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Outlook: Avoiding Missing Attachments

Published on 16th October 2006

This time we are going to go back to our old favourite, Outlook, and address a problem we expect everybody is familiar with - forgetting to attach the attachment!

This tip explains how you can set-up a Rule to watch for messages that are promising an attachment but do not have one.

Creating a Rule

  1. In Outlook 2003, give the command Tools - Rules and Alerts.
  2. In earlier versions of Outlook, give the command Tools - Rules Wizard.
  3. Click New and then select the option at the top to start from a blank rule.
  4. Select that the rule will CHECK MESSAGES AFTER SENDING, and click Next.
  5. Select the Condition that it will look for SPECIFIC WORDS IN THE BODY.
  6. At the bottom of the dialog box, click the underlined word Specific and then use the next dialog box to Add the words you use when you are attaching a file (IE: attach, attached, attachment, attachments, enclose, etc). Type them in one at a time and click Add to enter them into the list. Click OK when you have completed your list.
  7. Click Next to proceed to the next stage of setting up the Rule.
  8. Now select the action: Click to DEFER DELIVERY BY A NUMBER OF MINUTES.
  9. At the bottom, click the underlined A NUMBER OF and choose, say, 120 minutes. (NB: the message will stay in your Outbox for this length of time and then be transmitted anyway. It will be up to you to spot the fact that it hasn't been sent straight away).
  10. Click Next.
  11. Now tick the exception, EXCEPT IF IT HAS AN ATTACHMENT.
  12. Also tick the exception, EXCEPT IF THE SUBJECT HAS SPECIFIC WORDS, and at the bottom specify the Words "RE:". (This allows replies to messages that had an attachment).
  13. Click Next.
  14. Give the Rule a name such as Check for Attachments.
  15. Click Finish.

You should now see your Check for Attachments rule listed. Click OK to close the Rules dialog box.

Now let's test it.

  1. Create a new message and address it to a friend or solutions@blackswantraining.com. (We have found occasional problems if you address it to yourself).
  2. In the body write "I do not attach anything". (Make sure you include one of the words your rule is looking for, and don't include an attachment.)
  3. Click Send.
  4. The message should now be in your Outbox, while sending is deferred. For the test, delete the message if you don't want it to get transmitted.

Once the rule is in place, it will allow attachments through, but you have to keep an eye on your Outbox for when you make a mistake.

To retrieve the message and insert your attachment:

  1. Drag the message from the Outbox into Drafts.
  2. Open the message, make the required changes and Send.

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