Outlook 2016, 2019 does not display html emails correctly

Question

Outlook 2016, 2019 does not display html emails correctly

Aleš Ulrych 6

Hello,

From about 27.5.2022, I noticed that on some computers, HTML messages have stopped displaying correctly in Outlook 2019 (they are displayed as plain text). Even messages that are several years old are all seen as plain text.
If I create a new message in Outlook affected in this way (the new default is plain text instead of HTML) and switch plain text to HTML, create the email and send it back to myself, the email in outgoing mail is as plain text and the next page arrives as plain text as well.

This problem is gradually spreading through the company, because on Monday, June 30, 2022, it appeared on other computers (Office 2016). Yesterday still one Outlook was behaving normally, but already today it is affected by this error also.

If I view the mail via a web browser or with a client other than Outlook, I can see the messages fine.

Outlook is connected to Kerio Connect 9.4.1, but that has not changed or been updated in any way. Kerio Connect is installed on a server here at the company and the emails that are stored on it are fine (viewed with a client other than Outlook)

Does anyone have a similar problem?

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

5 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Hi @Aleš Ulrych ,

Welcome to our forum!

What's the version of your Outlook? (File > Office Account > About Outlook). Please make sure you have upgraded your Outlook to the latest version.
According to your description, I noticed that this issue occurred after 27.5.2022, have you done any specific operations before that?

To further confirm that the problem is related to the outlook client, please try to check if the incoming messages and the outgoing messages are still plain text on the web mail.

If everything is ok on web mail, please try the following troubleshooting:

HTML messages have stopped displaying correctly in Outlook 2019 (they are displayed as plain text)

As I know, when the below option is enabled, the emails you received will be displayed as plain text. Please confirm the "Read all standard mail in plain text" option is unselected via File>Options>Trust Center>Trust Center Settings…>Email Security>Read as Plain Text.

If I create a new message in Outlook affected in this way (the new default is plain text instead of HTML)

When the below option is set as Plain Text, the new emails you create will be displayed as plain text. Please confirm the format is set as HTML via File>Options>Mail>Compose messages.

Hope the above help!

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.

ChristyZhang-MSFT 26,121 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2022-06-09T06:20:36.553+00:00

Hi @Aleš Ulrych ,

I found an official article of KerioConnect which mentioned the similar issue as yours: HTML Formatted Emails Displaying the Plain Text Format in KOFF.
(Note: Since the web site is not hosted by Microsoft, the link may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.)

It mentions two solutions, and it is recommended that you try them for the time being. If there are any updates to this issue, I will continue to publish here. By the way, if you think the reply I provided is helpful, please remember to mark it as an answer, which would benefit others who also has similar issues in forum.
Nat 0 Reputation points

2023-02-21T04:13:40.9633333+00:00

Hi,

The option to change from HTML to plain text is not available. Can you please assist?

Regards

Nat

Answer 2

Aleš Ulrych 6

Hello,
thanks for the message. Unfortunately, we have everything set up correctly.

I am posting below the version of Outlook that is not behaving correctly, the settings you sent me (that are correct) and also what the message looks like before sending and after receiving and displaying in Outlook.

ChristyZhang-MSFT 26,121 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2022-06-03T08:18:40.58+00:00

Hi @Aleš Ulrych ,

Thanks for your reply!

Based on the test on my Outlook(the same version as yours but without Kerio), i can send/receive HTML messages successfully, which didn't reproduce your issue. Looks like the issue is more related to Outlook and Kerio integration. And through my research, i found that some user mentioned the same problem as Airwolf-0146 said. As a workaround, it's suggested that you could try the sution(revert back to previous version) to check if there're any differences.

In addition, considering that the screenshot you provided contains personal information(domain), I have hidden it in order to avoid privacy disclosure. Please remember to hide your personal information.

Answer 3

Airwolf 1

Hi
same conditions: outlook 2021 and KOC 9.4.1
and same issue from 27.05, old and new emails are displayed as text message.
on that date seems my office got an update
already tried to remove and clean PC from outlook and KOC w/o success

On a brand new VM I installed outlook 2021 and KOC 9.4.1 and the email are all displyed correctly as HTML message
i compared outlook setting, i did't find any difference
UPDATE, now after few days from my test on VM I checked again and with my surprise also the VM show all massages as text.

on my outlook I have other IMAP account
this account seems to display HTML email correctly

any suggestions ?

Robert

Aleš Ulrych 6 Reputation points

2022-06-02T10:46:59.687+00:00

Thanks for checking in, too. It's not just a problem here.
It's spread to all computers now. If you find a solution, let me know. Probably Kerio should be contacted as well, so that they and Microsoft can find out where the error happened. Hopefully there will be more of us aggrieved customers so that this will be resolved soon.

Answer 4

Airwolf 1

check kerio forum
https://forums.gfi.com/index.php?t=msg&th=39397&prevloaded=1&&start=0

the issue is related to last outlook update
workaround is revert back to previous version but is not a good idea
the update seems to fix a zero-day exploit

Answer 5

Andrea Cova 1

Same for me:
during the last week on different PCs HTML emails have been converted to plain text.
I compose the email in HTML but after having sent it, it appears in Outlook" Sent" folder in plan text format and the receiver as weel sees it in plain text.

As for AleUlrych, all the settings regarding mail formatting seem to be correct.
We use Outlook 2016 with POP3 external addressing done by Kerio Outlook Connector 9.2.4367.
Both Office and Kerio appear to be fully updated.

Still no solution / workaround for this?

Have a nice day,
Andrea

duncan rome 1 Reputation point

2022-06-07T12:14:20.45+00:00
GFI have confirmed the issue.

"We are aware of an issue where the HTML formatting of emails is displayed incorrectly in Microsoft Outlook for customers who use the KOFF add-on to integrate Outlook with KerioConnect.

The root cause of the problem is the latest Microsoft Office release (version 2205) which was released on May 24, 2022. Microsoft’s code changes impacted the functionality that KOFF uses to display HTML formatting.

The GFI engineering team is already working on a new version of KOFF to restore HTML formatting.

In the meantime, there are two workaround options:

1. Downgrade Outlook to a previous version. Please follow Microsoft’s guidance on how to revert to an earlier version of Office. 2. Temporarily stop using KOFF and switch to an ActiveSync or IMAP integration. Please read our manual on how to create an Exchange ActiveSync account in Microsoft Outlook.

We will provide an update once the new version of KOFF is available.

GFI Software
Jim Wood 0 Reputation points

2023-09-07T01:59:43.6166667+00:00

Has this not been fixed yet? I splurged big bucks to update from Office 2010 (which worked just fine, thanks!) to Office 2019. What a letdown, can't use Outlook for POP email at all. Trying an alternative client now, which is working well but definitely not as intuitive for a longtime MS devotee as Outlook, Windows Live Mail or Outlook Express. Please do something!
Jim Wood 0 Reputation points

2023-09-07T02:00:34.3466667+00:00

Has this not been fixed yet? I splurged to update from Office 2010 (which worked just fine, thanks!) to Office 2019. What a letdown, can't use Outlook for POP email at all. Trying an alternative client now, which is working well but definitely not as intuitive for a longtime MS customer as Outlook, Windows Live Mail or Outlook Express. Please do something!

Share via

Outlook 2016, 2019 does not display html emails correctly

5 answers

Your answer