Background Sound in E-Mail

I've recently been given the task of setting up an e-mail at my workplace that will play sound when the recipients open it. I'm having one HELL of a time accomplishing this task though. Here's the problem...

...I work at a bank, so needless to say the security is a little tight, but we've talked to our IT Department about what we are trying to do and they gave us the go ahead as long as we send them the final result for their "inspection". Well, we use Microsoft Exchange Server and Outlook 2003 for e-mails (so the ease of adding sound to e-mails using Outlook Express is out of the question). I've tried several different tips that I've found on websites that include adding an html file as text to the e-mail, but that doesn't seem to be working. The branch manager wants the message to play a tiny .wav file that the recipient will hear when they open the message WITHOUT them having to click on anything. I have personally received an e-mail at work that managed to pull it off, but the creator of that e-mail is not available for questioning

Anyway, if anyone has any ideas on how we can accomplish this goal, I'd be extremely grateful!!! We're stuck

Thanks!!

P.S. - The method of adding the html file as text works on my home computer, but not at work, so I'm pretty sure that we need to use another method. Again, we're using Outlook 2003 and Microsoft Exchange Server.

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Comments

Plantwiz

I'm not going to guess, and it's not your job to ask this (well, maybe it is), but I'd wonder what 'marketing' genius decided this was a good idea

I'd personally be pretty ticked with my bank if they did this.

Is there maybe a way have this be something that plays when the member logs into the webpage? Grant it, there is likely little changing the request at this point, but IMNSHO a sound playing when I open a message is as annoying as 'stationary' e-mail messages.

Are you under a deadline? Curious how long the 'creator' from your e-mail message is unavailable for? Or if the creator just flat our refuses to assist?

cusseta

LOL - It would just be a "one-time" e-mail going out to about 10 people within the bank and it's certainly not a marketing thing. To be honest, I think she just wants it to be cute

(One e-mail sent to 10 close friends isn't THAT bad is it?) LOL. The sound file lasts literally about 3 seconds at the most (it's a bugle call). Anyway, if it's not possible, it's no big deal. This site is usually pretty cool about helping people out with little things like this. Although, if I read this post I'd probably respond the same way. This week is the deadline. The guy who sent out the other "audio e-mail" is on vacation. Any ideas are still greatly appreciated.

Oh yeah... and it's not my intention to ruffle the feathers of the elite. Just asking an extremely humble question

Plantwiz

http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6_outlookexpress/browse_thread/thread/81e7f426c96ef183/90e395b667404ba0?lnk=st&q=sending+e-mail+with+embedded+audio&rnum=1&hl=en#90e395b667404ba0

http://forums.techguy.org/digital-photography-imaging/481150-embed-sound-into-graphic.html

http://3d2f.com/tags/send/html/email/embedded/outlook/vb/

Any help from these?

Plantwiz

http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.internet.mail/browse_thread/thread/9da8431698682c33/f97c5fe2b6afe94f?lnk=st&q=sending+e-mail+with+embedded+audio&rnum=8&hl=en#f97c5fe2b6afe94f

http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie5.outlookexpress/browse_thread/thread/2113b1196a927c38/b8e28b459c11aba1?lnk=st&q=play+a+sound+embedded+in+e-mail&rnum=3&hl=en#b8e28b459c11aba1

I guess a question I have is what e-mail app is being used? I've assumed Outlook since it's a business, but it's not good to assume this.

sprkymrk

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA011182321033.aspx?pid=CL100626971033

You can no longer add a sound to an email that plays automatically in the background.

Important The ActiveX controls used to add sounds to e-mail 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 e-mail messages, but they will not play automatically. The following instructions will work only on a computer that does not have Windows XP SP2 installed. We recommend that you upgrade immediately to Windows XP SP2.

cusseta

Thanks for responding to this ridiculous question. When I got to work today, she (my boss who wanted to send this e-mail) had decided just to send the .wav file as an attachment.

Hmmm.