Outlook Email Automation Message Format

A

Alphonse Giambrone

I am using automation to create an email message from Access 2000.
Outlook is set to default all new mail messages as plain text.
If I create the message and don't add any text to the body, the message is
created as plain text.
Even if I add an attachment, it stays as plain text.
However, if I put text in the body (with or without an attachment), the
message becomes rich text.

Is there any way to coerce the message to be plain text?
 
W

Wei-Dong Xu [MSFT]

Hi Alphonse,

Thanks for posting in the community!

From my understanding to this issue, you are automating Access2000 to send
mail through the mail merge. If you put some texts into the mail body(with
or without attachment), the mail format will be changed to rich text. In
Outlook, you have set plain text for the new mails in plain text by default.

So far as I know on this issue, the kb article 241538 will provide some
assistance for you regarding this issue which introduces the configuration
for the Transport Neutral Encapsulation Format(TNEF, rich text) mail format
in outlook 2000. I'd suggest you can turn off all the TNEF following this
kb and test again.
241538 OL2000: How Message Formats Affect Internet Mail
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=241538

Furthermore, I'd also suggest you can browser the office update page to see
whether there is any update patches to install from this link:
http://office.microsoft.com/officeupdate/mainCatalog.aspx?CTT=98
The web page will automatically check your office installation and tell you
which patches should be installed. After that, please test to see whether
the mail format issue remains.

Please feel free to let me know if you need further assistance. I am
standing by to be of assistance.

Does this answer your question? Thank you for using Microsoft NewsGroup!

Wei-Dong Xu
Microsoft Product Support Services
Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
 
A

Alphonse Giambrone

Thanks for the reply.
My office installations are up to date.

The article you referred to states:
To Specify Mail Format in Internet Mail Only Installation
Global Change
To turn off TNEF:
1.. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Mail Format tab.
2.. In the Send in this message format list, select Plain Text or HTML,
and then click OK.
This does not work!!
The help file states that when sending via automation, the format is changed
to the default as soon as the body is set.
This is not the case. It always reverts to rtf, NOT the default.
It is obviously a bug.
Isn't there a workaround?
Has the issue been fixed in later versions of Outlook?
 
W

Wei-Dong Xu [MSFT]

Hi Alphonse,

Thank you for replying and more information about the troubleshooting!

This is the first time for me to hear of this issue. It will be greatly
appreciated you tell more information regarding this issue, such OS
version, sp version, Office 2000 edition. There are four editions of Office
2000: Premium, standard, professional, small business. I will test this for
you.

Thank you for using Microsoft NewsGroup!

Wei-Dong Xu
Microsoft Product Support Services
Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
 
A

Alphonse Giambrone

Thanks for the reply.

OS is Win XP Pro SP1 with all latest updates.
Office 2000 Pro SP3 + all updates.
It is not just me as a client has reported this. W98. O2K Pro (minimum SP2).

It is apparently a known bug, as I just found this:
Check out http://www.slipstick.com/dev/ol2kproblems.htm
The paragraph titled
'If you set the Body property of a Plain Text message, the message format
switches to Rich Text; there is no way to switch it back to Plain Text:'
So, I quess the question is, does MS have a fix or workaround?
Has this been fixed in later versions of Outlook?
 
W

Wei-Dong Xu [MSFT]

Hi Alphonse,

Thank you for the replying and more information on reproducing!

After my research, this is really one issue in Outlook 2000. The kb article
222248 will provide more information for you concerning this.
222248 OL2000: Setting Body or HTMLBody Properties Changes Mail Format
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=222248

Furthermore, the whole area has been much improved in Outlook 2002 and
2003, and there's now a BodyFormat property that allows us to switch
message format during the development.

Please feel free to let me know if you have any further questions. I am

Does this answer your question? Thank you for using Microsoft NewsGroup!

Wei-Dong Xu
Microsoft Product Support Services
Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
 
W

Wei-Dong Xu [MSFT]

Hi Alphonse,

Thank you for replying!

It is my pleasure to be some of service for you!

Thank you for using Microsoft NewsGroup! Enjoy a good weekend!

Wei-Dong Xu
Microsoft Product Support Services
Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
 

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