Saving Received Messages as HTML (OL2K)

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Hello all,

A client of mine wants to save received messages as HTML. Prior to a recent reinstall on his PC, the client “remembers” that he could open any received email message, use File | Save as and select .HTM as the “Save as type” to save any message as an HTML document. The client’s reasoning is he much prefers HTML formatted messages and wants to retain that formatting.

Is it possible to set-up Outlook 2000 (and for that matter OL 2003) so that one can “Save as” all received messages to HTML format, even if the received message was in plain text format?

My research so far indicates that only received messages that were in HTML format can be saved in that file type. Any other formatted received message can only be saved in OFT, TXT, MSG, or DOC format. Anyone out there can help me with this question?

Thanks so much,
Rich

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You can do the following:
– Open a plain text message.
– Select Edit | Edit Message.
– Select Format | HTML.
The message can now be saved as HTML.

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Hans,

Thanks, but I don’t get that menu choice all the time. Only when the incoming message is already an HTML formatted message. I don’t see the Edit | Edit Message command in Outlook 2000 with any other formatted messages.

Regards,
Rich

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I’m on Outlook 2002 at the moment. Perhaps someone with Outlook 2000 can help – I’m certain it must be possible.

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I’m pretty sure it’s available in Plain Text messages using the Outlook editor (not Word). I used to use it all the time to trim excessively long threads before printing (to save on paper)…

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I’m not sure what you mean by “Outlook” editor, and how do you start using it?

Thanks, Rich

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In the Mail Format tab of Tools | Options… you can specify whether you want to use Word as mail editor. If not, you are using the built-in editor – that’s what Jefferson meant by Outlook editor.

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Dear Hans,

Thanks for your clarification.

My question seems to still remain, though, that I can’t find anyway in MS Outlook 2000 to do a “Save as” and select HTML type file on any received email message, regardless of file format in that message. For those received in HTML format, I can “Save as” HTML.

I am hoping someone can shed more light on my question.

Thanks so much,
Rich

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Outlook will save either in the native format of the message (e.g., plain text, HTML, RTF) or in the proprietary .MSG format. As far as I know, those are your only options.

Your client wants to preserve HTML formatting. This is only applicable to HTML messages. So the default behavior seems right, right?

Added: I overlooked the templates option (.OFT), but I suspect this is not applicable.

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I have finally been able to test this on a PC with Outlook 2000. Word was *not* set as e-mail editor in the Mail Format tab of Tools | Options…

If I want to save a plain text e-mail as html, I can do the following:
– Open the e-mail.
– Select Edit | Edit Message.
– Select Format | HTML.
– Select File | Save As…
– HTML (.htm) will be the default file type in the Save As dialog.

If I want to save a rich text e-mail as html, I can do the following:
– Open the e-mail.
– Select Format | Plain Text.
– Confirm (all formatting will be lost)
– Select Edit | Edit Message.
– Select Format | HTML.
– Select File | Save As…
– HTML (.htm) will be the default file type in the Save As dialog.

If I want to preserve the formatting of a rich text e-mail, it can be done in a more roundabout way, using Word:
– Open the e-mail.
– Select File | Save As…
– Save the mail in the default .RTF format.
– Start MS Word.
– Open the .RTF file.
– Save it as HTML.

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