Windows Tip: Keep Outlook 2007 messages in outbox before sending

by Mitch Tulloch

February 4, 2008 —

We've all sent email that we wished we could do-over -- whether we forgot the
attachment, or saw a typo as we hit sent. If you're using Microsoft
Outlook 2007 and you're connected to an Exchange Server, you can recall
your message and you should do so immediately. But if either you or your recipients
are not using Exchange as the back end of your messaging system, then you're
out of luck … or are you?

A helpful reader pointed out a nifty way of keeping sent messages in your outbox
for a few minutes before they are sent. This lets you do those last-minutes
fixes you need to do and keep your job (or your marriage). The way you do this
is by creating a new rule using the Rules Wizard (choose Rules And Alerts under
the Tools menu and click New Rule).

Your new rule should look like this:

Start from a blank rule that checks messages after sending.

Leave all the conditions unselected so that the rule applies to all messages
you send.

Select the checkbox for the action "Delay delivery by a number of minutes"
(you can specify up to 120 minutes delay)

Leave all the exceptions unselected so that the rule applies to all messages you send.

Give your new rule a descriptive name like "This will save my butt!" and click Finish.

Now create a nasty message to your boss telling you that you hate him. Click
Send. Wait a few seconds. Then go to your Outbox folder and delete the message.

Just kidding.

Microsoft MVP