I had downloaded it earlier, gave it a try and realized that I am not using it the way it is to be used, so I stopped using it for few months. Then after a while I really need to create a @TODO folder in Outlook so that I can track my action items. I started moving the emails which required some action from my side into this folder. But quickly I realized that there are action items originating outside the emails. I had thought of writing an email and send it to myself,that is when I remembered that I know of a tool which does exactly same thing.

But I couldn’t remember the name of the application, so I searched my machine using X1, trusty desktop search engine. After couple of combination of search terms, I was able to find it in my download folder. Rest was easy. I had used it earlier, so I knew I needed to edit the .hta file to point it to correct Folders. As soon as I was done, I was able to jot down the next TODO item. It was that easy.

More about this tool at the author’s page here.

Originally Published on Jul 18, 2006

The setup

1. In your Outlook 2003, invoke Visual Basic Editor, either by pressing Alt+F11, or navigating the menu as “Tools->Macro->Visual Basic Editor”
2. In the Left hand side “Project” panel, make sure entry named “ThisOutlookSession” is highlighted.
3. Copy paste the code given below in the Right hand side Panel.
4. Exit out of VB Editor by either Alt+Q or by navigating the menu item File->Close.

Security

1. Make sure that the security is set to “High” (Tools->Macro->Security)
2. The changes we made will NOT work with High security, so we need to “certify” our code, so that it always works.
3. Invoke “selfcert.exe” from “C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\OFFICE11\\SELFCERT.EXE”
4. In the dialog that pops up, Type your name.
5. Go back to Visual Basic Editor (Alt+F11 from Outlook)
6. Navigate to Tools->Digital Signature.
7. Click “Choose”
8. Select your name, Click “OK”
9. Click “OK” to come out of “Digital Signature” dialog.
10. Exit out of VB Editor (Alt+Q)

Activating the Macro

1. Restart your Outlook
2. When asked about macros, select “Enable Macros”

Test

1. Try sending an email with empty subject to yourself, to test if everything works.
2. Type “attach” or “attached” in email body and send email to yourself without actually attaching any file.

.. finally “The Code”

Please refer to my earlier post here

*Update: Outlook counts files used in Signatures as attachments. see here.

Private Sub Application_ItemSend(ByVal Item As Object, Cancel As Boolean)
Dim strSubject As String
Dim m As Variant
Dim strBody As String
Dim intIn As Integer, intAttachCount As Integer
Dim x As Integer

intAttachCount = 0

strBody = LCase(Item.Body)
intIn = InStr(1, strBody, "original message")
If intIn = 0 Then
    intIn = Len(strBody)
    intIn = InStr(1, Left(strBody, intIn), "attach")
    If intIn > 0 Then

        For x = 1 To Item.Attachments.Count
            If LCase(Item.Attachments.Item(x).DisplayName)  "picture (metafile)" Then
                intAttachCount = intAttachCount + 1
            End If
        Next

        If intAttachCount = 0 Then

            m = MsgBox("It appears that you mean to send an attachment," & vbCrLf & "but there is no attachment to this message." & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & "Do you still want to send?", vbQuestion + vbYesNo + vbMsgBoxSetForeground)

            If m = vbNo Then
                Cancel = True
                Exit Sub
            End If
        End If
    End If
End If

strSubject = Item.Subject
If Len(Trim(strSubject)) = 0 Then
    Prompt$ = "Subject is Empty. Are you sure you want to send the Mail?"
    If MsgBox(Prompt$, vbYesNo + vbQuestion + vbMsgBoxSetForeground, "Check for Subject") = vbNo Then
        Cancel = True
    End If
End If

End Sub