The present invention is directed to an email attachment manager for managing e-mail attachments in a data transmission system including a data transmission network and at least one workstation connected thereto and wherein a user of the workstation can receive e-mails from at least one server within the network, at least one e-mail having a document attached thereto. The email attachment manager includes a system for creating an entry in a document references file containing a reference to the document when the document is detached from the e-mail, the entry containing variable parameters, a system for generating an icon linked to the entry in the document references file, the icon being displayed when the e-mail is displayed, and a continuously running daemon for detecting when any of the variable parameters of the document have been changed, wherein the daemon modifies the parameters in the entry of the document references.