How to save Outlook email that looks like the printout

  • Thread starter Thread starter tim99
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tim99

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If I save or drag an Outlook email message, it creates a .msg file.

When I double click on this file, Outlook opens. The full thing. Not a viewer. This is a pain. I realize that this is useful if I want to use that .msg as a message to reply/forward/resend etc.

But, if I am using a two window pane outliner, MLO, PhatNotes, etc. software, and I want to copy an email into the "note" window pane, I would like for that email to look like my email does when I print it out on the laserjet printer. With the TO, FROM, DATE, SUBJECT information shown. If I simply copy the body of the email and paste it into a text window, that information is lost. And if I try to drag or copy and paste the file from the subject line in Outlook, only the subject information comes over, not the message.

I would like to be able to simply drag and drop an email message into a folder or text window pane where that email message is no longer a .msg Outlook message, but a text file that contains all the information similar to an Outlook email printed page. I want to use MLO or PhatNotes so I can sync important messages onto my PocketPC.

Do you know of a software on a method to achieve this? I do email on my desktop, so if it was desktop software or an Outlook stratigy to get this information into the format I want, that would work. It does not have to be PocketPC software.

Thanks.

Tim.
 
Or save (F12) as either html or txt file (changing the file type)? All that info shows up. It will take a couple more steps to then open the file, but you have header plus message body there.
 
This a free (indefinite shareware demo, pay to get rid of the "sponsored" version) utility that sets up like a printer, but when you print to it creates a .pdf file. I love it, use it all the time to capture web articles that I want to keep but don't want all the .html files and junk.

http://www.pdf995.com/
 
Here's a simple macro that might help. Paste the code into a module, and assign the macro to a toolbar button. Then one click on the toolbar button will copy the currently selected item to a text file in some folder. You have to edit the path to the folder in the "myItem.SaveAs..." line of code to suit your needs.

Note that this simple version doesn't handle exceptions and errors (like if you run it on a non-mail Item), but if it does what you want, it could be tuned up to cover things properly.

The code is below.

Regards.....Bill Kratz

Code: 
Option Explicit
	Sub SaveEmailAsText()
	Dim myItem As MailItem

Set myItem = GetCurrentItem()

myItem.SaveAs "C:Documents and SettingsWHKMy DocumentsTest" & myItem.Subject & ".txt", olTXT

Set myItem = Nothing
	End Sub

Function GetCurrentItem() As Object
	    Dim objApp As Application
	    Dim objSel As Selection
	    Dim objItem As Object

Set objApp = CreateObject("Outlook.Application")
	    Select Case objApp.ActiveWindow.Class
	        Case olExplorer
	            Set objSel = objApp.ActiveExplorer.Selection
	            If objSel.Count > 0 Then
	                Set objItem = objSel.Item(1)
	            End If
	        Case olInspector
	            Set objItem = objApp.ActiveInspector.CurrentItem
	        Case Else
	    End Select

Set GetCurrentItem = objItem

Set objItem = Nothing
	    Set objSel = Nothing
	    Set objApp = Nothing
	End Function
 
Thanks!

If I click on SaveAs, or press F12 in Outlook, I can then select a .txt file (I did not know I could do that), and save it in a folder.

Then, I can drag that file from that folder into PhatNotes and it becomes a note. This is fantastic. And another reason to use PhatNotes. The note file "name" or "subject" is the first line of the text file, which is the "From:..." information from the email. This is ok. I can click on the file to view that file in a window.

When I attempted the same drag and drop into TreePad Lite and MyLifeOrganized I just got the "no can do" symbol.

Thanks again.

Tim.
 
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