Ways to Extract Outlook Attachments to a Local Folder

Read time 5 min

Microsoft Outlook is an advanced email client and personal manager that is popular with home users, organizations, businesses, and Exchange/Office 365 users. Its popularity has grown immensely because of its outstanding design, features, advanced amenities, accounts configuration facility, and a friendly interface.

Outlook users can attach files, documents, etc. to emails and send them as associated information. This is one of the most advanced ways to share documents and files. However, it has the disadvantage that it contributes to the growth of Outlook data files (PST files). A large Outlook data file adversely affect the functioning of Outlook application.

Some of these unlikeable effects of an overgrown Outlook data file (due to pile up of large attachment files) are – .

• PST corruption and its associated errors
• Slow functioning of Outlook
• Freezing of Outlook application in between
• Inability to send/receive emails
• Abrupt shutdown of the application

The above situations have to be handled quickly, and this can be done by extracting Outlook attachments from the respective emails and saving to a local folder. Here is how to extract attachments from Outlook emails using different techniques.

Extract Outlook Attachments to a Folder

• Download Attachments from a Single Email : It is the most common practice to extract Outlook email’s attachments. This way is simple but extracts attachments from only one email at a time. Let us see how it is done.
  1. Start your Microsoft Outlook application.
  2. Open the email from which you want to extract the attachments.
  3. Point your mouse cursor on one of the linked attachments and right-click on it. Then select the option Save All Attachments from the drop-down list.
  4. Next, a window Save All Attachments will get opened. Click OK to continue.
  5. Next, browse and specify the folder on your system to save these attachments from the email. After specifying the path, click the OK option to complete the extraction.

So, the process is simple, but to extract attachments from multiple emails, you need to repeat this process again and again, which could be a tiresome task for the users.

• Export Attachments from Multiple Emails Via VBA Script : Many Outlook users use a VBA script to automate the attachment extraction process. It requires a VBA Macro Code and VBA Script to move email attachments to a specific folder on your system. The process seems a bit lengthy to follow but allows the extraction of attachments from multiple emails. However, be cautious while running or downloading a VBA script.
  Drawbacks of the Manual Processes
  Both the manual solutions have some drawbacks which users have to be aware of while performing the extraction of Outlook emails’ attachments, such as –
  1. Slow processing
  2. Lengthy processes
  3. Complex macros
  4. Fewer customization options and flexibility
• Extract Outlook Attachments Easily with Kernel for Attachment Management : To handle Outlook attachments, we suggest an automated utility – Kernel for Attachment Management. It helps to extract Outlook attachments directly from your default Outlook profile. With this tool, you can easily control the over-sized Outlook data files and improve Outlook performance. Moreover, users can now open blocked attachments in Outlook quite easily.

  Kernel for Attachment Management is a smart tool for exporting attachments from your Outlook emails to any folder on your local system. Some benefits of this tool are mentioned here.

  

  1. Direct display of the default Outlook profile to select emails for attachments extraction
  2. Provision for creating a subfolder while specifying the target folder
  3. Allows compression of attachments to save storage space
  4. Users can save attachments to a Zip file with a password
  5. Can rename attachments by message name, specified format, etc.
  6. Filters attachments based on subject, size, sender, recipient, file types, attachment name, process embedded, etc.
  7. After extraction, performs actions Mark as read, Mark message with flag or specific color, copy/move message, actions on email messages
  8. Automatic scheduling of attachments extraction at predefined date, day and time

  By looking at the above features, users can see that this is a complete Outlook attachment management utility. It not only extracts attachments but even manages attachments and the way they are saved to the system folder location. Users can now be able to fix delays in opening Outlook attachments or other attachment-related issues with this advanced utility.

  

  You can download the free version from the website using which you perform attachment attraction. , Later, you can purchase the utility from the same website. Now, feel free to work with the Outlook attachment management application and let this tool handle Outlook attachments. The software also allows you to save multiple Attachments at Once in Outlook

Final

Efficient Outlook attachment management is essential to maintain Outlook data file size at an optimum level. We have proposed some effective techniques to extract Outlook attachments and save it to the specified location on any drive. To overcome the drawbacks of manual methods, and to manage Outlook attachments easily, we have discussed a professional utility.