Full Guide to Auto Download Attachments in Outlook

Need to download attachments in Outlook to PC

We receive a lot of emails in Outlook and some of them are with attachments, such as word documents, presentations, spreadsheets, PDFs, images, and so on. It is beneficial to save Outlook attachments on PC for the following reasons:

• Backup and Archiving: By saving attachments to a dedicated folder, you create a backup of important files, documents, and images. As a result, you won’t lose critical information in case of accidental deletion or email server issues.
• Accessibility: Saved attachments are readily accessible on your PC, even when you're offline or not connected to your email client. This can be especially useful during periods of poor internet connectivity.
• Ease of Use: By saving attachments to a folder, you can open and edit these files with your preferred file management and document editing software installed on your PC.

Then, how to save attachments from Outlook to folder automatically? Please move on to the next part.

How to auto download email attachments in Outlook step by step

To automatically download attachments in Outlook, you need to create a VBA script first, and then set up an Outlook rule for the created VBA script. The whole process is shown below:

Part 1. Create a VBA script

1. Open Outlook and press Alt + F11 to quickly open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) window.

2. Click the Insert tab and select Module.

3. Copy and paste the below script in the newly opened module window:

Public Sub SaveAttachmentsToDisk(MItem As Outlook.MailItem)
Dim oAttachment As Outlook.Attachment
Dim sSaveFolder As String
sSaveFolder = "C:\Users\Administrator\Documents\Outlook"
For Each oAttachment In MItem.Attachments
oAttachment.SaveAsFile sSaveFolder & oAttachment.DisplayName
Next
End Sub

Note: Replace "C:\Users\Administrator\Documents\Outlook" with the path where you want to save the Outlook attachments.

4. Save the script and close the application window.

Part 2. Set up an Outlook rule

1. Back to the Outlook interface. Go to the Home tab and then choose Rules > Manage Rules & Alerts.

2. In the pop-up window, click on the New Rule button under the E-mail Rules tab.

3. In the Rules Wizard, select the Apply rule on messages I receive option and click Next.

4. In the next window, check the which has an attachment option and click Next.

5. Check run a script. In the “Step 2: Edit the rule description” box, click a script. Then choose the VBA script you just created and hit OK > Next.

6. Now you're asked “Are there any exceptions?”. Click Next if you have no exceptions.

7. At last, rename the rule. Check the Run this rule now on messages already in “Inbox” option and click Finish. Outlook attachments will now be downloaded automatically to your specified folder.

💡Bonus tip: best Outlook backup software to protect all your emails

Outlook houses a wealth of vital information, including emails, appointments, contacts, tasks, and notes. To safeguard against potential data loss resulting from inadvertent deletions, data corruption, ransomware attacks, or other unforeseen circumstances, it is advisable to routinely backup your Outlook data.

AOMEI Backupper Professional, the best Outlook backup software for Windows PC, can help you handle Outlook backup tasks effortlessly.

• It enables you to backup all data in Outlook to various backup storage devices. For example, you can backup Outlook emails to external hard drive, USB flash drive, and NAS device, etc.
• It supports Outlook, Gmail, Hotmail, and any other email accounts added into Outlook client.
• It offers the “Schedule Backup” feature to help you backup your email data automatically.
• It allows you to run incremental or differential backup to save backup time and storage space taken by the backup image.

Download AOMEI Backupper now and follow the instructions below to backup Outlook emails with attachments.

Note: Before you start, please make sure the email account you want to backup has been added to the Outlook desktop app.

Step 1. Install AOMEI Backupper on your PC. Launch the program, click Backup and select Outlook Backup.

Step 2. Click Add Outlook Data. In the popup window, select the items to be backed up. You can choose the whole email account or several subfolders under it.

Step 3. Select a destination path to save the backup image.

Step 4. Click Schedule Backup in the left bottom to configure backup frequency as necessary. Finally, click Start Backup to begin backing up your Outlook data.

Verdict

Now you know how to auto download attachments in Outlook to a folder on PC. It involves two main steps: create a VBA script and set up an Outlook rule for the created VBA script. To enhance your Outlook data security, you can routinely backup Outlook emails with attachments using AOMEI Backupper.

What’s more, AOMEI Backupper is wonderful SSD clone software. You may use it to clone SSD to new SSD. Why not give it a shot?