X-post.
OT but the usual suspects may well know an answer.

I am getting emails from an Exchange Server which are messing with my copy
of Windows Live Mail.

The problems may well be in the area of retrieving embedded graphics when
reading and replying to the email.

By default WLM will ask you if you want to view the images.
If I opt for Yes then it seems to get stuck for a while.
If I reply to an email it also chokes, and eventually reports that it
can't find all the images.
It is also corrupting the index to stored .eml files in Storage folders.

Looking at the message source it is all MIME Base 64 encoded.

Google offers me various web sites which claim to do Base64 decodes but
then again I am not that keen on loading up private emails to third party
web sites.

I can't seem to find a local decode utility.

The best I can find is links to Perl Monks describing how to code this up.
Given that my Perl Monk robe has been at the back up the cupboard for a
while along with my other nasty habits this is not a swift short term
solution.

So does anyone know a utility which can be fed a .eml file (or a MIME body
part cut out of this) which can then decode this in a meaningful way to
show the underlying text?

I would be looking first for things like local (possibly networked) file
references for graphics in signatures and logos. This is one typical thing
that works well within the Microsoft Exchange domain within the office but
then craps out when the message is sent over the Internet.

I note that when viewed in K9 mail on Android and in web mail there are
two place holders for pictures which don't display. I would like to be
able to read the reference to these graphics.

TIA

Dave R

--
Windows 8.1 on PCSpecialist box

On 4 Dec 2014 15:44:31 GMT
David wrote:

So does anyone know a utility which can be fed a .eml file (or a MIME
body part cut out of this) which can then decode this in a meaningful
way to show the underlying text?

A utility simple entitled "base64" appears to be installed by default in
Ubuntu. You're likely to need to use the --ignore-garbage option.

On Thu, 04 Dec 2014 16:23:23 +0000, Tim Streater wrote:

In article , David
wrote:

X-post.
OT but the usual suspects may well know an answer.

I am getting emails from an Exchange Server which are messing with my
copy of Windows Live Mail.

The problems may well be in the area of retrieving embedded graphics
when reading and replying to the email.

By default WLM will ask you if you want to view the images.
If I opt for Yes then it seems to get stuck for a while.
If I reply to an email it also chokes, and eventually reports that it
can't find all the images.
It is also corrupting the index to stored .eml files in Storage
folders.

Looking at the message source it is all MIME Base 64 encoded.

Yes, well that's perfectly normal and acceptable. Does each part have
the right headers, as in, frick-zample:

Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="image002.jpg"
Content-Description: image002.jpg Content-Disposition: inline;
filename="image002.jpg"; size=1418;
creation-date="Wed, 06 Aug 2014 10:25:47 GMT";
modification-date="Wed, 06 Aug 2014 10:25:47 GMT"
Content-ID: Content-Transfer-Encoding:
base64

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQEAYABgAAD etc etc

The best I can find is links to Perl Monks describing how to code this
up.
Given that my Perl Monk robe has been at the back up the cupboard for a
while along with my other nasty habits this is not a swift short term
solution.

I can email you a PHP script (part of my test suite) to do it if that
would help.

So does anyone know a utility which can be fed a .eml file (or a MIME
body part cut out of this) which can then decode this in a meaningful
way to show the underlying text?

I would be looking first for things like local (possibly networked)
file references for graphics in signatures and logos. This is one
typical thing that works well within the Microsoft Exchange domain
within the office but then craps out when the message is sent over the
Internet.

A mail can have references within it to images that the mail contains in
other parts. Within the html part, there is a cid: reference that
indicates which image to use. See the example headers above, which say
that the image is an inline image (Content-Disposition: header) and what
its cid: reference is (Content-ID: header). That allows the mailer to
know which image to display.

Can't help with Q about any Microsoft software, sorry.

Thanks for your prompt response.

The MIME headers are singularly unhelpful.

"--_000_DBXPR07MB3826CC43F8DBFB2AB9EDBBDBB780DBXPR07M B382eurprd_
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64

--_000_DBXPR07MB3826CC43F8DBFB2AB9EDBBDBB780DBXPR07M B382eurprd_
Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64

--_000_DBXPR07MB3826CC43F8DBFB2AB9EDBBDBB780DBXPR07M B382eurprd_--"

So basically two text encoded binary chunks, one a plain text email and
the other the HTML version.

The PHP script would be both welcome and interesting - I assume that I can
run it from the command line once PHP is installed.

However I can see a whole world of hurt unless I move the files to a Linux
box.

The email in the header is good - no point in hiding it since it has been
visible and in SPAM lists since the Beta Trial of BT Internet when some
bright spark published all the email addresses on White Pages in the US in
the hope that somebody out there would be interested enough to talk to us.

Cheers

Dave R


--
Windows 8.1 on PCSpecialist box

Uudeview was the one I used, back in the olden days when such things
were necessary...

Huge wrote:
On 2014-12-04, Rob Morley wrote:
On 4 Dec 2014 15:44:31 GMT
David wrote:

So does anyone know a utility which can be fed a .eml file (or a MIME
body part cut out of this) which can then decode this in a meaningful
way to show the underlying text?

A utility simple entitled "base64" appears to be installed by default in
Ubuntu. You're likely to need to use the --ignore-garbage option.

munpack will unpack these all by itself.

You can install it with 'sudo apt-get mpack'

(Yes, that is correct, it comes with the utility mpack, which creates
MIME files.)

A brief Google leads me to believe there's a Windows version if you
must.




You can drop an eml file on to Thunderbird/SeaMonkey and it will display
it properly - assiming the MIME structure is OK.

Chris K

On Thu, 04 Dec 2014 18:44:59 +0000, Tim Streater wrote:

In article , David
wrote:

Thanks for your prompt response.

The MIME headers are singularly unhelpful.

"--_000_DBXPR07MB3826CC43F8DBFB2AB9EDBBDBB780DBXPR07M B382eurprd_
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding:
base64

Then it's a text, as it says, and it should just (after decoding) form
part of the text body of the email.

Yeah - my MIME is a bit rusty.
Given that you can encode almost anything in Base64 I was wondering if
there was a binary blob in there somewhere.
But, yes, if you say the body part is text then text is what you should
get when you decode.
Hmmm......what if there was another MIME body part embedded?
That would be text when decoded, albeit Base64 text.

Yeah - my mime is VERY rusty.

Sigh.

Dave R



--
Windows 8.1 on PCSpecialist box

On Thu, 04 Dec 2014 18:47:19 +0000, ChrisK wrote:

Huge wrote:
On 2014-12-04, Rob Morley wrote:
On 4 Dec 2014 15:44:31 GMT David wrote:

So does anyone know a utility which can be fed a .eml file (or a MIME
body part cut out of this) which can then decode this in a meaningful
way to show the underlying text?

A utility simple entitled "base64" appears to be installed by default
in Ubuntu. You're likely to need to use the --ignore-garbage option.

munpack will unpack these all by itself.

You can install it with 'sudo apt-get mpack'

(Yes, that is correct, it comes with the utility mpack, which creates
MIME files.)

A brief Google leads me to believe there's a Windows version if you
must.




You can drop an eml file on to Thunderbird/SeaMonkey and it will display
it properly - assiming the MIME structure is OK.

Chris K

Thanks, but I don't want to display it properly.
I want a gander at the source.

Cheers

Dave R

--
Windows 8.1 on PCSpecialist box

On Thu, 04 Dec 2014 17:39:36 +0000, Huge wrote:

On 2014-12-04, Rob Morley wrote:
On 4 Dec 2014 15:44:31 GMT David wrote:

So does anyone know a utility which can be fed a .eml file (or a MIME
body part cut out of this) which can then decode this in a meaningful
way to show the underlying text?

A utility simple entitled "base64" appears to be installed by default
in Ubuntu. You're likely to need to use the --ignore-garbage option.

munpack will unpack these all by itself.

You can install it with 'sudo apt-get mpack'

(Yes, that is correct, it comes with the utility mpack, which creates
MIME files.)

A brief Google leads me to believe there's a Windows version if you
must.

Thanks - looks promising.
Looking at the SourceForge download page I see that Blat is still going.
Damn but that brings back memories.


Cheers

Dave R


--
Windows 8.1 on PCSpecialist box

On Thu, 04 Dec 2014 16:23:23 +0000, Tim Streater wrote:

In article , David
wrote:

X-post.
OT but the usual suspects may well know an answer.

I am getting emails from an Exchange Server which are messing with my
copy of Windows Live Mail.

The problems may well be in the area of retrieving embedded graphics
when reading and replying to the email.

By default WLM will ask you if you want to view the images.
If I opt for Yes then it seems to get stuck for a while.
If I reply to an email it also chokes, and eventually reports that it
can't find all the images.
It is also corrupting the index to stored .eml files in Storage
folders.

Looking at the message source it is all MIME Base 64 encoded.

Yes, well that's perfectly normal and acceptable. Does each part have
the right headers, as in, frick-zample:

Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="image002.jpg"
Content-Description: image002.jpg Content-Disposition: inline;
filename="image002.jpg"; size=1418;
creation-date="Wed, 06 Aug 2014 10:25:47 GMT";
modification-date="Wed, 06 Aug 2014 10:25:47 GMT"
Content-ID: Content-Transfer-Encoding:
base64

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQEAYABgAAD etc etc

The best I can find is links to Perl Monks describing how to code this
up.
Given that my Perl Monk robe has been at the back up the cupboard for a
while along with my other nasty habits this is not a swift short term
solution.

I can email you a PHP script (part of my test suite) to do it if that
would help.

So does anyone know a utility which can be fed a .eml file (or a MIME
body part cut out of this) which can then decode this in a meaningful
way to show the underlying text?

I would be looking first for things like local (possibly networked)
file references for graphics in signatures and logos. This is one
typical thing that works well within the Microsoft Exchange domain
within the office but then craps out when the message is sent over the
Internet.

A mail can have references within it to images that the mail contains in
other parts. Within the html part, there is a cid: reference that
indicates which image to use. See the example headers above, which say
that the image is an inline image (Content-Disposition: header) and what
its cid: reference is (Content-ID: header). That allows the mailer to
know which image to display.

Can't help with Q about any Microsoft software, sorry.

I managed to find an email without anything confidential in it (I hope).

Bunged it into a web based decoder.

http://www.opinionatedgeek.com/dotne...afeDecode.aspx

As I suspected there is at least one complicated file name inside the email

"file:///\\GS1ABCFILV01\profiledata$\wibble\TSFolder_Redire ctXA65$\AppData
\Microsoft\Signatures\filename.jpg"

Which I suspect could tell me far too much about their internal file
servers if I could remember a bit more about how file servers work.
I have changed a few strings with possibly recognisable names in just in
case.

If I could remember my Microsoft Exchange Server I might guess why the
file reference was left in the email instead of the file itself being
inserted.

Possibly the server not being able to see the same files (at least by the
same name) as the client?

Anyway my suspicions seem to have been correct.

Lets see how long it takes to sort it out.

Cheers

Dave R

--
Windows 8.1 on PCSpecialist box

I'm sure there are command line ones about, as I used to use one, but
nowadays I don't seem to need them. I've had issues with outlook Express and
Windows mail in similar conditions, in one case the text of the decoded
email ended up as an attached file!
Its mostly Linux machines or mail programs that seem to be using these non
standard headers.
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"David" wrote in message
...
X-post.
OT but the usual suspects may well know an answer.

I am getting emails from an Exchange Server which are messing with my copy
of Windows Live Mail.

The problems may well be in the area of retrieving embedded graphics when
reading and replying to the email.

By default WLM will ask you if you want to view the images.
If I opt for Yes then it seems to get stuck for a while.
If I reply to an email it also chokes, and eventually reports that it
can't find all the images.
It is also corrupting the index to stored .eml files in Storage folders.

Looking at the message source it is all MIME Base 64 encoded.

Google offers me various web sites which claim to do Base64 decodes but
then again I am not that keen on loading up private emails to third party
web sites.

I can't seem to find a local decode utility.

The best I can find is links to Perl Monks describing how to code this up.
Given that my Perl Monk robe has been at the back up the cupboard for a
while along with my other nasty habits this is not a swift short term
solution.

So does anyone know a utility which can be fed a .eml file (or a MIME body
part cut out of this) which can then decode this in a meaningful way to
show the underlying text?

I would be looking first for things like local (possibly networked) file
references for graphics in signatures and logos. This is one typical thing
that works well within the Microsoft Exchange domain within the office but
then craps out when the message is sent over the Internet.

I note that when viewed in K9 mail on Android and in web mail there are
two place holders for pictures which don't display. I would like to be
able to read the reference to these graphics.

TIA

Dave R

--
Windows 8.1 on PCSpecialist box

On 04/12/2014 15:44, David wrote:
X-post.
OT but the usual suspects may well know an answer.

I am getting emails from an Exchange Server which are messing with my copy
of Windows Live Mail.

The problems may well be in the area of retrieving embedded graphics when
reading and replying to the email.

By default WLM will ask you if you want to view the images.
If I opt for Yes then it seems to get stuck for a while.
If I reply to an email it also chokes, and eventually reports that it
can't find all the images.
It is also corrupting the index to stored .eml files in Storage folders.

Looking at the message source it is all MIME Base 64 encoded.

Google offers me various web sites which claim to do Base64 decodes but
then again I am not that keen on loading up private emails to third party
web sites.

I can't seem to find a local decode utility.

The best I can find is links to Perl Monks describing how to code this up.
Given that my Perl Monk robe has been at the back up the cupboard for a
while along with my other nasty habits this is not a swift short term
solution.

So does anyone know a utility which can be fed a .eml file (or a MIME body
part cut out of this) which can then decode this in a meaningful way to
show the underlying text?

Winzip will happily decode all kinds of encodings. Save the email to a
file and give it a .uue extension. (I know its not actually UU encoded -
but that is good enough to get winzip interested)




--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On Fri, 05 Dec 2014 15:28:55 +0000, John Rumm wrote:

On 04/12/2014 15:44, David wrote:
X-post.
OT but the usual suspects may well know an answer.

I am getting emails from an Exchange Server which are messing with my
copy of Windows Live Mail.

The problems may well be in the area of retrieving embedded graphics
when reading and replying to the email.

By default WLM will ask you if you want to view the images.
If I opt for Yes then it seems to get stuck for a while.
If I reply to an email it also chokes, and eventually reports that it
can't find all the images.
It is also corrupting the index to stored .eml files in Storage
folders.

Looking at the message source it is all MIME Base 64 encoded.

Google offers me various web sites which claim to do Base64 decodes but
then again I am not that keen on loading up private emails to third
party web sites.

I can't seem to find a local decode utility.

The best I can find is links to Perl Monks describing how to code this
up.
Given that my Perl Monk robe has been at the back up the cupboard for a
while along with my other nasty habits this is not a swift short term
solution.

So does anyone know a utility which can be fed a .eml file (or a MIME
body part cut out of this) which can then decode this in a meaningful
way to show the underlying text?

Winzip will happily decode all kinds of encodings. Save the email to a
file and give it a .uue extension. (I know its not actually UU encoded -
but that is good enough to get winzip interested)

Interesting :-)

I wonder if 7zip will do similar?

Cheers

Dave R



--
Windows 8.1 on PCSpecialist box

In article , David wrote:
I can't seem to find a local decode utility.

There is a Base-64 plug-in for Notepad++ that does a good job.
Invaluable for picking apart strange EMails at source level (on Windows
... other options are available for real OSes).

Cheers,
Daniel.