Link a file to a Business Contact Manager record

You can link various types of files to your Business Contact Manager for Outlook Account, Business Contact, Lead, Opportunity or Business Project records, including Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Word, and image files.

Links to these files are then displayed in the Communication History of the record in Business Contact Manager for Outlook.

This article describes how to:

• Link a file to Business Contact Manager for Outlook record from Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, or Word

• Link a file to a Business Contact Manager for Outlook record from Outlook.

Link a file to a Business Contact Manager record from Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, or Word

1. In Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, or Word, click the File tab, and then click Business Contact Manager.

   Tip: If Business Contact Manager is not listed, it is not installed.

2. Click Link to Record.

3. In the Link to Business Contact Manager record dialog box, in the Folder list, select the type of record that you want to link the file to.

4. Click one or more records you want to link.

   How do I select more than one record?

   To select records that are adjacent to each other, press the SHIFT key, and then click the first and last records of the group that you want to add. To select nonadjacent records, press the CTRL key, and then click the individual records. To select all records, click one, and then press CTRL+A.

The file is now linked to the record and appears in the in the list of communication history items for the record, and in the Communication History folder.

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Troubleshoot linking a file from Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, or Word to a Business Contact Manager record

You must have an active connection to the Business Contact Manager database to link files to Business Contact Manager records. If you do not have an active connection, a message that says Cannot link to record may be displayed.

There could be several causes:

• Outlook is not your default e-mail program. Business Contact Manager for Outlook can be used only with Outlook.

  Set Outlook as your default e-mail program    

  1. In Outlook, click the File tab, and then click Options.

  2. On the General tab, select the Make Outlook the default program for E-mail, Contacts, and Calendar check box.

• You have two versions of Outlook installed.

  Set the version of Outlook that matches your version of Business Contact Manager as your default e-mail program   

  1. In the desired version of Outlook, click the File tab, and then click Options.

  2. On the General tab, select the Make Outlook the default program for E-mail, Contacts, and Calendar check box.

     Note:  When you have two version of Outlook installed, the version you launch will associate any links you create with Business Contact Manager objects in the matching version of Business Contact Manager. To avoid creating links to records in the wrong database inadvertently, make sure to use the same version of Outlook consistently.

• You do not have a profile set up in Outlook

  Create a profile in Outlook    

  This profile should be the same profile you use for Business Contact Manager for Outlook.

  1. Do one of the following:

     • In Control Panel in Category view     Click User Accounts, and then click Mail.

     • In Control Panel in Classic view     Double-click Mail.

       Note: The Mail icon won't appear unless you have Outlook installed and have run the program at least once.

       The Mail Setup dialog box opens.

  2. Click Show Profiles.

  3. Click Add.

  4. Type a name for the profile, and then click OK.

  5. Add an e-mail account to use in your profile by following the instructions on the screen.

• The Startup wizard for Business Contact Manager for Outlook was cancelled before completion

  Complete the Business Contact Manager Startup wizard    

  Do one of the following to run the Startup wizard:

  1. Open Outlook and the wizard will run automatically.

  2. If the wizard was interrupted before completion, restart it.

     • In Outlook, click the File tab.

     • Click the Business Contact Manager tab, and then click Enable.

       The Startup wizard will begin.

• Business Contact Manager for Outlook is disabled

  Re-enable Business Contact Manager for Outlook    

  Rarely, you may find that the Business Contact Manager for Outlook folders, options, and commands are missing from the Navigation Pane, the Backstage view, and the Ribbon tabs. If this occurs, you must re-enable Business Contact Manager for Outlook.

  1. Start Outlook, and then click the File tab.

  2. In the Navigation Pane, click Options

  3. In the Outlook Options window, click Add-Ins.

  4. If necessary, in the Manage box (near the bottom of the window), click COM Add-ins.

  5. Click Go.

  6. In the COM Add-ins dialog box, select the following check boxes:

     • Business Contact Manager for Outlook

     • Business Contact Manager Loader for Outlook

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Link a file to a Business Contact Manager record from Business Contact Manager for Outlook

1. In the Navigation Pane, under Business Contact Manager, click one of the following folders to display the workspace:

   • Contact Management

   • Sales

   • Project Management (Business Projects only)

     For information about the workspaces, see Master your Business Contact Manager workspaces.

2. Click the tab that contains the record that you want to link.

3. Double-click the record to open it.

4. On the Ribbon, in the Show group, click History.

5. On the Ribbon, in the Add History Item section, click More, and then click File.

6. Type the name of the file that you want to link to the record, or browse for it, and then click Open.

The file is now linked to the record and appears in the in the list of communication history items for the record, and in the Communication History folder.

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