How to Send Files by E-Mail

A file that is included in an email is called an "Attachment". This can be any kind of file, including a picture file, sound file, music file, or spreadsheet file. You can even attach a computer program, however, this is the most common way for computer viruses to spread. A computer virus is simply a computer program that does something bad (computer viruses are written by people who hate).

NEVER open an attachment in an email from a stranger. Even if you trust the person sending you an email, you should still be cautious if you receive a computer program as an attachment (they may not be aware of a virus).

Most E-Mail Programs:

Start an email.

Look for a paperclip button and click it. OR Click the "Insert" menu, then choose "File".

A standard file selection dialog box will appear. At the top of this dialog box, it shows the current location (with a triangle that points down next to it). Click there to change to a different location.

In Windows 98, the "My Documents" folder will be listed among the locations you can jump to. (If that's what you want, click it.)

If that isn't what you want (or you are using Windows 95), then you probably want to choose the drive with "C:" in the name (that is your hard disk), then find the folder containing the file you want. You can try the following steps...

To Get to "My Documents" on Windows 95:
After choosing drive "C:", look for "My Documents" (scroll horizontally if necessary), then double-click on "My Documents".

Double-click on the file that you want to attach. (You may have to scroll horizontally to see it.)

(You're done!)