![Diane Poremsky [Outlook MVP]](http://www.outlook-tips.net/images/2014/MVP_BlueOnly.png)
As anyone who sends files from Windows Explorer knows, choosing Send to > Mail Recipient opens a message using the Outlook editor set to plain text. It also adds (in some versions on Windows) text to the message body ("The message is ready to be sent with the following file or link attachments:") and inserts "Emailing: [attachment name]" as the subject.
If that annoys you, you can create a shortcut in the Send to menu and use your default message form and format.
To create your own shortcut, find the SendTo folder. (In Windows XP, it's at C:\Documents and Settings\username\SendTo.)
- Right click and choose New > Shortcut.
- Browse to find Outlook.exe, and add /c IPM.note to it – with Outlook 2003, the command line looks like:
- "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\OUTLOOK.EXE" /c ipm.note
If you often send messages to the same people, you can use preaddressed custom forms or use the /m switch (/m test@outlook-tips.net or /m alias) in a shortcut's command line. Or you can create a custom form to use instead of the default form, just replace IPM.note with the name of your custom form.
To use with other versions of Outlook, change the file path to match your version.
Outlook 2013
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE15\OUTLOOK.EXE" /c ipm.note /m dianep
Outlook 2010
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE14\OUTLOOK.EXE" /c ipm.note /m dianep
Outlook 2007
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE12\OUTLOOK.EXE" /c ipm.note /m dianep
For more information see: KB 234487 (The article was written for Outlook 2000 and Windows 98/ME, but works for all versions as long as you change the file paths.)
Published February 4, 2004. Last updated on May 4, 2017.
Hello, Thank you for the article. I created my own "Send to" shortcut and my custom form. It works, but I have a few questions: 1. I have two email accounts on my laptop and I would like to send messages using my shortcut and my custom form from specific account. Though the custom form saved with necessary account in "From" field, Outlook tries to send them from default account and I have to change it manually. Is there any solution to solve this problem? 2. When I send files from Windows Explorer I would like that file name was… Read more »
On #1 you need to call a specific account - because of the way the form is called, it uses the default account by default, setting the account in the template doesn't work. #2 is doable. To do both, you need to use Joseph's script here - https://www.slipstick.com/outlook/create-a-custom-send-to-shortcut/#joseph
Hello,
I used this procedure in Office/Outlook 2013 on Windows 8 and I am getting an error stating "The command line argument is not valid. Verify the switch you are using." Does this work for 2013 in Windows 8 or do I need to change something?
It does work, I just verified it. Make sure you are using the correct path to Outlook.exe. Also make sure there is a space before the slash /.