The Problem (Q-score 7, ranked #42nd of 95 in the VBA Core archive)
The scenario as originally posted in 2012
I know this question has been asked a few times in various context, but I have not found a clear answer. I have email implemented for an access application using outlook, but I’d like to move away from this. One of the purposes of the email is to email a user his/or password if he forgot it. They can select their username for the login screen, and if they click ‘forgot password’ and email is sent containing their login information (to the email address associated with the user name).
The problem with this is that the email function as is sends an email with outlook from the user’s machine. So, users would be able to ‘forgot password’ other usernames and view their own outlook outbox(sent items) to see the sensitive information.
Is there a way to e-mail like php’s mail function, sending mail from the server? I would like the emails to be sent from the same email address i.e([email protected]), instead of from the user’s outlook address after a security prompt. If this is not possible, I am open to the idea of any other workarounds.
I will also add that installing any software that would have to be installed on every potential user’s machine is not feasible.
Is this possible?
Why community consensus is tight on this one
Across 95 VBA Core entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds solid answer (above median) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.
The Verified Solution — solid answer (above median) (+11)
21-line VBA Core pattern (copy-ready)
This works for me in MS Access 2010 / Windows 7
sMailServer = "myISPsmtp" 'Not just any old smtp
sMailFromAddress = "me"
sMailToAddress = "me"
Set ObjMessage = CreateObject("CDO.Message")
sToAddress = sMailToAddress
sSubject = "Subject"
sBody = "MailBody"
ObjMessage.Subject = sSubject
ObjMessage.From = sMailFromAddress
ObjMessage.To = sToAddress
'ObjMessage.cc = sCCAddress
ObjMessage.TextBody = sBody
'ObjMessage.AddAttachment sMailAttachment
ObjMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendusing") = 2
ObjMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserver") = sMailServer
ObjMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserverport") = 25
ObjMessage.Configuration.Fields.Update
ObjMessage.send
More info: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms526318(v=exchg.10).aspx
When to Use It — vintage (14+ years old, pre-2013)
Ranked #42nd in its category — specialized fit
This pattern sits in the 91% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the VBA Core archive for a higher-consensus alternative.
What changed between 2012 and 2026
The answer is 14 years old. The VBA Core object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.