Howto: Preview saved email in Outlook 2003

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ken from Chicago
  • Start date Start date
K

Ken from Chicago

Earlier versions of Outlook used to be able to work like Windows Explorer in
that you could view file directories of local hard drives. Can you still do
that in Outlook 2003? If so, how?

The reason is that at work we are backing up emails to a networked drive and
copying the emails was simple enough, even reopening them and their
attachment in Windows Explorer was simple enough, but because some of the
emails were recurring daily emails with the same subject, it was hard to
distinguish between emails. It would name the email .msg file with the
subject and for multiple emails with the same subject, a number would be
appended--not in the order said email was received. Worse, the copied emails
are all listed with the same date of modification so you can't use that to
distinguish them. The only other alternative is the manually rename them
with the date appended.

Unless ...

Someone knows how to preview said saved .msg files, or at least show the
Date Received for them.

Please?

-- Ken from Chicago (who's only managed to get Outlook 2003 view the
company's homepage online and Google, to test it out, but OL2003 wouldn't
view the local hard drives)
 
Ken from Chicago said:
Earlier versions of Outlook used to be able to work like Windows
Explorer in that you could view file directories of local hard
drives. Can you still do that in Outlook 2003? If so, how?
Click to expand...

Outlook 2003 removed the ability to access WIndows file system objects from
the Navigation pane
 
Brian Tillman said:
Outlook 2003 removed the ability to access WIndows file system objects
from the Navigation pane
Click to expand...

What about thru macros or VBA?

If not, can the .msg items be imported into Excel, Word or Access? or can
those programs be used to read the header info, at least the Date Received?

If further not, is there some kind of pattern Outlook uses for numbering
email saved (e.g., by subject, date received, date sent, author, etc.)?

-- Ken from Chicago
 
You need to read *.msg with outlook. they can't be imported into other apps
unless you use the outlook object model to do the importing.

Not sure what that has to do with the original question about outlook as a
file browser - if a msg is stored on the hard drive, outlook can open it
directly from windows explorer on a double click.

It's been so long since I saved msg to the hard drive - to the best of my
recollection, it uses the subject as the file name.
 
Diane Poremsky said:
You need to read *.msg with outlook. they can't be imported into other
apps unless you use the outlook object model to do the importing.
Click to expand...

Is there a way to do that using macros or VBA?
Not sure what that has to do with the original question about outlook as a
file browser - if a msg is stored on the hard drive, outlook can open it
directly from windows explorer on a double click.

It's been so long since I saved msg to the hard drive - to the best of my
recollection, it uses the subject as the file name.
Click to expand...

Exactly. We receive a series of daily emails with the same subject heading
so when they were saved they were saved with the same filename and a number,
but no way to tell what DATE they arrived. I thought if we could use the
Outlook as a file browser, it could preview the files to get the
date--WITHOUT having the MANUALLY rename every file to add the date.

Using Windows Explorer requires you to open the .msg file first before you
know when the msg was received.

-- Ken from Chicago
 
Yes, you can import the msg using vba or read the sent date and use it in
the file name. See outlookcode.com or the outlook programming group on this
server if you need assistance.

Doesn't the created date clue you in to when it was sent? if it's close
enough, you can use other methods change the file name to reflect the sent
date.
 
Diane Poremsky said:
Yes, you can import the msg using vba or read the sent date and use it in
the file name. See outlookcode.com or the outlook programming group on
this server if you need assistance.
Click to expand...

Okay. Thanks.
Doesn't the created date clue you in to when it was sent? if it's close
enough, you can use other methods change the file name to reflect the sent
date.
Click to expand...

The creation date of the msg file differs from the Date Received of the
email itself. The creation date is simply the date the .msg file is created.
Worse, if you're copying a bunch of emails then the creation date is all the
same.

-- Ken from Chicago
 
Yes, you can import themsgusing vba or read the sent date and use it in
the file name. See outlookcode.com or theoutlookprogramming group on
this server if you need assistance.
Click to expand...

Okay. Thanks.
Doesn't the created date clue you in to when it was sent? if it's close
enough, you can use other methods change the file name to reflect the sent
date.
Click to expand...
--
Diane Poremsky [MVP -Outlook]
Author, Teach YourselfOutlook2003 in 24 Hours
Need Help with Common Tasks?http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook2007:http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/
Click to expand...

The creation date of themsgfile differs from the Date Received of the
email itself. The creation date is simply the date the .msgfile is created.
Worse, if you're copying a bunch of emails then the creation date is all the
same.

-- Ken from Chicago
Click to expand...

Hi Ken,
Maybe MailToFile (www.Mailtofile.com) is a solution for your problem.
Archiving using mailtofile gives every email file (msg) the right date
time stamp. Using Windows Explorer shows the email date time.
Archiving Email having the same subject is not a problem anymore
because every email gets a unique file name.
And when you use Windows Desktop Search, you get a quick preview of
the found email.
Have a nice day!
 
Jules said:
Yes, you can import themsgusing vba or read the sent date and use it in
the file name. See outlookcode.com or theoutlookprogramming group on
this server if you need assistance.
Click to expand...

Okay. Thanks.
Doesn't the created date clue you in to when it was sent? if it's close
enough, you can use other methods change the file name to reflect the
sent
date.
Click to expand...
--
Diane Poremsky [MVP -Outlook]
Author, Teach YourselfOutlook2003 in 24 Hours
Need Help with Common Tasks?http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook2007:http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/
Click to expand...

The creation date of themsgfile differs from the Date Received of the
email itself. The creation date is simply the date the .msgfile is
created.
Worse, if you're copying a bunch of emails then the creation date is all
the
same.

-- Ken from Chicago
Click to expand...

Hi Ken,
Maybe MailToFile (www.Mailtofile.com) is a solution for your problem.
Archiving using mailtofile gives every email file (msg) the right date
time stamp. Using Windows Explorer shows the email date time.
Archiving Email having the same subject is not a problem anymore
because every email gets a unique file name.
And when you use Windows Desktop Search, you get a quick preview of
the found email.
Have a nice day!
Click to expand...

Sorry, the company IT department doesn't allow using programs they haven't
installed.

-- Ken from Chicago
 
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