How to retrieve unread messages from Inbox by using Outlook Object Model in Visual Basic .NET

This article describes how to use Microsoft Outlook 10.0 Object Library to retrieve unread messages from the Outlook Inbox in Visual Basic .NET.

Create Sample to Retrieve Unread Messages from the Inbox

1. Start Microsoft Visual Studio .NET.
2. On the File menu, point to New, and then click Project.
3. Click Visual Basic Projects under Project Types, and then click Console Application under Templates. By default, Module1.vb is created.
4. Add a reference to the Microsoft Outlook 10.0 Object Library. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. On the Project menu, click Add Reference.
   2. Click the COM tab.
   3. Click Microsoft Outlook 10.0 Object Library, and then click Select
   4. Click OK. If you are prompted to generate wrappers for the library that you selected, click Yes.
5. In the Code window, replace the default code with the following code:

   Imports System.Reflection
   
   Module Module1
   
       Sub Main()
          ' Create Outlook application.
           Dim oApp As Outlook.Application = New Outlook.Application()
           
           ' Get Mapi NameSpace.
           Dim oNS As Outlook.NameSpace = oApp.GetNamespace("mapi")
           oNS.Logon("YourValidProfile", Missing.Value, False, True) ' TODO:
   
           ' Get Messages collection of Inbox.
           Dim oInbox As Outlook.MAPIFolder = oNS.GetDefaultFolder(Outlook.OlDefaultFolders.olFolderInbox)
           Dim oItems As Outlook.Items = oInbox.Items
           Console.WriteLine("Total : " & oItems.Count)
   
           ' Get unread e-mail messages.
           oItems = oItems.Restrict("[Unread] = true")
           Console.WriteLine("Total Unread : " & oItems.Count)
   
           ' Loop each unread message.
           Dim oMsg As Outlook.MailItem
           Dim i As Integer
   
           For i = 1 To oItems.Count
               oMsg = oItems.Item(i)
   
               Console.WriteLine(i)
               Console.WriteLine(oMsg.SenderName)
               Console.WriteLine(oMsg.Subject)
               Console.WriteLine(oMsg.ReceivedTime)
               Console.WriteLine(oMsg.Body)
               Console.WriteLine("---------------------------")
           Next
   
           ' Log off.
           oNS.Logoff()
   
           ' Clean up.
           oApp = Nothing
           oNS = Nothing
           oItems = Nothing
           oMsg = Nothing
       End Sub
   
   End Module
   					

6. Modify the code where you see the TODO comments.
7. Press F5 to build and to run the application.
8. Verify that the unread messages are retrieved.