outlook attachment not showing in header
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Outlook Attachment Not Showing in Header Issue – Explained

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Overview: Microsoft Outlook is one of the most popular email clients used today. It enables users to exchange emails with attachments such as documents, images, PDFs, and other file types. But sometimes, users come across a problem: Outlook Attachment Not Showing in Header. What I mean is that they can’t see the attachments of the email in the header. This issue can be serious particularly when you know that the file is attached but Outlook simply doesn’t do it justice. In this article, we will take a look at the reasons behind this problem, manual methods to fix it from being lost or mismanaged.

Also Read: Unable to Open Outlook Attachment Issue

Why Are Outlook Attachments Not Showing in the Header?

There are many reasons your attachments may not show in the header of your Outlook email:

  • Your email is in RTF where attachments tend to end up inside the email.
  • It’s always attached to the message since it’s attached, and should be received regardless.
  • Outlook might block large attachments or prohibit certain file types for security. So, they don’t appear in the header.
  • PST/OST file problems and Outlook profile corruptions can cause attachments to not show.
  • There are times when the cached exchange mode in Outlook can cause a conflict, attachments to be hidden in the header.
  • Other add ons may cause Outlook not to display attachments as expected.
  • You have applied a custom view to the folder that the message is saved to or the message has an attachment in another folder.
  • Attachments may be blocked or filtered by security software.

How to Fix Outlook Attachment Not Showing in Header – Manual Methods

Here are some of the different ways to resolve this header issue from below section:

#1. Change the Email Format

  • Open Outlook.
  • Go to File > Options > Mail.
  • To send Compose messages in this format, select HTML, not RTF.
  • Re-open Outlook and see if the attachments have reappeared in the header.

#2. Disable Problematic Add-ins

1. Start Outlook in Safe Mode press Win + R together and type:

outlook.exe /safe

2. If the attachments can be opened properly in safe mode, you should disable add-ins:

  • Navigate to File > Options > Add-ins.
  • Choose COM Add-ins > Go.
  • Unmark out any unwanted add-ins and then restart the Outlook.

#3. Check Attachment Settings in Outlook

  • Open the email in which the attachment isn’t shown.
  • Switch between reading pane modes:
  • Go to view > reading pane > right / bottom > off.
  • You’ll see the attachments in the header when you toggle those options and bring the attachments back.

#4. Repair Outlook Data Files

  • Close Outlook.
  • Navigate to:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\OfficeXX\

(XX will vary depending on your version of Outlook)

  • Run SCANPST. EXE and restore your PST/OST file.
  • Reopen Outlook and check attachments.

#5. Clear Cached Mode Data

  • Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
  • Choose your account, then select the Change button.
  • Uncheck Use Cached Exchange Mode.
  • Restart Outlook and verify attachments.

6. Update Outlook & Windows

  • Make sure to patch your Outlook with the very latest updates.
  • Jump to File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now.
  • Having old bugs can stop you from seeing or opening attachments.

Limitations of Manual Ways

Although the above ways to fix attachment not available issue on Android have their own sets of limitations:

  • Requires multiple trial and error steps.
  • Attachments may be here one day, then gone after a restart of Outlook.
  • There are adding methods where you need to modify Outlook settings or repair data files.
  • You may lose data if you do not repair PST/OST files correctly.
  • Outlook still blocks some types of attachments for security reasons.

Advanced Troubleshooting Techniques

Here are the advanced steps you can take if the basic manual fixes don’t work:

1. Recreate Outlook Profile

  • Open Control Panel > Mail > Profiles > Show Profiles.
  • Create a new profile, and make it the default.
  • Re-add your account and see if attachments show up as they should.

2. Check Antivirus & Firewall

  • Temporary disable Antivirus/firewall and open the corrupted email.
  • If attachments appear, then you should add Outlook on the whitelist.

3. Use Outlook Web App (OWA)

  • Open the same email in OWA.
  • If you see attachments there, the problem is with the Outlook desktop app.

4. Reinstall / Repair Outlook

  • Open Control Panel > Programs and Features.
  • Choose Microsoft Office > Change > Quick Repair (or Online Repair if possible).

Preventive Measures

Here are some steps that you can follow to avoid this issue and make your attachments visible.

  • Never use the RTF format Always Use HTML or Plain Text.
  • Make sure to update your Outlook with all patches.
  • Frequently Delete Cache & Temporary files from Outlook.
  • Do not send the attachments which comes under outlook’s blocked list.
  • XM Toolbox Extension makes sure you read the articles outside of your mailbox.

Extract Outlook Attachments Directly – An Alternative Way

If you still don’t see attachments in the message header window in your Outlook or you feel anything is lost. For that, you can extract these attachments from your mailbox directly. You can use SysTools Outlook Attachment Extractor. It works simply by exporting all attachments at one go, while categorizing these attachments according to some parameters such as file type, size, and folder to avoid loss of any data.

That way you are not dependent upon Outlook’s display settings when trying to reach your attachments. And it’s also capable of working with PST, OST and BAK files. So, there’s no need of any type of installation for your previous Outlook files. There are filters which help remove unwanted attachments or you can specify an output path for saving the attachments.

Conclusion

You will generally face the “Outlook attachment not showing in header” error due to email format settings, security policies, or even corrupted data files. You may attempt to change the email format, disable add-ins, repair Outlook files or delete cached data to manually fix it. But if you still cannot see attachments, or you believe there is an issue with your Outlook data files, you should take the help of our tool to extract attachments from Outlook. In this way you can manage and open all attachments without danger for data loss.