Microsoft 365 Office Outlook sending file attachements

Hi June Weston,

Thank you for your patient response, I know that you have been sending several photos through Outlook regularly before and you have never found a message indicating that the attachment is too big. In view of this problem, I would like to add some of my suggestions,

Because I'm on your side, and I want to do what I can to help you.

First of all, I saw in the error message that the size of the attachment exceeds the server's permission, but you mentioned that your attachment is only about 7MB, I would like to know what is the email domain name you used? (@outlook.com, @hotmail.com or any other third-party email), if you are an @outlook.com email, you can try logging in to outlook web side (outlook.live.com) to check whether you can send emails with attachments normally. If you are another third-party email, you can try to log in to the webpage of the corresponding email to also check whether the mail with attachments can be sent normally.

Also I see that you tried to call Microsoft but were unsuccessful, my advice to you is you can contact Microsoft's online support staff, who have more access, information, and expertise than the community, you can click on this link and follow the step-by-step instructions below to contact them. Contact - Microsoft Support
1). First, enter your question in the search, then click "Sign up to contact support" at the bottom of the page.

2). Currently logged in to another valid Microsoft account.(Make sure you sign in using your personal Microsoft account, not your work and school account, or you won't see options 3, 4, and 5.)

3). Under "Products & Services", select "Other Products".

4). Under Categories, select Manage Account Security, and then click Confirm.

5). Click Chat with Support Agent in web browser.

Please contact Microsoft Online Support during your business hours.

I hope my advice can help you. If you think my answer is helpful to you, please mark my answer as "yes", It's important for my work, too.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Have a good day.

Best regards

Jim - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Hello Jim

I have tried everything you have suggested without success. My own email that I am sending from is a gmail account which I use through Microsoft Office Outlook. I have been using Microsoft Office Outlook for years without any problem. I can send the attachment via the web-based gmail, but I don't wish to have to do this. The problem is with Microsoft Office Outlook and I need to find out why they have changed this, particularly as I pay for the licence.

When I tried to chat with a Microsoft support person, I received a message on screen to say there was no-one available. Not great service from Microsoft!!!

I am really frustrated by the lack of help from Microsoft themselves. I have asked for a call back and that was days ago and I've heard nothing.

June

Hello Jim and thanks for your reply. I have just started to receive the message about the file attachment being too large and it has never happened before. I was only trying to attach a photo file of 7MB and not anything larger. Up until yesterday, I have been regularly sending several photos through Outlook without any problem. My understanding is in Office 365, the maximum email attachment size is currently set at 150 MB for paid users and 20 MB for free users. I therefore don't understand why I can suddenly no longer send a handful of photos of about 5MB without receiving the message. I think Microsoft must have changed something.

I can see you have sent me a link to a rather technical solution, which I'm afraid I wouldn't feel comfortable using. I just want Microsoft to let me do what I have been doing for years! I want to know why they have suddenly made this change. I am rather annoyed because I am a paid licence user.

I also see you have suggested using a Zip file. I don't wish to do that as the person I am sending them too wouldn't know what to do at their end.

I have tried to call Microsoft without success as they keep sending me back to the website. Do you know how I can get to speak to Microsoft support?

Thank you

June

Hi June Weston,

Thank you for your patient response, I know that you have been sending several photos through Outlook regularly before and you have never found a message indicating that the attachment is too big. In view of this problem, I would like to add some of my suggestions,

Because I'm on your side, and I want to do what I can to help you.

First of all, I saw in the error message that the size of the attachment exceeds the server's permission, but you mentioned that your attachment is only about 7MB, I would like to know what is the email domain name you used? (@outlook.com, @hotmail.com or any other third-party email), if you are an @outlook.com email, you can try logging in to outlook web side (outlook.live.com) to check whether you can send emails with attachments normally. If you are another third-party email, you can try to log in to the webpage of the corresponding email to also check whether the mail with attachments can be sent normally.

Also I see that you tried to call Microsoft but were unsuccessful, my advice to you is you can contact Microsoft's online support staff, who have more access, information, and expertise than the community, you can click on this link and follow the step-by-step instructions below to contact them. Contact - Microsoft Support
1). First, enter your question in the search, then click "Sign up to contact support" at the bottom of the page.

2). Currently logged in to another valid Microsoft account.(Make sure you sign in using your personal Microsoft account, not your work and school account, or you won't see options 3, 4, and 5.)

3). Under "Products & Services", select "Other Products".

4). Under Categories, select Manage Account Security, and then click Confirm.

5). Click Chat with Support Agent in web browser.

Please contact Microsoft Online Support during your business hours.

I hope my advice can help you. If you think my answer is helpful to you, please mark my answer as "yes", It's important for my work, too.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Have a good day.

Best regards

Jim - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Hi June Weston,

Thanks for using Microsoft products and posting in the community. 

According to your description, when you send an email, Outlook shows that your file attachment is too large. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. You can try my suggestions below to fix the problem of too large attachment, I hope it can help you.

1. The first thing I need to tell you is that you receive this error message because Outlook 2013 and later versions have a default attachment size limit of 20 megabytes (20480 KB) for Internet email accounts. This limit prevents your computer from continually trying to upload very large attachments that exceed the limits of most Internet service providers. 

You can refer to this document for detailed instructions and solutions Attachment size exceeds the allowable limit error - Outlook | Microsoft Learn

2. In addition, if it's convenient, you can try adding these photos and documents to the zip file and sending them again as attachments to check that you can send an email with attachments when you send it.

I hope the above information is helpful to you. I look forward to your answer.

Have a nice day.

Sincere greetings

Jim - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist