Creating hyper links to shared files with Outlook email.

We're all familiar with hyper links on Web pages, we usually simply refer to them as links. This tutorial covers the steps to create hyper linkks to shared files or folders within an email message using MS Outlook 2000 and 2003.

Definition -
A hyperlink includes the path information to another object. The object in this case is a file on a shared drive. A point on the document is turned into an active spot which includes the path information pointing to the desired location.
Note: Hyper links can be created in all MS office programs including Excel, Outlook and Word.
This tutorial covers the steps used in MS Outlook 2000 - 2003.
Click here if you're looking for the hyper linking with MS Word tutorial.

We can create hyper links to other files and documents located on our hard drive or a shared drive. These hyper links can point to a wide variety of files including Word documents, Excel and Powerpoint files, and even audio or video files. The reader of the email message must have access to the file/location to which the hyper link is pointing.

Sometimes in a work environment, you will want to send an email containing a link to a shared folder or specific file. This is often true when more than one person is working on a particular file. Plus, it's the cool way to attach files in the workplace so don't be surprised if colleagues come and ask you how you did it.

    Here's how it's done:
  1. Open a new email message.
  2. While in the body of the email, access the Insert menu from the menu bar.
    You can find it by pressing Alt key and arrowing to the right.
  3. Arrow upp to the menu item called Insert hyper link and press Enter.
  4. Here you can enter the exact full name and location of the file or folder.
    For example "J:/shared files/final drafts/ year end report.doc".
    Then continue to step 9. Otherwise-
  5. You will be presented with several options. Use the Tab key to move to the button titled "browse for file", and press spacebar.
  6. Tab to the option titled, "file of type" and then arrow up to "the menu item called, "all files".
  7. Now Tab to the "look in " page, and arrow down to the pparent folder.
  8. Tab to the list view containing the folders and files found in the parent folder.
  9. Press Enter on the appropriate folder or file, arrow down to the desired file name and then press Enter.
  10. Tab to the "ok " button and press Enter.

Note: If your file does not appear in the list view, you will want to go back and ensure that "all files" is selected in the "files of type" page Tab.

One very cool thing to do is have some of the words in your email act as the hyper link to the file or folder. This way whoever gets the email will be able to simply activate the link by clicking or pressing Enter on the words that you have chosen to represent the link.

All you need to do for this to work is first highlight the words you want to have represent the hyper link and then follow the steps above.
This way a few choice words from your email will work as a link to the file or folder much like a Web style link.

Trouble shooting

Note: Hyper linking is not available if you are using "plain text" as your email format.

    To change your mail format to html or rich text format:
  1. Open Outlook.
  2. Access the Tools menu. To do this press Alt and then arrow right.
  3. Arrow up to "options" and press Enter.
  4. Press Ctrl Tab to move to the "mail format" page.
  5. Arrow up or down to either "html" or Rich Text".
  6. Tab to the OK button and press Enter.

If you don't have a "browse for file" option you wil want to do the following to change email editor to MS Word:
Don't worry, it's easy to switch back to what you're used to if so desired. We'll show you how in a few easy steps.

  1. Access the tools menu from the menu bar.
    To do this, press Alt     and arrow over to the tools menu.
  2. Arrow up to the menu item called "options", and press Enter.
  3. Here you will be presented with several page tabs. Press Ctrl Tab to move to the "mail format" page tab
  4. Tab to the option titled "Use MS Word to edit emails", and check it with the spacebar.
  5. Tab to the ok button, and press spacebar.

If, with subsequent emails, you don't want to use MS Word as the email editor, follow the steps above and uncheck the option to "Use mS Word to edit email".

Opening a hyper linked file or folder with Outlook.

To open a hyper linked file or folder that someone has emailed to you, simply move to the file or folder name and press Enter.
The hyper linked file or folder might begin with 2 slashes. If it doesn't open right away,
you may have to move to one of the slashes or the file name itself and then press Enter.

Return to the Tutorials page.