Why is text in some MS Outlook emails rendering odd and hiding some characters?

Question

Just as of last week, some emails have been rendering with many letters missing from text.

Example:

It happens the same in the Reading Pane.

When I use View Source, the correct data is all there, so it is just a rendering issue. Opening Outlook in safe mode makes no difference.

I'm running Outlook for Windows, version 2505 Build 16.0.18827.20102. I will try updating now and see if any fix has happened. On Windows 10 Pro, version 2009, build 19045.

Answer 1

Hi @Greg Thomas
I'm reaching out regarding the issue you're experiencing with some emails in your Outlook desktop app, where certain letters appear to be missing from the text. I understand how frustrating this can be, especially when the full content is actually there in the source, and that it's only affecting a few emails. 

You've already done great troubleshooting by updating Outlook and using Safe Mode. Since the problem only affects a few emails, it points to a rendering issue specific to certain email content, rather than a widespread software bug. 

To help us troubleshoot further, could you provide some additional details about these affected emails? We're trying to find a "pattern" among them: 

• Sender: Do they come from the same sender, organization, or perhaps a particular service (like a specific newsletter or marketing platform)? 
• Email Format:  Are they typically complex HTML emails with lots of images/tables, or simple plain text emails?  
• Content: Do the missing letters tend to appear in certain parts of the email (e.g., in headings, body text, or signatures)? Are they always specific types of characters? 

Additionally, it would be helpful to know which Outlook interface you’re using: 

• Classic Outlook or New Outlook: To check this, look at the top-right corner of the Outlook window. If you see a toggle labeled “New Outlook”, you're using Classic Outlook. In that case, please try switching to New Outlook and see if the issue persists. 
• If you don’t see the toggle, you’re likely using New Outlook. In that case, see if there’s an option to switch back to Classic Outlook and check again. 

You can also test the emails in Outlook on the Web (OWA) by visiting Outlook Office or Outlook Live. If the emails display correctly there, it confirms the issue is isolated to the desktop app’s rendering engine. 

Once we have this information, we’ll be able to narrow down the potential causes and suggest the best course of action to resolve it. 

Thank you for your patience, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

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