and chose Save
Picture As, GIF file type was preselected. When I did the same with the GIF
in the MHT displayed page, BMP file type was preselected. Another test I
did, with an animated GIF, confirmed that the MHT was properly decoded in
IE6, and the GIF displayed with animation active. But again, I could only
"Save Picture As" in BMP format, with only the first of the several pictures
in the GIF being saved in BMP (Bit Map Picture) format.

P.S. Another peculiarity. The IE6 toolbar, with the original HTM page
displayed, had a Notepad icon with tool tip "Edit with Notepad"; but when I
clicked Forward, to view the MHT version of the page, the icon changed and
had tool tip "Edit with Microsoft Office Excel". The right-click "View
Source" opened in Notepad in either case.

FWIW.
--Richard