Cannot attach/send archived files from/to Gmail email address

Question

The first time I tried to send archived files to/from a Gmail email account was one month ago and I noticed that you cannot send these kinds of files. I tried multiple times and failed always.

If I send an email to a Gmail account, I get a reply with the text message:

This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification.

Delivery to the following recipients failed.

[email protected]

Viewing the email source, I found out this:

Final-Recipient: rfc822;[email protected] Action: failed  
Status: 5.5.0 Diagnostic-Code: smtp;552-5.7.0 This message was blocked  
because its content presents a potential 552-5.7.0 security issue.  
Please visit 552-5.7.0  
http://support.google.com/mail/bin/answer.py?answer=6590 to review our  
552 5.7.0 message content and attachment content guidelines.  
m3si23238476wjw.33 - gsmtp

The archived files I tried were .zip, .rar, no password, with password, encrypted. None of them worked. The archive contained a Kicad project.

Is there a way to circumvent this?

Answer 1

You should try with 7zip, which use "7z" file format. The mail server in my school blocked .exe and .vbs files when they were zipped but not when they were 7zipped. So in the case of some files are not allowed by Gmail to be send or receive, it might pass the checking. http://www.7-zip.org/

Answer 2

Anyway, Gmail only allows to upload files until you fill up their 25MB quota per mail. Therefore, if your project grows bigger, you can use Google Drive to attach files as big as 10GB as they mention:

http://gmailblog.blogspot.pt/2012/11/gmail-and-drive-new-way-to-send-files.html

Other solution is for example WeTransfer where you can upload up to 2GB, it's a backup just in case Google increases their restrictions/protections for sending those kind of files.

Answer 3

I recently needed to email binary attachments directly to (and from) gmail accounts.

To achieve this, I created the VBS script below (I call it "MakeTextCabDropIn.vbs"), into which you drag and drop your binary file or directory structure. It then creates a self-extracting VBS file with a ".txt" extension ("Delete my .txt extension and run me.vbs.txt").

The end user simply saves the attachment, deletes the ".txt" extension and runs the VBS file. The extracted binary is placed in a temp directory sub-folder, which is opened by the script in File Explorer. Directory structures are replicated as sub-folders in the temp directory.

When compressing directories, the script looks for "makeddf.exe" in the same folder as itself. If it cannot find it, it will try to create it using (you've guessed it) a compressed version at the line starting "makeddf_exe_base64_ =".

To get the Base64 string for it, drop your copy of "makeddf.exe" into the script and copy it from the "Delete my .txt extension and run me.vbs.txt" created.

Obviously, if you use a zip file as your input then "makeddf.exe" is not needed.

Dim wsh, fso
Set wsh = wscript.CreateObject("wscript.Shell")
Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.fileSystemObject")


'DRAG AND DROP YOUR BINARY FILE INTO THE ICON
'********************************************
If WScript.Arguments.Count > 0 Then
    For each arg in WScript.Arguments  
        path_and_filename = path_and_filename & arg
    Next

    tokens = Split(path_and_filename, "\")
    infilename = tokens(UBound(tokens))

    For i=0 To UBound(tokens)-1
        path = path & tokens(i) & "\"
    Next
else
    WScript.Quit
End If

isfolder = False

filepath = fso.GetParentFolderName(WScript.ScriptFullName) & "\"

'CHECK IF A DIRECTORY STRUCTURE HAS BEEN DROPPED IN
'**************************************************
if (fso.FolderExists(path_and_filename)) then

    'IF makeddf.exe IS NOT PRESENT IN THE SAME DIRECTORY THEN CREATE IT
    '******************************************************************
    if not fso.FileExists(filepath & "makeddf.exe") then
        'THIS FUNCTION WILL END THE WHOLE SCRIPT IF THE BASE64 IS EMPTY
        '**************************************************************
        create_makeddf_exe()
    end if

    isfolder = True
    wsh.CurrentDirectory = filepath
    wsh.Run ("makeddf /p """ & path_and_filename & """ /c makeddf.cab /d makeddf.ddf /a"),0,True
    wsh.Run ("makecab /F makeddf.ddf"),0,True
    'MAKECAB PUTS A LF ( 0Ah , CHR(10) ) AFTER 72 BYTES (SPEC SAYS 76) ...SO WE'LL TAKE THEM OUT
    '*******************************************************************************************
    base64_ = Replace(encodeBase64(readBytes("makeddf.cab")), vblf, "")

    'TIDY UP
    '*******
    wsh.Run ("cmd /c del *.inf"),0,false
    wsh.Run ("cmd /c del *.rpt"),0,false
    wsh.Run ("cmd /c del *.ddf"),0,false
    wsh.Run ("cmd /c del *.cab"),0,false

else
    tempfile = fso.GetTempName

    'MAKECAB NEEDS THE TRAILING "\" REMOVED FROM path
    '************************************************
    wsh.run ("cmd /c makecab  /L """ & left(path,len(path)-1) & """ """ & WScript.Arguments(0) & """ " & tempfile ),0,True
    base64_ = Replace(encodeBase64(readBytes(path & tempfile)), vblf, "") 

    'TIDY UP
    '*******
    if fso.FileExists(path & tempfile) then
            Set aFile = fso.GetFile(path & tempfile)
            aFile.Delete
    end if

end if

'READ ANY LINES AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS FILE PREFIXED WITH '+>
'AND USE THEM TO CREATE "Delete my .txt extension and run me.vbs.txt"
'********************************************************************
Set objInputFile = fso.OpenTextFile(WScript.ScriptFullName, 1)
inputData = Split(objInputFile.ReadAll, vbNewline)

For each strData In inputData
    if left(strData,3)="'+>" then 
        line_ = rtrim(replace(strData,"'+>",""))    'STRIP OFF THE PREFIX
        line_ = replace(line_,"~",infilename)       'INSERT THE BINARY FILE NAME
        line_ = replace(line_,"$",isfolder) 'INSERT THE FOLDER MODE
        line_ = replace(line_,"@",base64_)      'INSERT THE BASE64 STRING
        vbsfile = vbsfile & line_ & vbcrlf
    end if
Next

objInputFile.Close

Set file = fso.CreateTextFile(filepath & "Delete my .txt extension and run me.vbs.txt", True)
file.Write(vbsfile)
file.Close

wscript.quit()

private function create_makeddf_exe()

' DROP A COPY OF makeddf.exe INTO THIS SCRIPT, COPY THE base64_ STRING IN THE
' "Delete my .txt extension and run me.vbs.txt" CREATED, AND THEN PASTE IT TO 
' makeddf_exe_base64_ BELOW:
' ***************************************************************************
makeddf_exe_base64_ = ""

    if Len(makeddf_exe_base64_)<10000 then
    msgbox "Unable to find (or create) makeddf.exe in " & vbcrlf & vbcrlf & filepath & vbcrlf & vbcrlf & "This file is required when compressing directories."
    wscript.quit()
    end if

    localpath = fso.GetParentFolderName(WScript.ScriptFullName) & "\"
    tempfilename =  localpath & fso.GetTempName
    bytes_ = decodeBase64(makeddf_exe_base64_)
    writeBytes tempfilename , bytes_
    wsh.run ("cmd /c expand """ & tempfilename & """ """ & localpath & "makeddf.exe""" ),0,True
    wsh.Run ("cmd /c del """ & tempfilename & """"),0,false

end function

private function readBytes(file)
    dim inStream
    set inStream = WScript.CreateObject("ADODB.Stream")
    inStream.Open
    inStream.type= 1 'TypeBinary
    inStream.LoadFromFile(file)
    readBytes = inStream.Read()
end function

private Sub writeBytes(file, bytes)
    Dim binaryStream
    Set binaryStream = CreateObject("ADODB.Stream")
    binaryStream.Type = 1 'adTypeBinary
    binaryStream.Open
    binaryStream.Write bytes
    binaryStream.SaveToFile file, 2
end Sub

private function encodeBase64(bytes)
    dim DM, EL
    Set DM = CreateObject("Microsoft.XMLDOM")
    Set EL = DM.createElement("tmp")
    EL.DataType = "bin.base64"
    EL.NodeTypedValue = bytes
    encodeBase64 = EL.Text
end function

private function decodeBase64(base64)
    dim DM, EL
    Set DM = CreateObject("Microsoft.XMLDOM")
    Set EL = DM.createElement("tmp")
    EL.DataType = "bin.base64"
    EL.Text = base64
    decodeBase64 = EL.NodeTypedValue
    If err.number <> 0 then
    errorhandler()
    End If
end function


'THE LINES BELOW WILL FORM "Delete my .txt extension and run me.vbs.txt"
'***********************************************************************
'+>filename = "~"
'+>isfolder = $
'+>base64_ = "@"
'+>Dim wsh
'+>Set wsh = CreateObject("wscript.Shell")
'+>Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
'+>tempFolderPath = fso.GetSpecialFolder(2) & "\" & CreateGUID & "\"
'+>fso.CreateFolder tempFolderPath
'+>tempfilename = tempFolderPath & fso.GetTempName
'+>bytes_ = decodeBase64(base64_)
'+>writeBytes tempfilename , bytes_
'+>if(isfolder) then
'+>    fso.CreateFolder tempFolderPath & filename
'+>    wsh.run ("cmd /c expand -F:* """ & tempfilename & """ """ & tempFolderPath & filename & """" ),0,True
'+>else
'+>    wsh.run ("cmd /c expand """ & tempfilename & """ """ & tempFolderPath & filename & """" ),0,True
'+>end if
'+>wsh.run (tempFolderPath),1,False
'+>Set aFile = fso.GetFile(tempfilename)
'+>aFile.Delete
'+>
'+>private function CreateGUID
'+>    Dim TypeLib
'+>    Set TypeLib = CreateObject("Scriptlet.TypeLib")
'+>    CreateGUID = Mid(TypeLib.Guid, 2, 36)
'+>End function
'+>
'+>private function decodeBase64(base64)
'+>    dim DM, EL
'+>    Set DM = CreateObject("Microsoft.XMLDOM")
'+>    Set EL = DM.createElement("tmp")
'+>    EL.DataType = "bin.base64"
'+>    EL.Text = base64
'+>    decodeBase64 = EL.NodeTypedValue
'+>    If err.number <> 0 then 
'+>    errorhandler()
'+>    End If
'+>end function
'+>
'+>private Sub writeBytes(file, bytes)
'+>    Dim binaryStream
'+>    Set binaryStream = CreateObject("ADODB.Stream")
'+>    binaryStream.Type = 1 'adTypeBinary
'+>    binaryStream.Open
'+>    binaryStream.Write bytes
'+>    binaryStream.SaveToFile file, 2
'+>end Sub

Powershell can be used to achieve the same results, but recently I found that some users' anti-virus software disables the Powershell functionality. Also, ".ps1" scripts are often not run if double-clicked in Explorer directories with a space in the name, unless the user's Powershell registry settings have been changed.

The commented out sections (starting '+> ) that form the child files could be replaced with compressed versions. I left them visible so you can see (and trust) them. I didn't include a compressed version of "makeddf.exe" for the same reason.

The only "gotcha" experienced so far is that when sent from gmail, some HTML email clients display the attachment's file name as oriental characters. However, the saved file can be renamed and run as normal.