Outlook sent e-mail blocked by Symantec AV for SMTP Gateways - malformed mime file.

I have been having trouble with getting e-mails through to a state agency
ever since they implemented Symantec Antivirus for SMTP Gateways last year.
I am using Outlook 2002 (on a Windows 2000 OS) to send my messages, but they
are getting blocked at that end by the Symantec program with the explanation
of:

02-Mar-2004 13:41:51 Action: Scan Error From: To:

Subject: Test of white list. Size: 5069 SMTP ID: M2004030213415022766
Info: Message could not be scanned completely. Scan Status: 56 - Malformed
MIME file.

(Note, I have changed the from and to attributes to deter spam harvesting)

What exactly is "56 - Malformed Mime File"? I'm aware that the mime file
issue is limited to Outlook and Outlook Express mail clients, but is there
any way to correct this problem of having e-mail automatically flagged at
the recipient end as being bad? They have even entered my e-mail address
and domain on the 'white list' in Symantec, but that still has the same
result. I should add that I've been able to send them e-mail through our
web mail interface without complication, so it would seem the problem is
limited to Outlook.

Any thoughts?

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<Followup-To set to 24hoursupport.helpdesk>

Scan error 32 or scan error 56 appears in the Symantec
AntiVirus for SMTP Gateways reports
http://makeashorterlink.com/?G50F543A7

 

The document says in part:

"AV for SMTP processes email according to MIME standards. AV for SMTP
handles malformed email that does not conform to MIME standards in one of
three ways."

Is there anything I can do at my end to check my Outlook system to make sure
it is meeting these vague 'MIME standards'?

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Make sure that your Windows Updates are current.
Make sure that you have the latest cumulative updates:

Outlook Express
April 2003, Cumulative Patch for Outlook Express (330994)
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/critical/330994/default.asp

Internet Explorer
February 2004 Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (832894)
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms04-004.asp


Additionally, you could always use a properly compliant mail client.

And if you want to get technical:
http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc1521.html
http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc2045.html