Do you get this annoying message when you’re launching your
email merge, address book search or email notification
program, or when using a PDA synchronization tool?
Figure 1 – A program is trying to access e-mail addresses you have stored in Outlook
Or this one when you’re trying to send a catalog to your
customers using your bulk emailing software?
Figure 2 – A program is trying to automatically send e-mail on your behalf
Don’t panic. These are the effect of Outlook security features
introduced in Outlook 2000 (SR2 and above), and installed by
default in Outlook 2002 and Outlook 2003.
These new features help guard against most viruses that are
spread by email attachments, as well as protect users from
worm viruses that replicate through Outlook. However,
these additional security features can be
somewhat annoying, especially if you’re using third–party
software that sends email using Outlook or that makes use of your
Outlook Address Book.
A Solution
A wonderful solution to these problems is the use of a
freeware utility called
Express ClickYes
by ContextMagic.
Express ClickYes sits in the background on your computer
(with an icon in the system tray) waiting for one of those
Outlook security prompts to pop up, and if they do, Express
ClickYes “clicks yes” to the prompt, indicating that you DO
want to allow the requested access to Outlook.
A Warning
Please use caution. This product expressly defeats several security features
of Outlook, and therefore could be dangerous. However, you can
turn Express ClickYes on and off as needed, which may be a
better solution than leaving it on all the time. This product, when
used wisely, can save you the hassle of clicking yes to those pesky
security prompts, since Express ClickYes will do it for you.
For example, if you’re about to synchronize your Palm
address book with Outlook, and you usually get the security
warning, you can enable Express ClickYes (called Resuming it) just
before running the sync, and then disable it once again
(called Suspending it) just after the sync is complete. That
way, you’re only vulnerable during that brief period of
time. Of course, if you’re going to bother doing that, you
might wonder why not just let the Outlook security warning come up
and then click Yes. It’s fewer steps, after all. There is certainly
truth to that. However, I’ve found that since I can program
Express ClickYes to Resume and then Re-Suspend when certain actions are taken,
then it does bring me back down to a single click. I’ll discuss
programming Express ClickYes in more detail next month.
Suspending or Resuming Express ClickYes
You can toggle the Express ClickYes state between Suspended and
Resumed by double-clicking the Express ClickYes icon in the system
tray. Alternatively, you can right-click on the icon and
select the first menu option, either Suspend or Resume, as
appropriate. If Express ClickYes is Resumed, that means it’s active
and will “click yes” for you. Your Outlook Security features
are therefore disabled, so be aware. If Express ClickYes is
Suspended, Outlook is functioning normally, with the
Security protection.
How to Tell if Express ClickYes is Suspended or Resumed
When you look at the system tray icon, you will see one of
two icons. The normal one with a checkmark means that Express
ClickYes is running and enabled (also known as Resumed). If
the icon has a big red X in the bottom–right corner, then Express
ClickYes is Suspended (meaning Outlook’s security features
are left to run unfettered).
Here is the Resumed icon:
Figure 3 – Express ClickYes System Tray Icon in Resumed Mode
And here is the Suspended icon:
Figure 4 – Express ClickYes System Tray Icon in Suspended Mode Showing Red X
Other Express ClickYes Menu Options
When you right-click on the Express ClickYes system tray icon, you
see the following menu:
Figure 5 – Express ClickYes System Tray Context Menu (currently in Resumed mode)
-
Start on Logon:
This option when checked tells Express ClickYes to
run automatically when you logon to Windows. Express ClickYes will
start either Suspended or Resumed depending on the setting
of the following menu option.
-
Start Suspended:
This option when checked tells Express ClickYes to
start in Suspended mode whenever Express ClickYes is first loaded.
It is safest to have this option checked, meaning that you
do want Express ClickYes to start in Suspended mode. Then you can
Resume Express ClickYes at your discretion as needed.
-
About…:
This option gives you a little About box. Surprised?
-
Exit:
This option exits Express ClickYes, which leaves your Outlook
functioning the way it was, with regular security features
operating. If the Start on Logon option is checked, then
Express ClickYes will be loaded once again the next time you logon
to Windows, so be sure to have the Start Suspended option
checked so you don’t inadvertently leave Outlook open to
attacks.
Where to Get Express ClickYes and Learn More About It
Express ClickYes is a freeware utility created by
ContextMagic and available for free download from the
ContextMagic web site. I’ve found the product to be
extremely useful. I want to stress again the danger of
leaving Express ClickYes running all the time, in that it
leaves you open to viruses and worms. However, if you only
enable Express ClickYes for short periods of time to perform
specific tasks, your risk will be minimized.
Express ClickYes one-step download link
http://www.contextmagic.com/ftp/ClickYesSetup.exe
Express ClickYes info page
http://www.contextmagic.com/express–clickyes
ContextMagic free downloads page
http://www.contextmagic.com/downloads.htm
ContextMagic web site
Where you can learn more about
ContextMagic’s other programs, including Express Mail@Mate,
the award–winning email notification program for Outlook and
Outlook Express. Be sure to keep an eye out for Express
ClickYes Professional, due to be released soon, which
promises more advanced features.
http://www.contextmagic.com
Next Month – Programming Express ClickYes
When coding Outlook VBA to do things such as custom spam
filtering or email attachment reminding, you may find you
trip the Outlook security warning. In such a case, you may
find it helpful to programmatically Resume and Suspend
Express ClickYes in your VBA code. I’ll describe how to do
that in next month’s article.
More Info from Microsoft About the Outlook Security Update
Here are some links to Microsoft’s web site about the
Outlook Security Update:
"A program is trying to access e-mail addresses you have
stored in Outlook" warning message when you send a mail
merge to e-mail after you apply the Outlook Security Update
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/263073
OL2000: Information About the Outlook E-mail Security Update
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/262631
Outlook E-mail Attachment Security Update
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/235309
A program is trying to access e-mail addresses you have
stored in Outlook
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011127891033.aspx
Thanks
Thanks to Leonid Dmitriev of ContextMagic for providing
additional information about Express ClickYes. And thanks,
as always, to our illustrious editor Dian Chapman of
MouseTrax Computing Solutions for her ongoing support and
efforts.
|
