Once recieved in Hotmail. Can you open the .dat file in Word? If need be, detach it, rename it with a .doc extension and open it. Is it your document? Maybe it's an error message from the mail server.

You might have a macro virus. If you don't have up to date virus protection, but your server does, the server might be deleteing your virused attachment and sending it's error message in a .dat file instead.

The .dat file extension has been used by so many programs I don't think anyone is known as having it as their extension.

If it doesn't look like a virus then do this:

If you create an email and attach a file and have this problem, then I wouldn't think Word would have anything to do with it.

But, if how it messes up is by this: You're in Word and click on File, Send To, Mail Recipient, then maybe Word is doing something it shouldn't.

Try both ways and see if there is any difference.


>When I put the email together with the attachment, it looks fine. The attachment looks like a .doc file, but when I send it, it reaches it's destination as a "windows.dat" file. I don't even know what a .dat file is. And, it only happens when I try to send .doc files. I can send Excel spreadsheets just fine.
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>Any help would be great Ken, thanks.