Windows 10 Mail attachment problem

Question

I didn't see a category here for the Mail app.

I am trying to use Windows 10 Mail with a Gmail account send as an attachment a zipped folder (in OneDrive) containing two other folders that contain EXEs and some other files. The zipped folder is 6.73 MB.
My antivirus will kill the email, but with antivirus off, I get the this message:

"The content and attachments you are trying to send total 439088.1 MB, too large to send by email."

Q1 Why the huge difference between 6.73 MB and 439088.1 MB?

Q2 Is the connection to Gmail the problem?

Q3 What is the proper way to send the attachment.

Windows 10 version 10.0.19043 build 19043
Mail Version 16005.14326.20544.0

Answer 1

I found another solution - so I will post it back here.

It is only occasionally that I need to send such a file as an email attachment so I wanted a method that didn't change my everyday configuration.

There were actually two things interfering with sending the file as an attachment.

1 My antivirus, Kaspersky Internet Security (KIS) did not accept that type of file. So in KIS settings I uncheck "Scan Attached Archive". (After sending I turn it back on.)

2 The Gmail system blocks and destroys my file when I send it or receive it there. So I created an alias to the Gmail address. An email sent out from the alias will bypass the Gmail account and thus its ability to disable the attached file.

My configuration is this:
I have the Gmail operating in Firefox. I set up the alias address as an account in Outlook and Mail and sent the attached file from there. (Both Outlook and Mail worked equally well.)

My procedure is to

1. Turn off antivirus scanning of the attached archive.
2. From the alias, send the email with attached file.
3. Turn on antivirus.

Other things to Expect:
1 - The inbox of the alias will always be empty -- as any email addressed to the alias will be forwarded to the Gmail inbox.
2 - The sent folder of the alias will retain a copy of the email/file.
3 - If I select the sent email/file after turning the antivirus back on KIS will quarantine it. So I lose the use of the Sent folder, but that is OK because there is a copy of the file remaining in my OneDrive.

Answer 2

Then what I would suggest is breaking things up into smaller zip files. However, before going that route, make sure the company also does not block attachments - I've run into that on more then one occasion

Answer 3

Thank you Karl. I usually would do send the person a link to the file on OneDrive. In fact, that is what I did initially. But that person works for a company that blocks downloading connecting to OneDrive as a matter of policy. Since I plan to supply similar files to others at that company, I am trying to work out a procedure.

Answer 4

Hello StanHilliard

Hi, I'm Karl and will be happy to help you today.

Without knowing anything about the actual contents of what you are trying to send, the best way to "send" someone a file is by sending them a link to that file instead of including it as an attachment to an email message. You never know how much space the recipient has in their mailbox so you could easily cause the recipient to no longer be able to receive any more messages not to mention how irritating it is having to wait for a large attachment to download before being able to see other messages that may be more important.

The way to share something on OneDrive is described in

Share files and folders in OneDrive

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/shar...