"Mail to" shortcut in Send To context menu fails command line argument

stuckatwork · 16 Nov 2011

Hi All,

Previous PC was an XP and we had a shortcut within the Send To context menu called "Mail To" which when clicked on a file would open a new email with the file attached and with the default email (as done from within Outlook), not the crappy text "mail recipient" one that is standard in the Send To context menu.

The target string in the shortcut was
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\OUTLOOK.EXE" /c ipm.note

When trying to set up the same shortcut in Win 7 using the same string (but with Office14) we get an error which states. "The command line argument is invalid. Verify the switch you are using."
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\OUTLOOK.EXE" /c ipm.note

If I navigate to the SendTo folder and double click the shortcut, it works. It opens up a new email as if I click New E-mail from within Outlook. But when selecting via the context menu, it fails everytime.

What can we do to fix this? We have to email a lot of files manually and opening a new email then attaching(or even drag/drop takes a lot of extra time.

Thanks for any advice.

Brink · 16 Nov 2011

Hello StuckatWork, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Double check in Default Programs to make sure that Microsoft Outlook is set as the default email client.

Are you able to select the files you want to attach and click on the E-mail command bar button for this to work that way instead?

"Mail to" shortcut in Send To context menu fails command line argument-explorer.jpg

Hope this helps,
Shawn

stuckatwork · 16 Nov 2011

Hi ~~Brink~~ Shawn,
and thank you for your welcome.

Yes, Outlook is the default. It's the only client we use.

Yes we can use the E-mail command bar button that you have shown in your image. That is the one I termed the crappy text Mail recipient one. It doesn't look very professional by any standards.

Here's the one we have created showing it in the menu.

Brink · 17 Nov 2011

I found this last post at the link below that should work as a workaround for you.

Outlook Public. Command-line switch to attach MULTIPLE files

You would basically just create a .vbs file with the code below, and save it somewhere (ex: C:\Windows). Create a shortcut of the .vbs file with the name and icon you want, and move that shortcut into Send to. When you change the icon of the shortcut, you would browse to the same "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\OUTLOOK.EXE" path for the Outlook icon.

(create VBS file with this)

Code:

On Error Resume Next
Set App = GetObject(, "Outlook.Application")
If Err <> 0 Then Set App = CreateObject("Outlook.Application")
Set AppItem = App.CreateItem(0)
 
If WScript.Arguments.Count > 0 then
For FileName = 0 to (WScript.Arguments.Count - 1)
AppItem.Attachments.Add WScript.Arguments(FileName)
Next
 
AppItem.Display
End If
 
Set App = Nothing
Set AppItem = Nothing

stuckatwork · 24 Jan 2012

I'm back again, as this is still bugging me a bit.

Thanks for you advice Shawn much appreciated, and it does what we are after, if a just tad clunky.

At the moment the email goes to the taskbar and we have to click it to bring it up so we can type in it. Is there a way that we can make the newly created email the active window. I know nothing of scripts and have tried googling for it but cannot find the command.

if anyone could help, that would be great.