Change Mail Settings in the Outlook Client

If your attachments appear within the mail body instead of in the 'Attached' section of the mail header when sending emails from your Outlook account, it is likely due to your mail format being set to Rich Text Format (RTF).

RTF is one of the three text message formats supported by Outlook, the others being Plain Text and HTML Format. While HTML Format is the default message format in Outlook and ensures that a message is received in the same format it was sent, Rich Text Format is only supported by Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Exchange clients.

When sending an email in RTF format, Outlook converts it to HTML to maintain its formatting at the recipient's end. A document attached to this email will appear as an icon within the email body. To fix this issue, switch to HTML format while composing your email.

How to Switch to HTML Format in Outlook

Switching to HTML format is straightforward:

1. Open your 'Compose email' window.
2. Select the 'Format Text' tab and look for the three-dots icon in the top right corner.
3. Under 'Format,' select 'Message Format'> 'HTML.'

This will solve the issue for the current email that you're working on. However, if you want to fix this issue for all future messages you send, follow these steps:

Change Default Settings for All Emails

This process is simple and involves a few steps:

1. Click 'File' at the top left corner.
2. Select 'Options.'
3. Under the 'Mail' tab, scroll down to 'Compose messages.'
4. Look for the drop-down menu next to the 'Compose messages in this format' option and select 'HTML.'
5. Further down, see the 'Message format' section.
6. Next to 'When sending messages in Rich Text format to Internet recipients,' select 'Convert to HTML format.'
7. Click 'OK' to save changes.

From this point forward, your attachments will appear in the 'Attached' section of the mail header, regardless of the recipient's email client.

By making these adjustments to your Outlook message settings, you can ensure your attachments appear correctly for each of your sent emails.

Change the Replies and Forward Settings in Outlook

In Outlook, there can sometimes be an issue where attachments disappear after forwarding or replying to an email. This is typically due to your replies and forward settings configuring to include only the original message text, excluding attachments. The easy solution to this issue is to change your replies and forwards mail settings. This ensures that your attachments are retained in your response to an email.

How to Adjust Replies and Forward Settings

The changes you need to make to retain attachments when replying or forwarding are quite simple:

1. Open the Outlook app.
2. Find and click the 'File' menu at the top left corner.
3. Select 'Options' on the drop-down menu.
4. In the Outlook Options windows, stay on the Mail tab.
5. Scroll down to 'Replies and forwards'.
6. For 'When replying to a message' and 'When forwarding a message,' choose 'Attach original message.'
7. Click 'OK' to save changes.

Doing this will ensure that your reply or forwarded email includes the original message and any attachments it had. You may need to restart your Outlook app for the changes to take effect.

Adjusting Settings for Viewing Original Email and Attachments

If you like to view the original message and attachments while composing a reply or forwarding an email, there is an easy setting change you can make to achieve this:

• Open the 'File' menu and select 'Options.'
• Scroll down to 'Replies and forwards.'
• Tick 'Open replies and forwards in a new window.'

This feature will pop out of the reply/forwarded email in a separate window, letting you easily refer to the original email and its attachments as you compose your response.

By implementing these changes to your Outlook replies and forwards settings, you can ensure a smoother experience when dealing with attachments in your email exchanges.

Change the Attachment Handling Settings in Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Outlook has a feature called Attachment Preview, which allows you to preview the content of an attachment without having to open it in another application. This can significantly enhance the handling and viewing of your email attachments. However, this feature might sometimes be turned off due to incorrect settings in the Outlook Trust Center. The good news is that adjusting these settings back to enable Attachment Preview is a straightforward task.

Adjusting Attachment Handling Settings

To utilize the Attachment Preview feature efficiently, follow the detailed steps below:

• Launch the Outlook app and click 'File' at the top left corner.
• From the drop-down list, select 'Options.'
• Find and click on the 'Trust Center' tab from the panel on the left.
• In the 'Trust Center' pane, click the 'Trust Center Settings...' button, usually on the right side of the window.
• Click the 'Attachment Handling" option on another window.
• In the 'Attachment and Document Preview' pane, ensure the 'Turn off Attachment Preview' box is unchecked.

Leaving this box unchecked will enable the feature and allow you to preview your attachments within the Outlook app.

Below this, you’ll find the 'Attachment and Document Previewers...' box. By default, all file types suitable for preview should have their boxes checked. This means that all these file types can be previewed in Outlook without opening them in a different application. If you find any unchecked boxes, check them to enable previews for those file types.

Click 'OK' to save your changes.

Once these changes are made, your Outlook Attachment Preview feature should now be restored to its standard functionality, making viewing and managing your email attachments much easier.

Other Fixes for Outlook Attachment Issues

While most attachment issues in Microsoft Outlook can be resolved by tweaking settings or following standard procedures, there could be some issues that need special mention. Some of these are related to Microsoft Outlook's security features, which block certain file types that the system deems unsafe. Read further to find some ways to handle these special types of situations.

Understanding Outlook's Security Measures

Microsoft Outlook's security system may prevent sending and receiving Outlook'sn file extension types deemed potentially harmful, including executable files (.exe), application files (.app), Windows help files (.hlp), Command files (.cmd), and Batch files Outlook'smong others. Recognizing thisOutlook'sion can save you time and confusion when troubleshooting attachment issues.

Using OneDrive for Special File Attachments

If you need to send or receive a file type blocked by Outlook, consider using Microsoft OneDrive. You can simply upload the file to your OneDrive and send the recipient a link to the file. This bypasses the need to attach the file directly to the email and avoids Outlook's block on certain file types.

File Compression or Renaming

Another way to circumvent Outlook's security restrictions on certain file types is by compressing the file using a file compression utility. The compressed file will have a different extension, such as .zip or .rar, which Outlook won't see as a security threat. Alternatively, you could try renaming the file tOutlook'srent extension (for example, from abc.exe to abc.docx), but be aware that the recipient will need to change the file extension back to its original form to use the file correctly.

Adjusting Reading Pane Layout

You might be having difficulty viewing an attached file if your reading pane is not organized properly. You can adjust the layout of the reading pane in Microsoft Outlook by going to the 'View' tab and selecting your preferred layout. This can help you better visually manage your attachments within your email interface.

Last but not least, remember that you can reach out to your email server administrator if you are using a Microsoft Exchange account. They can adjust security settings in your mailbox to accept certain file types that Outlook typically blocks.

These solutions will help you manage and troubleshoot unique attachment issues in Outlook, ensuring a smooth and efficient communication.