There are four causes of pictures not displaying in Microsoft Outlook email messages:
- Internet Explorer setting for saving encrypted pages to disk
- Blocking external content
- SecureTemp folder is "full"
- Word's Picture placeholder setting enabled
Internet Options Encrypted Page Setting
In Internet Explorer go to (Tools), Internet Options, Advanced tab. Look under the Security section for Do not save encrypted files to disk. Untick this setting and Apply. Restart Outlook and you should be fixed. (If you don't use Internet Explorer, you can go to Control panel, Internet Options or just type Internet Options in the Start menu Search.)
Thanks to William for sharing this with us.
Check the Picture Placeholder setting
If you do not see a red x but have a blank box shaped/sized like the graphic or photo, you have Show picture placeholders enabled. (A great feature if your Internet connection is slow.)
Note that this dialog is accessible from a COMPOSE MESSAGE window, not the main Outlook window!
Outlook 2010, 2013, 2016
These steps work for Outlook 2010, Outlook 2013, and Outlook 2016 (including Outlook which is included in Office 365 subscriptions).
- Click the New Email button or press Ctrl+N while viewing the Inbox.
- Go to the new message's File, Options dialog.
- Click Mail, then Editor Options
- Select Advanced and look near the bottom of the dialog for the option to Show Picture Placeholders.
- Uncheck the box to Show picture placeholders
- Close the dialog then close the message.
After changing the settings, close the message. Do not sent it! This, like many other message settings (zoom, etc), will apply only to the current message if you send it. You need to close the message to change the global setting.
In Outlook 2007
- While in a New message window
- Click the Office icon
- Click the Editor options button on the lower right of the dialog
- Select Advanced from the left menu of the Editor options dialog
- Scroll down to Display email contents section (near the bottom)
- Uncheck the box to Show picture placeholders
- Then click OK to apply and close the dialog.
- Close the message.
In older versions, this is an Internet Options setting, accessible from either IE's Tools menu or Control Panel. In the Internet Options dialog, go to the Advanced tab. The Show pictures option is in the Multimedia group, about halfway down.
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293 Comments on "Pictures Don't Display in Outlook Messages"
Thank you a thousand times. I can now get my pictures
Thanks a lot!
For me, the first method worked just fine. I have Outlook 2007 and Windows 10.
This solution doesn't work. Brand new ThinkPad with Windows 10, Outlook 2016. For one thing, the checkbox was never checked to begin with.
I tried everything you suggested and nothing worked. I have brand new HP computer and Office 365 with outlook 2016.
What next?
Do you see the red X or a blank where the pictures should be?
I will check to see if there are other possible solutions, but AFAIK, it's just the ones on this page.
Thank you.
Couldnt figure out why Outlook 2016 wouldnt show imbedded pics.
This was for over a year!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Peter
this worked for me, thanks a lot
this worked for me. I'm glad you highlighted the fact that you must not send the message but set the options and then CLOSE WITHOUT sending.
Many thanks.
I did not send my dummy email. Still did not work.
Thanks for the info - Slipstick is familiar from awhile back .. the fix works but then after awhile the box is still unchecked but no images displayed ...
Are there a lot of files in the secure temp folder?
Would help to know where this folder you mention is.
It can vary with the OS and Outlook version, but in all the current versions, you can get to it by typing shell:cache in the address bar of File Explorer and press enter.
It's under a folder called Content.Outlook - BUT Outlook 2013 and up do a much better job of keeping the secure temp folder empty, so its less likely to contain many files.