18.6 Attaching Files

Use Attach File to send one or more files to other users. The recipients can open the attached file, save it, view it, or print it. If you change the attached file after you send it, the recipients do not see the changes.

The administrator may implement Filr attachment controls that help maintain and clean-up storage volume for files attached in GroupWise emails. If implemented, these controls will include all attached files, not just files attached from Filr. For information, see Understanding Filr Integration.

There are multiple ways to attach a file to a Mail To item, to include the following:

  • Add Attachment: This option is the paper clip icon / Add Attachment text in the gray bar at the bottom of a compose item. A left-click will open the Attach File window where you can browse for the attachment in your local directories. If you right-click and Filr Integration is enabled, you can select Add Filr Attachment and do the same in your Filr directories.

  • Drag and drop: Simply find your file in File Explorer, and drag and drop it into a compose item.

  • File > Attachments: While not the fastest method for attaching files, this menu option provides an actionable list of all attach options available to you based on your current settings, including attaching a document reference or an OLE object.

  • Add Filr Attachment: If Filr is set as your default attachment setting, this option replaces Add Attachment in the gray bar of the compose window. A left-click will open an attach window directly to the Filr directories where you can browse for the attachment. If you right-click, and select Add Attachment it will open the Attach File window for your local computer directories.

  • Main toolbar icons: Attachment icons on the main toolbar at the top of the Mail To window are not visible by default, but you can add them via right-click > Customize Toolbar > Customize tab. Options include, normal attachments, Document Reference attachments, and OLE object attachments.

If you attach a file that has a name longer than 255 characters (including the full path to the file), an error is displayed and you are unable to send the message.

If you attach a file that is password-protected, the recipient cannot open or view the attachment without entering the password.

For information about attaching documents that are in a GroupWise Library, see Attaching a Document Reference to an Item.

18.6.1 Attaching a File to an Item

To attach a file to an item:

  1. Open a new item.

  2. Fill in the To, Subject, and Message fields.

  3. Click the attachment icon on the toolbar, and then browse to and select the file or files you want to send.

    To attach more than one file in a folder, Ctrl+click each file you want to attach. The Attach File dialog box defaults to the previous location you used to attach a file.

  4. Click OK.

  5. Click Send on the toolbar.

HINT:You can also attach a file or an item by dragging the file or item into the attachment window. In addition, you can right-click a file in Windows, and then click Send To > GroupWise Recipient. A new item is created with the attachment in the attachment window.

To remove an attachment before you send the item:

Right-click the attachment, and then click Delete.

If you delete an attached file, it is not erased from its original location; it is simply removed from the attachment list.

Moving or deleting the original file does not affect the file that you attached to an item.

18.6.2 Attaching a Document Reference to an Item

If the file you want to attach is a document stored in the GroupWise Library, you can attach a document reference. When a recipient opens the attachment, the document in the library opens if the recipient has rights to open or view the document and if the library is available.

If any recipients do not have sufficient document rights, if they are not using an email product that supports the GroupWise Library, or if the library is unavailable, only a copy of the document opens. If the recipient edits the copy, the changes do not affect the actual document in the library. For more information about document rights, see Document Management.

To attach a document reference to an item:

  1. Open a new item.

  2. Fill in the To, Subject, and Message fields.

  3. Click Add Attachment at the bottom of the compose window, and then click Document Reference in the Attach File window.

    The Select Document dialog box displays.

  4. In the Library drop-down list, click the library that contains the document you want to attach.

  5. In the Document # field, type the document number.

    If you don’t know the number of the document, click Find to locate the document in the library. To attach a document displayed in the Find Results dialog box, click the document, and then click OK.

  6. In the Version drop-down list, click which version you want to attach. If you select Specific Version, type the version number in the Version # field.

  7. Click OK.

  8. Click Send on the toolbar.

18.6.3 Embedding an OLE Object in an Item

To embed an object in an item:

  1. Open and address an item.

  2. Click File > Attachments > Attach Object.

  3. To embed an existing object, click Create from File, type the path and file name, and then click OK. Skip to Step 8.

    or

    To create a new object and embed it, complete Step 4 through Step 8.

  4. Click Create New, and then select a type of object.

  5. Click OK to open the application.

  6. Create the object you want to embed.

  7. Click the application’s File menu, and then click Exit.

    This step might differ, depending on the application.

  8. Complete the item if necessary, and then click Send on the toolbar.

In order for a recipient of an item to view or edit embedded OLE objects, the recipient must be using GroupWise.

If the recipients open the object and edit it, they must save it under a new file name. Otherwise, when they try to close the mail message, they receive an error.

If you have copied an OLE object to the clipboard, you can embed it in an open item by using Paste Special on the Edit menu.

18.6.4 Attaching a Filr File to an Item

In order to attach files from Filr, you require a Filr account and Filr Integration must be enabled by your administrator. When integration is enabled, you can attach files via drag-and-drop, from the Attachments menu option, and from the actionable text at the bottom of a compose item (right-click Add Attachment and select Add Filr Attachment). The latter option is configurable so that Add Filr Attachment is the default.

For detailed information about attaching files from Filr, see Understanding Filr Integration.