Here at MTI, some of us have been guilty of forgetting to actually attach an attachment in an email once or twice. It happens to the best of us; you go to send an email with the words “I’ve attached” or “Please find attached” in it, and send it off without the attachment. It’s slightly embarrassing, somewhat awkward, and can cause important documents to be forgotten or neglected. But have no fear, MTI has found a solution to save you from future incidents of forgotten attachments.

Some email programs, such as Gmail, AOL Mail, and Outlook 2013, have built-in attachment reminders that pop up when a person tries to send an email with the words “attached”, “attachment”, or other similar terms without an actual attachment.

But for those of us using Outlook 2007 and 2010, we have to look elsewhere for our reminders. Thanks to the hidden gem, ExtendOffice.com, we have found a solution for attachment reminders for Outlook 2010 by using a VBA macro. A VBA macro is a sort of code used to install add-ins and third-party applications to programs installed in your computer and operating system, such as Microsoft Office.

Now, let’s get started.

First, open up your Outlook program.

Next, Press the ALT+F11 keys to open the Microsoft Visual for Applications window. This window will show up, and you will need to expand the Project 1 in the left bar, and double click the ThisOutlookSession to open it.

Now, copy and paste the following code in the ThisOutlookSession window.

PrivateSubApplication_ItemSend(ByValItem AsObject, Cancel AsBoolean)

DimretMB AsVariant

DimstrBody AsString

DimiIndex AsLong

OnErrorGoTohandleError

iIndex = InStr(Item.Body, “attach”)

IfiIndex > 0 AndItem.Attachments.Count = 0 Then

retMB = MsgBox(“You may have forgotten to attach a file.”& vbCrLf & vbCrLf & “Do you still want to continue?”, vbQuestion + vbYesNo + vbMsgBoxSetForeground)

IfretMB = vbNo ThenCancel = True

EndIf

handleError:

IfErr.Number <> 0 Then

MsgBox “Outlook Attachment Alert Error: “& Err.Description, vbExclamation, “Outlook Attachment Alertr Error”

EndIf

EndSub

Lastly, click the Save button on the toolbar.

Now, if you add the word “attachment” in the body of your email message, but forget to actually attach files, the following warning reminder will pop up to let you know that you might’ve forgotten to add attachments when you click the Send button on your email.

Whether it’s a personal email, an office email, or a client email, attachments are always used, and they are always important when intended to be sent. Save yourself an awkward moment, and be sure to make use of attachment reminders!

Please remember to check any and all macros and codes prior to applying them to your computer. Be advised that some macros/codes posted may have malicious threats, and you should only proceed with installing them from trusted sources, or with confidence that they will not harm your computer. If you’re unsure, call MTI! We can help you sort out the good codes from the bad!