Outlook Attachment Preview

Question

Outlook Attachment Preview

Victoria Reilley 0

When adding an attachment to Outlook, I used to be able to see the File Preview. Now I no longer can.

This is when you choose Browse this Computer. File Explorer pops up. When looking at the file in there, the previews aren't working. File Previews work when opening File Explorer itself.

I have tried both Quick Repair and Online Repair for Outlook.

I have tried enabling PDF Thumbnail previews in Windows Explorer in Adobe Preferences.

Verified that File Previews are working in Classic Outlook.

Victoria Reilley 0 Reputation points

2026-01-13T18:02:18.6133333+00:00

So it's when you are first adding the attachment.

New email > Attach File > Browse this computer

When browsing files for the one you want to add, the preview doesn't work.

Confirmed that it works with image files, but not doc/pdf/excel etc.
Kai-L 13,210 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-13T23:13:38.0766667+00:00

Dear @Victoria Reilley,
Apologies for my delayed response. I’ve tried to replicate the issue you’re experiencing, but I am able to preview any file I insert into a new email in the new Outlook without any problems. As shown in the screenshot I shared above, I can preview an Excel file without issues.

Could you kindly share a screenshot of the problem you're encountering? This will help me understand your situation better. Just a quick reminder, please make sure to mask or obscure any sensitive personal information, such as full names, email addresses, or specific subjects, before posting it on this public forum.

Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout this troubleshooting process. I look forward to your reply!
Victoria Reilley 0 Reputation points

2026-01-14T14:12:56.05+00:00

This happens with excel docs too.

Image files (.heic, .jpeg, .png) are not affected.
Victoria Reilley 0 Reputation points

2026-01-14T14:13:26.32+00:00
Kai-L 13,210 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-14T22:09:19.1033333+00:00

Dear @Victoria Reilley,
Apologies for the earlier confusion, and thank you for your patience. I understand you're looking for the preview pane functionality in File Explorer, and after further investigation, it appears this issue may be related to a recent version of Windows.

According to this thread, the issue seems to occur with files that are downloaded from the web or received via email. These files often have a Mark of the Web (MOTW) tag, which Windows assigns to files from the internet. This tag makes the system treat these files more strictly, which can interfere with preview functionality.

As a temporary solution, right-click the file, select Properties, and then click Unblock if the option is available. Several users have confirmed this resolves the issue. You will need to restart your PC for the changes to take effect.

If you have too many PDF files to unblock manually, I suggest using Microsoft PowerToys to preview them as a workaround. To enable this, go to File Management > File Explorer add-ons > PDF/Word/.... You may also enable Peek, which allows you to press Ctrl + Space to display a popup preview of the PDF file.
I also recommend sharing your experience directly with the Microsoft product team through their official feedback channels. This is the best way to ensure your concerns are heard and to influence future updates.

You can visit the Ideas · Community to submit a new idea or vote on existing ones. The product team actively reviews customer feedback, and highly-voted suggestions often lead to feature improvements or new developments.

As a forum moderator, I’ll also pass along your feedback to the relevant team for further consideration. While I don’t directly influence product design, rest assured that user feedback plays an essential role in shaping future releases.

Thank you for your understanding as we navigate these evolving product changes. Please feel free to reach out if you need further assistance, I’m here to help!

Wishing you a wonderful day!
Victoria Reilley 0 Reputation points

2026-01-15T14:47:07.02+00:00

The Preview for these files works in File Explorer itself. Just not when choosing a file from the Add Attachment within Outlook. This happens for all files, even ones that I created myself that aren't from the web. The only files not affected are image files.

If this was the mark of the web affecting it then it would have an error in the Preview section:

The files that I sent before do not have this error. This is a separate concern/issue from the mark of the web error.
Kai-L 13,210 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-15T21:00:12.13+00:00
Dear @Victoria Reilley,
Thank you for your update. If the file preview works in File Explorer but not when selecting attachments within Outlook, even for files you’ve created, this might be an issue specific to your account. I tested this myself yesterday, and it appeared normal on my end.

To help further troubleshoot, may I ask:

Do other users in your organization experience the same issue?

Does the issue occur on a different device of yours, or is it isolated to one device?

Does this problem happen in all versions of Outlook (New Outlook, Outlook on the Web, and Classic Outlook), or is it only present in the New Outlook?

Do you have Adobe Acrobat or any other file preview applications installed on your device? If so, try disabling them temporarily to see if that resolves the issue.

Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout this troubleshooting process. I’m looking forward to your reply!
Victoria Reilley 0 Reputation points

2026-01-15T23:00:31.8866667+00:00

Here are the answers to your questions:

Do other users experience the same issue? Yes, other people experience the exact same behavior.

Does the issue occur on a different device? Yes, it happens on other devices as well. All tested devices are running Windows 11.

Does this problem happen in all versions of Outlook? No, it only happens in New Outlook. Classic Outlook and Outlook on the Web are not affected.

Do you have Adobe Acrobat or other file preview applications installed? Yes, Adobe Acrobat is installed. Disabling it does not resolve the issue.

Thank you!
Kai-L 13,210 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-16T21:56:12.5933333+00:00

Dear @Victoria Reilley,
Thank you for your update. I appreciate you providing those details, it helps a lot in understanding the situation.

Given that this issue is widespread within your organization, I recommend that the Global Admin in your organization create a service request with Microsoft Support. A technical support engineer can perform a remote session to investigate the situation, verify the backend configurations, and run any necessary synchronization tools to resolve the problem. If the issue requires further attention, they can escalate it to a specialized team for deeper analysis. Ask The Global Admin in your organization to create a service request with Microsoft support to get advanced technical assistance and diagnostics. For detailed instructions on how to get support, please refer to Get support - Microsoft 365 admin. If you don't know who your IT administrator is, please refer to this article: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support

For additional assistance, use this link to find the appropriate contact number from your region: Global Customer Service phone numbers - Microsoft Support

I truly hope this issue gets resolved swiftly for you and your team. While I cannot directly intervene, guiding you to the right support channels is the most effective way I can assist in this situation.

Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout this process. I look forward to hearing how it goes and I’m here if you need any further help. Wishing you a great weekend and a smooth resolution.

2 answers

Your answer

Victoria Reilley 0 Reputation points

2026-01-13T18:02:18.6133333+00:00

So it's when you are first adding the attachment.

New email > Attach File > Browse this computer

When browsing files for the one you want to add, the preview doesn't work.

Confirmed that it works with image files, but not doc/pdf/excel etc.
Kai-L 13,210 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-13T23:13:38.0766667+00:00

Dear @Victoria Reilley,
Apologies for my delayed response. I’ve tried to replicate the issue you’re experiencing, but I am able to preview any file I insert into a new email in the new Outlook without any problems. As shown in the screenshot I shared above, I can preview an Excel file without issues.

Could you kindly share a screenshot of the problem you're encountering? This will help me understand your situation better. Just a quick reminder, please make sure to mask or obscure any sensitive personal information, such as full names, email addresses, or specific subjects, before posting it on this public forum.

Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout this troubleshooting process. I look forward to your reply!
Victoria Reilley 0 Reputation points

2026-01-14T14:12:56.05+00:00

This happens with excel docs too.

Image files (.heic, .jpeg, .png) are not affected.
Victoria Reilley 0 Reputation points

2026-01-14T14:13:26.32+00:00
Victoria Reilley 0 Reputation points

2026-01-15T14:47:07.02+00:00

The Preview for these files works in File Explorer itself. Just not when choosing a file from the Add Attachment within Outlook. This happens for all files, even ones that I created myself that aren't from the web. The only files not affected are image files.

If this was the mark of the web affecting it then it would have an error in the Preview section:

The files that I sent before do not have this error. This is a separate concern/issue from the mark of the web error.
Kai-L 13,210 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-15T21:00:12.13+00:00

Dear @Victoria Reilley,
Thank you for your update. If the file preview works in File Explorer but not when selecting attachments within Outlook, even for files you’ve created, this might be an issue specific to your account. I tested this myself yesterday, and it appeared normal on my end.

To help further troubleshoot, may I ask:

Do other users in your organization experience the same issue?

Does the issue occur on a different device of yours, or is it isolated to one device?

Does this problem happen in all versions of Outlook (New Outlook, Outlook on the Web, and Classic Outlook), or is it only present in the New Outlook?

Do you have Adobe Acrobat or any other file preview applications installed on your device? If so, try disabling them temporarily to see if that resolves the issue.

Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout this troubleshooting process. I’m looking forward to your reply!
Victoria Reilley 0 Reputation points

2026-01-15T23:00:31.8866667+00:00

Here are the answers to your questions:

Do other users experience the same issue? Yes, other people experience the exact same behavior.

Does the issue occur on a different device? Yes, it happens on other devices as well. All tested devices are running Windows 11.

Does this problem happen in all versions of Outlook? No, it only happens in New Outlook. Classic Outlook and Outlook on the Web are not affected.

Do you have Adobe Acrobat or other file preview applications installed? Yes, Adobe Acrobat is installed. Disabling it does not resolve the issue.

Thank you!
Kai-L 13,210 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-16T21:56:12.5933333+00:00

Dear @Victoria Reilley,
Thank you for your update. I appreciate you providing those details, it helps a lot in understanding the situation.

Given that this issue is widespread within your organization, I recommend that the Global Admin in your organization create a service request with Microsoft Support. A technical support engineer can perform a remote session to investigate the situation, verify the backend configurations, and run any necessary synchronization tools to resolve the problem. If the issue requires further attention, they can escalate it to a specialized team for deeper analysis. Ask The Global Admin in your organization to create a service request with Microsoft support to get advanced technical assistance and diagnostics. For detailed instructions on how to get support, please refer to Get support - Microsoft 365 admin. If you don't know who your IT administrator is, please refer to this article: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support

For additional assistance, use this link to find the appropriate contact number from your region: Global Customer Service phone numbers - Microsoft Support

I truly hope this issue gets resolved swiftly for you and your team. While I cannot directly intervene, guiding you to the right support channels is the most effective way I can assist in this situation.

Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout this process. I look forward to hearing how it goes and I’m here if you need any further help. Wishing you a great weekend and a smooth resolution.

Answer 1

Dear @Victoria Reilley,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum.

Please correct me if I’m mistaken, but I understand that you’re looking for the file attachment preview feature in the new Outlook. Kindly take a look at the screenshot I’ve shared and let me know if this is what you’re referring to.
User's image

After inserting an attachment into an email, you can click the arrow next to the attachment to preview its contents. Alternatively, are you looking for a different type of preview such as file details like file type, size, owner, or modified date?

If this is not what you’re looking for, please let me know in the comments with more details. A screenshot of the file preview you’re expecting would be very helpful for further investigation.

Please note that our initial response may not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your assistance and additional information, we can work together to find the appropriate solution. Thank you for your patience and understanding. I'm looking forward to your reply.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Answer 2

AI answer

It seems that the issue you are experiencing with the attachment preview in Outlook may be related to the Windows Firewall service not running. This can affect the ability to preview files in Outlook. Here are some steps you can take to resolve the issue:

Check Windows Firewall Service: Ensure that the Windows Firewall service is running. You can do this by:
- Pressing the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
- Typing services.msc and selecting OK.
- In the Services window, right-click on Windows Firewall, select Properties, and ensure the Startup type is set to Automatic. Then, click Start if the service is not running.
Check Protected View Settings: The Previewer feature in Outlook uses the Protected View feature. Make sure that this feature is enabled in your Office settings.
Repair Office: Since you have already tried Quick Repair and Online Repair for Outlook, ensure that these repairs were completed successfully.
Update Adobe Preferences: Since you mentioned enabling PDF Thumbnail previews in Adobe Preferences, ensure that this setting is correctly configured and that Adobe is updated to the latest version.

If the problem persists after these steps, it may be beneficial to check for any updates to Outlook or Windows that might address compatibility issues.

References:

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Outlook Attachment Preview

2 answers

Your answer