When you install Service Pack 2 for Windows XP you lose some functions in Outlook. Notably the ability to embed videos or sound files to email messages. We regularly sent out emails with sound embedded in the email and since I installed Service Pack 2 we can no longer perform that function. Actually it gives an error message. According to the Knowledge Base Article I found, there is no workaround. So I thought I would ask you. Is there a workaround? A solution?

Also, I want to say I think its really cheesy for Microsoft to do this and not at least gray out or even take the buttons out of the menu. Why have a button there to perform a function and not be able to use it?

I love your newsletter, I regularly train others to use Outlook and I still learn something from your newsletter. Thanks for offering that service. You guys are the best!

I can't argue with John. We are the best. And we're humble, too.

John is right, though. Microsoft has disabled certain sound functionality in Outlook 2003 SP2. That's because the sound capability was written as an ActiveX control and ActiveX control is great, big, open security nightmare. Here's what Microsoft has to say about this:

The ActiveX controls used to add sounds to email messages were disabled in the latest Windows update, Windows XP SP2, because they pose a security risk. There is no supported workaround to enable this functionality in any version of Microsoft Office. You can still attach sound files to email messages, but they will not play automatically.

To be honest, John, anything that can pose as considerable a security risk as ActiveX does should be shut down. Yes, it's sad that the sound feature is gone, but we've heard some pretty terrible horror stories about the problems before some of the security improvements -- and there are still people out there constantly trying to poke holes in the system.

So, what can you do about it? Well, I don't have much experience embedding sound in Outlook, but you could certainly record sound with an external application and attach the file to your message. Of course, the recipient would have to open the attachment (and we don't open attachments, do we?) to play it.

You could start using IM for voice, which is what I do. Or you could try something like Skype.

In fact, that does bring an idea to mind. We've recently gotten a product in for review called Skylook. claims to provide full-featured Skype integration in with Outlook. We haven't tested it in the OutlookPower Labs, so I can't tell you if it works, but here's a list of the features the developers sent us: