Sunday, July 5, 2009

Outlook Plug-in - Message changes tracking

This article is intended for those of you who are using shared mailboxes for their users and need to share between those users any changes made to a message.
It is also useful for organizations that need to audit any change made to a message on its way.

This plug-in will give you the ability to see what changes was made by your colleague to the message at your shared mailbox or at the mail he just forward to you.

by changes I mean ANY change (include Read, Close, Remove/Add/Edit Recipient of any type -To/CC/BCC, Message body changes, subject changes, Internal Property changes)

This way you can know (ignoring unread/read) which colleague start handling it (and when).

First download the Archive with the plug-in dll, Outlook Module (VBA), Outlook Form (VBA) From Here.

Next, follow the installation process:

1. Extract the ZIP File into a folder at your local hard drive (“C:\OutlookTrack\” for example)
2. Drag the file olkTracking.dll to the regsvr32.exe shortcut.

Outlook Plugin Registration

Successful registration will look like this:

Successful Plugin registration
(Captured from Vista, XP look slightly different)

3. Launch Outlook and Click Alt-F11 in order to open the VBA Editor. Alternatively, use the “Tools” Menu -> “Macro” -> “Visual Basic Editor”

Outlook VBA Editor

4. Click The “File” Menu -> “Import File…”

Outlook VBA - Import Modules and Forms

5. Select the file “msgTrack.frm” and Click the “Open” Button.
6. Repeat the Import Action for the file “msgTrack.bas”.

Import The other file


The result should look like this:

The Editor with the module and the form

7. Open a message at your inbox and right click the area around the Office button:

Outlook - Customize Quick Access Toolbar


8. Select the “Customize Quick Access Toolbar…”


Bank online, email, chat - safely


9. Change the command source to “Macros” And select the new macro that just been added to your Outlook (our last import)

Continue Customization


Click the “Add >>” Button.

Select the relevant Macro

You can now customize the look of the new button:
Click the “Modify…” button, Select an icon that suites you.
(You can also change the Display Name, in case you want him to be visible)

Customize the assigned button for the macro

The result will look like this:
The button should look like this



Now just Click the new button in your message and Track it…
The Tracking Output


Please report Bugs and Suggestions.

Udi.

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