I have made the file size for file attachments 5MB so you can now attach MP3s or any other files under that size to a posting. NOTE: It only supports the following files types .gif,.jpg,.txt,.zip,.png,.mp3

OK just worked out how to do this. Just note though you have a limit of 2 files per posting. You click on the File Manager link at the bottom of the reply form, then Browse to the file on your computer and click Add File. It will then take a little while to upload. There is a progress bar while it uploads and then finally the file name will appear at the top of the dialog box. Then click on "Done Adding Files" and that is it. This means you no longer have to find a free file host to put your files you want here on the forum.

Nice change

Many providers don't allow .zip, but accept .rar files.
As far as I have understood it's due to safety issues?

Hi Nigel
Good to have the upload facility, but I would double check your host providers FAQ, as they might start charging extra if you go over a certain limit, or they consider the number of downloads by members to be excessive.

Hi GJ
Its .exe files that most providers don’t allow, due to the fact that they could auto run and infect a computer.
Zip files are the most common way round this as it is easy to detect if they are auto run or not, and also all the latest OS from XP onwards can natively open them without any additional software.

Apart from computer geeks, most users haven’t a clue what .rar files are, and as most OS do not recognise them, they get stumped when they cannot open them. (The rar format is more efficient and flexible than Zip, but if very few outside of computer geeks know how to use it, it becomes a less viable option)

Bill

I think that shouldn't be a problem. But thanks so much for your concern. We will see how it goes. I don't think the amount of uploads/downloads should be too excessive. But it is nice that users don't have to host files somewhere, plus they will never expire here unlike some of the file hosting services.

Not sure why that would be. There really isn't really anymore security issues with files in a zip versus files in a rar. The big problem with rar files is that most users can't unpack them without downloading and installing 3rd party software to do it.

Geek stuff? Oh no, not at all.

Yes, upload *.exe files or send as attachment in e-mail etc. are quite often stopped by security software or/and give warning messages.
In fact I've also experienced that i.e. Gmail and Hotmail several times did not allow me send any mail using *.zip files as attachments, while send the very same content as *.rar was no problem at all.
It's correct that *.zip are supported in Windows OS and by that easy to use, but in WinZip and WinRar among others, both the *.zip and *.rar file types as well as a lot of other compressed formats are supported. The drawback is as Nigel say here, a 3rd party software or plugin needs to be installed to handle other than *.zip.
Anyway, what filetypes to pass or not is usually a matter of what security level specified or customized by providers and set by administrators, so I guess it don't matter at all as long as up/downloads work out as Nigel have in mind to make people here at SZ happy.

But,
point taken, I should have known better and not mention about it at all, after all Nigel specified what files allowed to upload in the first place.

I had to download a third party sw to unpack some .rar files of style files that were sent to me. Once I dl and installed the sw I was able to unpack the style files. Sometime later I noticed that I had a zip file with the .rar suffix on it. I started looking into my zip files and discovered that all of them are now .rar files. I guess that software converted them all. I like zip better but have no idea how to convert them all back to zip files.
Bebop

Hi Bebop
Open WinRAR and choose Options, Settings, integration, then untick all the boxes of the file types you wish to use other programs for.
NOTE: You do not need the WinZip program from Win XP onwards, as this has its own Zip program built into the OS itself.
Hope this helps

Bill