[FAQ's: OD] How do I save/remove an attachment from an email message?

An Outlook email is a MailItem type. This type has an .Attachments collection that also contains a .SaveAsFile and .Delete methods that we can take advantage of to perform our task(s).


Outlook 2003 and VB 6 Code Example:

VB Code:

Option Explicit
'Add a reference to MS Outlook xx.0 Object Library
Private Sub Command1_Click()
 
    Dim oApp As Outlook.Application
    Dim oInbox As Outlook.MAPIFolder
    Dim oEmail As Object
    Dim oAttach As Outlook.Attachment
    
    Set oApp = New Outlook.Application
    'Reference the default Inbox
    Set oInbox = oApp.GetNamespace("MAPI").GetDefaultFolder(olFolderInbox)
    For Each oEmail In oInbox.Items
        'Make sure its a mailitem and not a meeting request or read receipt etc.
        If oEmail.Class = olMail Then
            'Check if it has any attachments
            If oEmail.Attachments.Count > 0 Then
                For Each oAttach In oEmail.Attachments
                    oAttach.SaveAsFile "C:\" & oAttach.FileName
                    'Uncomment next line to optionally remove the attachment
                    'oAttach.Delete
                    'oEmail.Save ?
                Next
            End If
        End If
    Next
    'Clean up
    Set oEmail = Nothing
    Set oInbox = Nothing
    oApp.Quit
    Set oApp = Nothing
    
End Sub

Outlook 2003 And VB.NET 2003 Code Example:

VB Code:

Option Explicit On 
Option Strict On
'Add a reference to MS Office Outlook xx.0 Object Library
Imports Microsoft.Office.Interop
 
Public Class Form1
 
    Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
 
    [color=dimgray]"Windows Form Designer generated code"[/color]
 
    Private moApp As Outlook.Application
 
    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        Try
            moApp = DirectCast(GetObject(, "Outlook.Application"), Outlook.Application)
        Catch ex As Exception
            If TypeName(moApp) = "Nothing" Then
                moApp = DirectCast(CreateObject("Outlook.Application"), Outlook.Application)
            Else
                MessageBox.Show(ex.Message, "VB/Office Guru™ Outlook Attachment Demo .NET", _
                MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Exclamation)
                btnSave.Enabled = False
            End If
        End Try
    End Sub
 
    Private Sub btnSave_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnSave.Click
        Dim oInbox As Outlook.MAPIFolder
        Dim oEmail As Object
        Dim oAttach As Outlook.Attachment
 
        'Reference the default Inbox
        oInbox = moApp.GetNamespace("MAPI").GetDefaultFolder(Outlook.OlDefaultFolders.olFolderInbox)
        For Each oEmail In oInbox.Items
            'Make sure its a mailitem and not a meeting request or read receipt etc.
            If CType(oEmail, Outlook.MailItem).Class = Outlook.OlObjectClass.olMail Then
                'Check if it has any attachments
                If CType(oEmail, Outlook.MailItem).Attachments.Count > 0 Then
                    For Each oAttach In CType(oEmail, Outlook.MailItem).Attachments
                        oAttach.SaveAsFile("C:\" & oAttach.FileName)
                        'Uncomment next lines to optionally remove the attachment
                        'oAttach.Delete
                        'oEmail.Save ?
                    Next
                End If
            End If
        Next
        'Clean up
        oAttach = Nothing
        oEmail = Nothing
        oInbox = Nothing
    End Sub
 
    Private Sub Form1_Closing(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.ComponentModel.CancelEventArgs) Handles MyBase.Closing
        moApp.Quit()
        moApp = Nothing
    End Sub
 
End Class

Outlook 2003 And C# 2003 Code Example:

Code:

---

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Collections;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Data;
using Outlook = Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook;
///using Outlook = Microsoft.Office.Core.Outlook;

namespace Outlook_Attachments_CS
{
        /// <summary>
        /// Summary description for Form1.
        /// </summary>
        public class Form1 : System.Windows.Forms.Form
        {
                /// <summary>
                /// Required designer variable.
                /// </summary>
                private System.ComponentModel.Container components = null;

                private Outlook.Application moApp;

                public Form1()
                {
                        //
                        // Required for Windows Form Designer support
                        //
                        InitializeComponent();
                }

                /// <summary>
                /// Clean up any resources being used.
                /// </summary>

                "Windows Form Designer generated code"

                /// <summary>
                /// The main entry point for the application.
                /// </summary>
                [STAThread]
                static void Main()
                {
                        Application.Run(new Form1());
                }

                private void Form1_Load(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
                {
                        moApp = new Outlook.Application();
                }

                private void Form1_Closing(object sender, System.ComponentModel.CancelEventArgs e)
                {
                        moApp.Quit();
                        moApp = null;
                }

                private void btnSave_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
                {
                        Outlook.MAPIFolder oInbox;
                        ///Reference the default Inbox
                        oInbox = moApp.GetNamespace("MAPI").GetDefaultFolder(Outlook.OlDefaultFolders.olFolderInbox);
                        foreach (Outlook.MailItem oEmail in oInbox.Items)
                        {
                                ///Make sure its a mailitem and not a meeting request or read receipt etc.
                                if (((Outlook.MailItem)(oEmail)).Class == Outlook.OlObjectClass.olMail)
                                {
                                        ///Check if it has any attachments
                                        if (((Outlook.MailItem)(oEmail)).Attachments.Count > 0)
                                        {
                                                foreach (Outlook.Attachment oAttach in ((Outlook.MailItem)(oEmail)).Attachments)
                                                {
                                                        oAttach.SaveAsFile(@"C:\" + oAttach.FileName);
                                                        ///Uncomment next lines to optionally remove the attachment
                                                        ///oAttach.Delete
                                                        ///oEmail.Save
                                                }
                                        }
                                }
                        }
                        oInbox = null;
                }
        }
}

---