deciacco.com blog

Here is a small utility to more easily email photos with Microsoft Outlook. Basically, it allows you to embed images in the body of the email message so that it is easier for the recipient to view the files.

Download the file using the link below. Once downloaded, install it by double-clicking it. To use the program, simply highlight the photos you wish to send, then right-click one of the highlighted images and select "Send-To" then "Image Mailer for Outlook". Image Mailer will resize the images to an appropriate size for e-mailing if necessary and then automatically create the e-mail for you with the images embedded in the body of the message. (Click the small image to the right for a better idea...)

If you wish to change settings, like how large the image is when it's in the body of the message, you can use the settings editor included. Simply click on Start, All Programs, Deciacco.com, Image Mailer, and finally Settings.

There are three basic settings to choose from. The best settings for most people will be selected by default, but you may choose something to better fit your needs. Try experimenting with the different settings to see what suits you best.

Please note that while we have made are best efforts to insure its function you use this program at your own risk. In other words, you can use this program, but we don't want to get sued.

Please check back here for version updates and if you find a bug or would like an enhancement, feel free to leave a comment on this post or contact me directly via the e-mail on my contact page.

Click here to download the Windows 98 and up installer (2.1Mb)

Sometimes when sending files through email, you want to be able to simply right-click on the file and select “Send to mail recipient” form the context menu. If you are an Outlook 2003 or 2007 user, you might have noticed that when you do this Outlook generates a plain text email with your files conveniently attached. While a plain text email is nice, and probably the way all email should be, most of us have been spoiled with html email that allows fancy formatting and we want to keep this functionality when we right-click to send attachments. Not only do we want this formatting ability, but we also want our signatures to be automatically appended to the end of the mail.Below are a few steps to create a new “Send To Mail Recipient” context menu shortcut that address these issues:

1. Right-Click the START button and select Explore
2. From the windows that comes up, make sure to select the Send To folder from the folder list on the left. Vista Users: The Send To folder is located under: %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo . Everything else should work the same.
3. Right-Click anywhere in the white space to the right and select New, then Shortcut
4. In the Type the location of the item: box type in the following lines based on the version of Outlook you are using:
   Outlook 2003: “C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOFFICE11OUTLOOK.EXE” /c ipm.note
   Outlook 2007: “C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOFFICE12OUTLOOK.EXE” /a
5. In the Type a name for this shortcut: box type in: Outlook Mail Recipient
6. Now when you right click on items to send as attachments you will have a new option. By selecting Outlook Mail Recipient you will get your new email in the default email format you have selected in Outlook and, if you have configured your signature for a new email, you will have it as well.

UPDATE: 02/10/2009
It look like this method won’t work when selecting multiple files. For a possible workaround try the following:

1. Create a file sendto.js with the following code and save it somewhere on your system. For this example the file is saved to c:\sendto.js. You can download my copy here: sendtojs

   try
   {
   	var args = WScript.Arguments;
   	var outlookApp = new ActiveXObject("Outlook.Application");
   	var nameSpace = outlookApp.getNameSpace("MAPI");
   	var mailFolder = nameSpace.getDefaultFolder(6);
   	var mailItem = mailFolder.Items.add('IPM.Note.FormA');
   
   	with(mailItem)
   	{
   		Subject="Sending Files";
   
   		for (var i = 0; i < args.length; i++)
   		{
   			Attachments.Add(args(i));
   		}
   
   		Display(0);
   	}
   }
   catch(err){
   
   }
   finally
   {
   	outlookApp = null;
   }

2. Follow the steps in the tutorial above, but in step 4 type this in the box instead:
   %windir%\system32\wscript.exe “C:\sendto.js”

   Note: Use the “Change Icon” button on the same screen to manually change the icon and use the icons in the Outlook.exe file, otherwise you will get the wscript.exe icon.

   Note: This is very crude code and hasn’t been tested much.

   Vista: To get to the Send To folder, you’ll need to open up an Explorer window, and then paste the following into the address bar: %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo

I recently came across an Outlook plugin that I really like. It's a tool that has been around for some time and has actually already been replaced, but many people still prefer the original plugin to the new. It's called Lookout and it's basically an instant search for Outlook. I've installed it in both Outlook 2003 and 2007 and it works very well. (You have to tweak it a little for 2007, but it's no big deal.)

Here are the links you need:

Link to download
How to for OL2007

Updates:

• 02/18/2009 – The best way to copy your Outlook settings from one PC to another is to export the Profiles entry in the registry and import it on the new PC. This will retain all of your accounts and settings and you don’t have to copy the profile like in my previous update below.
• 04/10/2008 – By saving this registry key it is possible to export your Outlook settings to a new computer. It also works if you are going from Outlook 2003 to Outlook 2007, however after you export the key and reimport it on the new computer, you have to tweak it a little. On the new computer after you’ve merged the exported .reg file, go into the Control Panel, click on Mail, then Show Profiles. There should be a profile there with the same name as the profile on the old computer. In order for Outlook to work correctly, you have to copy the profile with the Copy Profile button and give it a new name. Outlook will give an error when receiving email if you don’t do this.
• 12/07/2007 – It looks like this registry entry is also used by Outlook 2007. I have not tried copying my settings, but when i do I will report back.
• 09/20/2007 – I successfully transfered my email accounts to another computer by exporting this registry entry from one computer and importing it on the new computer. It’s so much faster than having to go through and configure all the accounts I have. I will save the details for a later post!

Original Post:

I was looking for a way to programmatically change the signature used by a specific account in Outlook. What I discovered is that you need to change some registry entries.

Here is the registry key that holds all this information:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\Outlook\9375CFF0413111d3B88A00104B2A6676

(This works for Outlook 2003, but I’m not sure about earlier or newer versions.)

Please note that the actual signature file is not in the registry, but in a specific folder in your profile’s folder (Drive:\Documents and Settings\Username\Application Data\Microsoft\Signatures). This entry is used to select that signature to be used for a particular account. This can be useful for system administrators that want to install a signature for a user without having the user intervene.

Also, I have not tested this, but it looks like this would be the registry entry to keep if you want to backup your account information, so you don’t have to manually setup all accounts in a new install of Outlook.

For more information please see this link: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/287070