With a heavy user base of over 400 million, Outlook has the professional dominance among organizations and professionals. Features like powerful security, compliance, ease of access, and integration with Microsoft applications like Word, Excel, etc., make it even more reliable and a go-to email client. Moreover, it comes with a preview feature that lets users open & view attachments in emails. Undoubtedly, it is helpful, but many users face and complain for ‘Outlook Preview not Working’ issue.
Sometimes Outlook takes too long to preview a file, and there are times when Outlook returns an error, like “The file cannot be previewed because there is no previewer installed for it.” It is a big problem, but it can be fixed with an effective stepwise process. In this article, we will discuss the methods that effectively fix the issue of Outlook attachment preview not working, along with the reasons for its occurrence.
Why does Outlook Preview Not Working Issue Occur? Possible Reasons
- Outdated Outlook
- Add-ins interference.
- Bad network connectivity.
- Disabled Attachment Preview options.
- Outlook profile corruption.
- Outlook data file (PST) corruption.
However, there are many, but these ones occur often. Now, let's move towards methods to fix Outlook Preview not working effectively.
How to Fix Outlook Preview Not Working Issues Manually?
Here are a few efficient manual workarounds that will help you fix the Outlook attachment preview not working. Understand them and pick at your suitability:
Method 1. Check Internet Connection and Update Outlook
A bad internet connection always becomes a barrier when working online. Similarly, it also makes Outlook complex to open attachments. So, ask your service providers, make sure that you have a high-bandwidth internet connection.
Besides, an outdated Outlook may even cause the attachment preview in Outlook not working issue. If you don’t know how to update it, follow the steps below:
Step 1. Open Outlook, tap on the File menu, and go to Office Account.
Step 2. Click Update Options and choose Update Now.
Note: You can also use other Microsoft applications like Word, Excel, etc., if Outlook doesn’t open.
After updating Outlook, try to open the attachment and check for the occurring issue.
Method 2. Disable Outlook Add-ins
If updating Outlook doesn’t fix the Outlook Preview not working issue, then there may be faulty add-ins as the root cause. Disabling Outlook add-ins might fix it. Here are the steps to follow:
Step 1. Open Outlook, tap on File, and go to Options.
Step 2.Tap Add-ins and click on Go. All Outlook add-ins will be listed.
Step 3.Disable them all and click OK.
Restart Outlook and check for issues. If it resolves, you can enable add-ins one by one. By doing this, you will get the faulty one. Remove that.
Methods 3. Enable Attachment Preview Option
Many times, users disable the Attachment Preview option mistakenly, which may lead to such issues. So, follow the steps below to check and enable the attachment preview option.
Step 1. Open Outlook, tap on File, and go to Options.
Step 2. Select the Trust Centre tab and tap on Trust Centre settings.
Step 3. Go to Attachment Handling and uncheck the Turn off attachment preview option.
Step 4. After that, click on the Attachment and Document reviewers to see if the file previews are active.
Step 5. If they are active, click OK and restart Outlook.
Method 4. Create a New Outlook Profile
Profile corruption in Outlook can also lead to ‘Attachment preview not working’. Now, you need to delete the corrupted profile and create a new Outlook profile to fix the issue. Here are the steps to follow:
Step 1. Again, open your Outlook application, click on File, then go to Account Settings.
Step 2. Tap on Manage Profile, and then choose Show Profile.
Note: You can open Control Panel>Mail>Show Profile.
Step 3. Tap on Add, input the new profile name, and click OK.
Step 4. In the Auto Account setup, enter your email account credentials accordingly. Click Next.
Step 5. Follow further steps to configure the email account. Once your email account is configured successfully, choose Always use this profile.
Method 5. Clear Cache File
Outlook performance gets improved and becomes error-free when you clear cache files. If you find any cache data in your system, remove it immediately. Here are the steps to follow:
Step 1. Press the Windows + R keys together on the keyboard.
Step 2. In the Run wizard, enter the command below and click OK.
%localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook\RoamCache
Step 3. You will be directed to the Outlook RoamCache folder. Now select all the data there and delete it permanently.
Restart your Outlook and check for the error. If it is still showing up, you need to fix the Outlook PST file.
Method 6. Fix Outlook PST File Corruption
If the PST file corruption is the root cause, then the above methods won’t help you. To fix PST file corruption, you use Microsoft's native solution: Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST.exe). Go through the steps below:
Step 1. Open File Explorer and go to the path below and search for ScanPST.exe.
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16
Step 2. Click on Browse and choose your corrupted PST file. Tap on Repair.
Step 3. Once the repair is complete, the tool will display errors and issues with the File. Click Repair.
Wait for a while, and the tool will repair your PST file quickly.
Note: This will repair minor issues in the PST file.
Quick Fixes for Outlook Preview Not Working
- Reset View Setting: Open Outlook, go to the View tab, and tap on Reset Settings.
- Check Reading Pane: Open Outlook, go to the View tab, then tap on Reading Pane. Set it to Right or Left, instead of Off.
Wrap Up
The Outlook Preview not working issue is common, but it can interrupt your preview experience. The above methods are workable, but if your PST file has issues, they won’t work. In such conditions, you need to repair your Outlook PST file. However, ScanPST.exe can repair that, but fails when corruption is severe.
To deal with severe corruption in PST files, you can use a professional solution: Kernel for Outlook PST Repair. Embedded with many features and capabilities, like complete preview, oversized/large PST repair, split PST files, multiple filters, etc., the PST repair tool is more reliable. You can also use the free trial version.
Commonly Asked Questions
Q: Why is my new Outlook attachment preview not working? How to fix it?
A: There might be many causes, like faulty add-ins, or you’ve configured the profile incorrectly. However, you can remove add-ins and configure the Outlook profile again to fix this issue.
Q: Outlook 2010 attachment preview not working on Windows 11. How to fix it?
A: To fix this issue, check your internet connection and update your Outlook first. If these don’t work, check the reading pane and reset the view setting.
Q: How to configure Outlook attachment Preview Settings.
A: In Outlook, go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings. Select Attachment Handling and uncheck the Turn off Attachment Preview.
