# OE Email Settings question - DL attached file only on request possible? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 28, 2002, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oe-email-settings-question-dl-attached-file-only-on-request-possible/145369 "2002-12-28T16:00:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oe-email-settings-question-dl-attached-file-only-on-request-possible/145369/1 "2002-12-28T16:00:35Z")
Outlook Express Ver 6 Here’s a brief discription of the problem. When someone sends a large file or even complex email’s that have sound attached (don’t ask) there is usually no problem due to DSL or at the very least 40+kb/s dialup (annoyning but doable). But someplaces I go to I am lucky to get 28.8 or use a 14.4 cellular connection. When connecting at these slow speeds, emails with sizable attachemnts (over 2 MB) can’t DL enough before the program gives up. When It gives up, it gives up and no newer email is DL’ed. IF I try again it goes right to that file, startes over, gives up again. No new mail can be DL’ed till this file is done. This file can’t be DL’ed because the program gives up before it is done. Is there a way to set OE to only DL so much of a file then stop unless I want more? Also I am running Norton AV 2002 which may be part of the reason (norton wants the entire message to scan before OE gets any of it, so as far as OE is concerned nothing has come in yet - Possible?) ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oe-email-settings-question-dl-attached-file-only-on-request-possible/145369/2 "2002-12-28T17:20:29Z")
If you’re using a POP3 email account, it’s probably not possible. But I’ll wait for someone else to provide the definitive answer. ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oe-email-settings-question-dl-attached-file-only-on-request-possible/145369/3 "2002-12-28T19:26:10Z")
I have Outlook Express 5, so I’m guessing this would work with OE 6 as well. Try this: Tools/Message Rules/Mail… Click the “New…” button to create a new rule Select the Rule Condition “Where the message size is more than size” Specify the size in the Rule Description Select the Rule Action “Do not Download from server” or “Delete it from server” That should do it. ---
**Author:** ![dono](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e0b2c6/32.png) [@dono](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dono)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oe-email-settings-question-dl-attached-file-only-on-request-possible/145369/4 "2002-12-28T23:18:14Z")
Oooh, very timely thread for me, **k2dave** , and thanks for the informative answer, **rsa**. – **dono** , sitting in a motel room using his 14.4 cellular connection … ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oe-email-settings-question-dl-attached-file-only-on-request-possible/145369/5 "2002-12-28T23:18:43Z")
I know you can log in to your POP3 email server using Hyperterminal or other terminal program and then you can check the sizes, delete etc, but I forget the commands as I have not done it in ages. Also, some programs allow you to download only the headers and then pick and choose. OE allows you to do that with Hotmail. Right clcik on each folder and select “synchronization settings” In OE with POP3 email try unchecking Tools / Options/ Read / Automatically download message when… Or other settings there ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oe-email-settings-question-dl-attached-file-only-on-request-possible/145369/6 "2002-12-29T21:16:36Z")
Something else you can do: Check your ISP’s homepage and see if you can access your mailbox thru IE (or any browser). Usually you can. When accessing it that way it will work like Hotmail does. You can see the message subjects, attached file sizes etc. without actually downloading them. I had to do this a few weeks ago and I have a DSL! There was something wrong with an attached file that caused Outlook Express to just lock up my computer completely everytime I tried to get it (Windows 2000 no less!) ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oe-email-settings-question-dl-attached-file-only-on-request-possible/145369/7 "2002-12-30T21:00:35Z")
Thanks great suggestions