The box with a Red X -- Missing pictures in Outlook Express, Part 2

It looks like yesterday's problem of Outlook Express not displaying images via email stirred up a lot of responses. I woke up today to find that my Inbox was jammed full of excellent suggestions from our Readers.

First, let me explain who might be affected by missing pictures in Outlook Express 6:

• Anyone who has upgraded to, has installed a patch for, or uses Outlook Express 6
• Anyone who installed Windows XP, or XP Service Pack 1. These people also have Outlook Express 6 installed on their system.

From what I can gather, that pretty much sums it up.

There were multiple solutions to the problem. I'll begin by providing the most obvious solution: enabling the pictures in emails through the Outlook settings. Jake from Tennessee suggests: " Load Outlook Express 6. Click Tools -> Options. Next, click the Send Tab. Under the Mail Sending Format header, and ensure that HTML Button is highlighted as your mail sending format. Next, click on the HTML Settings Button, and ensure that SEND PICTURE WITH MAIL has a checkmark. "

I also received a few suggestions from (what appears to be) folks who are using a different version of Outlook Express 6. Arnie W., who uses Internet Explorer v6.0.2600, suggests, "clicking on the Tools -> Internet Options Advanced Tab Scroll down to the Multimedia section place a check in the box for Show Pictures."

Other problems that might prevent an Image from being Viewed in Email

Jackie B. also sent in some very good (alternative) suggestions for a Red X appearing in email:

1. The sender has sent a link shortcut instead of an image. A red box will appear in an email if the image is not available from the web site that is hosting it.
    
2. A referenced image has an incorrect path and points to a non-existent image.
    
3. For images sent via HTML emails: it is also possible that your email program does not support HTML, and you are unable to view images that are present in the HTML code.
    
4. HTML emails with pictures embedded in them will only display if you are online the Internet, because the pictures are downloaded from the web site as you are reading the email.

And, as David S. writes, "There is another possibility. If the graphic is from a web site is blocked by your firewall program (you do have one, don't you?), it will not display in the email. As an example, if 'ad.doubleclick.net' is blocked, then 'ad.doubleclick.net/somedir/filename.gif' will not appear. "

Problems saving attached files / images in email?

If you're dying to figure out how to save an image from email (assuming that you can _see_ the image), you might want to check out a previous issue of the Gazette which gives details instructions on how to make it so that Outlook Express 6 does not block file attachments.