saving a hotmail attachment

How are you accessing your hotmail account?  Via Outlook 2000 or Outlook Express or web mail GUI?  What virus scanner do you use?

I access my hotmail account from the web, using IE 6.0 by going to hotmail.com and logging in.  My virus scanner is Norton.
The problem seems to be when I click on download an attachment, it just automatically opens, wether it is text or a picture.  then if I try to "save as" to my disk, I only get the title "hotmail attachment" saved.

From IE -
Go to tools | internet options  |  security  |  internet
click on 'custom level' and scroll down and make sure that you have downloads enabled.

Thank you for your interest in solving this problem.  I checked as you said, and downloads are enabled.  When I click on download an attachment, hotmail opens up a new window which correctly displays the attachment.  If it is a jpg, the picture shows, if it is a text file, the test of the file shows.  So it is downloading attachments to my browser correctly.  The problem is I can't figure out how to save them.  If I go to "file/save" or "file/save as" while in the active window showing the attachment, I just get the "hotmail attachment" words saved, not the file itself.

THIS ANSWER APPLIES IF YOU ARE NOT BEHIND A FIREWALL THAT WOULD BE THE REASON OF YOUR PROBLEM (forbiding the download of attachments, especially if it is a .exe ...)


IE6 is great, but too new for perfect job...
Hotmail is requiring a lot to asp when authorized, and may encounter problems as you describe.
Please download another free browser, as opera
www.opera.com
(that will not affect IE anyway, don't worry ;-)
and go to hotmail: you will be able to download your attachment.

rbellows I have the same problem with hotmail via the web.
Please send a .jpg to shekerra@hotmail.com - I am unsure as to why this situation is happening.
I did write hotmail about this and here is a portion of what they sent me:
*************************
III. Downloading an Attachment

>>> To download an attachment

1.  A .gif or .jpg file appears in the body of the message.
2.  Otherwise, on the "Inbox" page, click the name of the document next to the "Attachment" heading. Be sure that the file extension is not an underscore (_).
If it is, follow the remaining steps to download the file, and then rename the file, giving it the appropriate extension.
3.  Hotmail automatically scans the attachments for viruses and displays a "Virus Scan Result" page.
4.  A bomb icon indicates that the attachment contains a virus. If you see this icon, you are unable to download the attachment. Contact the sender, letting him
or her know that the attachment contains a virus and asking for a new,virus-free file.
5.  A checkmark indicates that the attachment is virus free. If you see this icon, you can click either the "Download File" or "Go Back to Message" link. A
new browser window appears to display the file.
6.  Save the file to your computer.


*************************
IV.  Still Didn't Solve Your Problem?

Complete the Hotmail Customer Support request form at:
    http://www.hotmail.com/cgi-bin/support

Unbelievable -- today I do not have the problem with the .jpg -(the same .jpg that showed as ascii text when I received it the other day) it is now showing in the body of the letter.
I also have a firewall.
Go back today and look at your attachments.

I am rejecting this answer because it does not sovle my problem.  I am not behind a firewall.  I am able to open and correctly see the attachment with IE 6.0, just not to saveit to my disk.  that is, if it is a jpg, I get the picture in a new hotmail window, if text, I get the test correctly in a new Hotmail window.  However, if I try to save the material in these new windows, I get only the title "hotmail attachment" and not the content.
I realize there are other browsers out there, but I would like to have a solution using IE if one exists.
Thank you for your answer e-mmanuel, but I don't think it solves my question.

i'm afraid you want to solve a problem that Microsoft guys can't for the moment
Don't forget that Microsoft ALWAYS issues its softs before debugging it ;-)
(Don't be affraid i'm a microsoft user, not a linuxian in love ;-)
Have you try from another machine ? the configuration is never absolutely the same from a pc to another ...


Or downgrade to IE5.5...or try opera (i'm neither working there..)

rbellows  - this is weird.  After I select download on the .jpg file - when it is fully dl to an IE window - I right-click on it and it only allows me to save the initial .jpg as a .bmp file!
I am now testing a zipped .jpeg (if it ever arrives at hotmail) - I will keep you posted.

e-mmanuel, thanks for your comment.  I just did download Opera and try it.  It seems to do the same thing as IE, so I guess the problem is in Hotmail.  Specifically what happens, in OPera as well as IE, is that when I click on download the attachment, it opens up in a new HOtmail window.  The attachment is there and looks right, however I can't figure out any way to save it to the disk.

shekerra- I'm going to forward you an email that has some text files attached that are typical of what I want to save as text files.  When I click download attachment in IE, I get a new window, with the correct text file opened so I can read it, it is all there.  However, I can't save it, which is what I really want to do so I can use it in another program.  Thanks for your help.

shekerra and others:
thanks for all your comments. I give up on trying to find a way to make Hotmail work like I want it to (like it should!).  I think shekerra cutting and pasting is the best we can do.  It seems to me this lack of ability to save would bother a lot of Hotmail users.  

Zipped files work as a download rbellows -

thank you!