Enable Attachment Types In OWA 2007

Microsoft Exchange ships with a web feature called Outlook Web Access that allows users to check their email remotely from any computer with an internet connection.  However in Exchange 2007 Microsoft has taken steps to help protect users from well… themselves really.  In so doing they have provided administrators the ability to lock down the attachments available to send and / or receive in Outlook Web Access (OWA).  If you are looking to allow all or even certain attachment types for your users in OWA then here are the steps you need in order to do so:

1. On your Exchange server open the Exchange Management Console (EMC).
2. Navigate to Server Configuration –> Client Access.
3. In the lower portion of the right hand pane you should see an Outlook Web Access Tab
4. Right click on the owa (default web site) and choose properties.
5. There are two tabs that now require action. The Public Computer File Access and Private Computer File Access
6. For each of these tabs there is a Direct File Access section.  If this is enabled click the Customize… button.
7. Click on the Block… button and remove the file type(s) (extensions) from the list that you would like to allow.
8. Click the Allow… button and add the file type(s) you would like to allow if they were not listed in the Block… section.
9. If you would like to force the user to force saving any extension types use the Force Save… button.
10. If you would like  specific action for any unlisted file types then use the Unknown Files section to define the default action.
11. Repeat the actions for the other file access settings (the Private Computer File Access or Public Computer File Access, which ever tab you have not done yet).

Once you apply these settings the attachment rules in OWA should be much more flexible and allow users access to the items they need.