Share via

Outlook: Is it possible to run a security scan an email attachment without opening it

Anonymous
2019-10-25T07:41:57+00:00

I have received two attachments in an email.  I am not sure if I can trust the sender and want to run a security scan on the two word docs without opening them.  is that possible?  Thanks

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Account management, security, and privacy

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

8 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2019-10-25T08:15:58+00:00

    HI Alex,

    Good day!

    My name is Donald and I'm your Independent Advisor for today.

    Hope this finds you well.

    With regards to your inquiry, you can scan your attachment without opening it by Downloading it to your pc or desktop.

    You can use your Antivrus to scan it.

    Right click the attachment you have downloaded and select to run or scan it with your Antivirus. Then the result will be displayed.

    Hope this help. Please let me know if you may need further assistance and I will be glad to assist further.

    Regards,

    Donald

    Was this answer helpful?

    10+ people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2019-10-26T09:42:02+00:00

    Hello TezzaAlex,

    I know that Donald Q. and jmndotme are already helping you with this issue, I would like to chime in and endorse jmndotme's advice.

    It is safer to preview the unknown document online than downloading it to your PC.

    Cheers!

    — Sutharsan

    Was this answer helpful?

    6 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Diane Poremsky MVP 17,331 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2019-10-26T19:21:39+00:00

    Keep in mind that the files are saved in the internet cache and scanned before they are opened - but if you want to do a manual scan you will need to download the file.

    Was this answer helpful?

    4 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2019-10-25T10:47:59+00:00

    I have received two attachments in an email.  I am not sure if I can trust the sender and want to run a security scan on the two word docs without opening them.  is that possible?  Thanks

    Hi there,

    I'm glad that Donald has solved the issue for you.

    There is also a quick way of seeing what the document includes, even before downloading it to scan it. It is called Preview that you see in a popup window. Here's how to access it whilst you are in your email message.

    There are two symbols to the bottom right of the little dialog showing you the name of the attachment. First, a down arrow with a hyphen underneath it, and then a proper down arrow.

    Click onto the proper down arrow, and it will come up with a menu with three choices, the top one being Preview. Click onto that, and it will show in a popup window the first paragraph or so of the contents of that attachment. You can then decide whether or not you trust the sender and the document. Of course, if you do trust the sender, make sure they end up in your Safe Senders list too! Hope this helps. Cheers! ;))

    Was this answer helpful?

    3 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  5. Anonymous
    2019-10-25T08:56:05+00:00

    Hi Donald,

    Thank you for your speedy advice.  I have downloaded and scanned the documents.  No viruses detected.

    Thanks again for your assistance, I appreciate it.

    Alex

    Was this answer helpful?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments