Send an attachment with blocked file types in Gmail

As a security measure to prevent potential viruses, Gmail doesn't allow you to send or receive files with following extensions :

"ade", "adp", "bat", "chm", "cmd", "com", "cpl", "exe",
"hta", "ins", "isp", "jse", "lib", "mde", "msc", "msp",
"mst", "pif", "scr", "sct", "shb", "sys", "vb", "vbe",
"vbs", "vxd", "wsc", "wsf", "wsh"

If you try to attach a file with these extensions, it will give you an error like this "This is an executable file. For security reasons, Gmail does not allow you to send this type of file."

Worse, Gmail won't accept these types of files even if they are sent in a zipped (.zip, .tar, .tgz, .taz, .z, .gz, .rar) format. If this type of message is sent to your Gmail address, it is bounced back to the sender automatically.


Now here is the trick through which you can send or attach any type of file in Gmail :

1. Open My computer or explorer window. Below the address bar, look for "Organize". Click on it and select "Folder and Search Options" (Windows XP users : My Computer > Tools > Folder Options ). A window will pop up.

2. In the window click on the "view" tab. Now find "Hide extensions for known file types" and uncheck it. Click "OK".

3. Select the desired file which you want to send and change its extension (e.g : .exe) with other some extension which Gmail allows (like .txt). Ignore the warning.

4.Send the file to the recipient, and ask him/her to get it renamed again to the original file extension (e.g : exe)