problem resolved using these steps:
1. get window handle id of outllook message window using inspector caption
2. setforeground window using window handle id found in step 1
3. do showwindow

just using .activate or .display did not work - because sometimes message screen went to task bar rather than popping up...

I have an access 2007 vba application that creates and displays an email before sending. Display is done using .DISPLAY Most of the time it works as expected, the outlook message displays on the screen, the user edits and sends it, and control returns to the Access form. But, sometimes the outlook message does not pop up to the user. The user has to look around in their task bar at the bottom of the screen to find the new message. They find...