Tips for Multiple E-Mail Attachments   One of e-mail's handiest features is its ability to attach documents. But attachments can quickly get out of hand if you have to send or receive more than a couple at a time. These tips for attachment senders and receivers are aimed at Microsoft Outlook, but other e-mail programs will have similar features.     Position your windows so you can drag several attachments to your message at once. Inserting multiple documents into an e-mail. If you have multiple documents to attach, there's an easier way than choosing Insert > File over and over again. This method involves positioning your new message window and your file system window to drag and drop several documents to your new e-mail message all at once. If your file system window is the full size of your monitor, make it smaller so you can see around its edges using the window resize button (it's at the top right of the window, in the center of the group of three buttons). You can further resize a window by clicking the mouse on a window border or corner as the mouse pointer changes to a double-arrow. Position the e-mail message window so you can see it underneath when the file system window is brought to the front. You may want to put one window on the left and the other on the right. In the file system window, multiple-select documents to attach by clicking on their icons while holding down the Ctrl key. All selected documents are highlighted. Click and drag one of the items over to your message window; all the selected documents will follow and copy into the message window. It may take a moment for the documents to appear in the message window. Forwarding multiple e-mails. Outlook allows you to forward another e-mail from your account as an attachment inside a message using the Insert > Item... command. If you have several messages to forward to it gets easier: in your Outlook mailbox hold down the Ctrl button to click and select multiple items you want to forward. Then press the Forward button. A new message window appears containing the messages you selected, each as an attachment of its own. Saving multiple attachments to your computer. Often you receive a message with several attachments which you want to save to your computer for later reference. In the Inbox window click once to select (highlight) the message containing the attachments and choose File > Save Attachments > All Attachments... from the menu. This command is also available in the open message window itself. Attachment Alternatives. Attachments take up a relatively large amount of file space compared to e-mail, and can clog up users' e-mail accounts. If you regularly send multiple attachments you may want to look at another distribution method. Setting up a public drive folder for colleagues all on the same computer network or establishing a web page may be a superior alternative for distributing your documents. Back to Tip of the Month

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