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Word 2010 send as attachment does not allow a signature to be added to Outlook message

I have an odd issue with Word/Outlook 2010. I know normal behavior dictates that the signature will not be automatically loaded when sending a word/excel/etc. file as an attachment from those programs (subsequently opening a simple Outlook message window with the SimpleMAPI protocol). However, in this case, inserting a signature is not even an option. I have edited the ribbon to have a custom group on the Insert tab called "Signature" with one drop-down option "Signature" and have moved this to the very beginning of the ribbon. I see this option without issue, but it is greyed out and you cannot select it. I am very confused as we can add a signature, but this user cannot.

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

Helen Feddema

How are you sending the Word doc as an attachment? In the interface or using VBA code, or what? Also, why make a custom group with a Signature option, when there is a Signatures item on the built-in Include group? Does that work?

ByteCafeSupport

ASKER

Trying to send by going to File > Share > Email > Send as attachment. The custom group was added because the Signature button was missing from the Insert menu on this computer.

Edit: The path used to send e-mail is File > Save & Send > Send Using E-mail > Send as Attachment

terencino

Your user should have a signature button unless for some reason this has been disabled by Group Policy, or there is a registry error. Can we troubleshoot that first:
1. Start your user's Outlook in safe mode, just hold down Ctrl while clicking on the Outlook shortcut. Check if the Insert > Signature button is enabled
2. If it is enabled, then it is possible an add-in is to blame. Go to Outlook > File > Options > Add-ins and disable them all.
3. If the Signature button is not enabled, check that the user has their File > Options > Trust Center settings the same as yours
4. If these fail, is it possible to Repair Office from Control Panel > Programs & Features?

Let us know how you progress.

Another option you could try is this Word macro, which will generate the mail from Word, with the current document as an attachment, but with your default signature added automatically. Just add the reference to Microsoft Outlook 14.0 Object Library. This is taken directly from the post by Graham Mayor at Send as attachment does not use Outlook signature . (Note you can add a default subject and recipients as well.)

Sub Send_As_Mail_Attachment()

' send the document as an attachment _
in an Outlook Email message
Dim bStarted As Boolean
Dim oOutlookApp As Outlook.Application
Dim oItem As Outlook.MailItem

On Error Resume Next

'Prompt the user to save the document
ActiveDocument.Save

'Get Outlook if it's running
Set oOutlookApp = GetObject(, "Outlook.Application")

'Outlook wasn't running, start it from code
If Err <> 0 Then
   Set oOutlookApp = CreateObject("Outlook.Application")
   bStarted = True
End If

'Create a new mailitem
Set oItem = oOutlookApp.CreateItem(olMailItem)

    With oItem
       ' .to = "someonerATsomewhere.com"  'the recipient (optional)
       ' .Subject = "This is the subject" 'the subject (optional)
    'Add the document as an attachment
        .Attachments.Add Source:=ActiveDocument.FullName, _
        Type:=olByValue, DisplayName:="Document as attachment"
        .Display
     End With

'Clean up
Set oItem = Nothing
Set oOutlookApp = Nothing
End Sub

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ByteCafeSupport

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We ended up having to send this laptop in for warranty repair of the DC in power/charge port. When I configured a replacement Windows 7 Professional laptop of the same vendor (different model) I was able to send an e-mail as an attachement from Word and have the option of putting in a signature. I really don't know what disabled that function, but, by all accounts, it was permanently locked out. We plan to reimage the machine in the process of sending it off for warranty repair. I imagine something within the registry is bit-flipped just so this option is disabled.