The box with a Red X -- Missing pictures in Outlook Express

I've recently received the same question multiple times -- and I can't figure out why it is that some users have such a hard time sending an image to a friend via email with Outlook Express? So, I'm going to ask for help on this one -- hopefully a Infopackets Reader can give me some insight.

Here are some of the most recent questions I've received about missing pictures in Outlook Express:

" Hello, Since I replaced Outlook Express 5 by Outlook Express 6, my photos sent by email in the text or as attachment disappear. All my friends complain that they only see a small box with a red X in it. Norton System Works checks my Outgoing mail but is seems to be very fast and is seems that the pictures are stripped before or during the scan. " ~ Fritz B.

" I'm interested in digital photography and often send pictures to my family and friends. Usually, I just click on "Insert" then "Picture". I then locate the picture and put it into the body of my message. This does not require that the picture be sent as an attachment. Recently, some of my recipients have reported seeing only small square boxes with a small box with a red X in the place where the picture should have appeared. Do you know why I'm experiencing this problem? If I send the pictures as attachments they arrive OK. " ~ James E.

Side note: the solution to this question has been answered in the following issue of the Gazette.