How to get the pictures to download when settings are correct in Outlook Classic

Question

How to get the pictures to download when settings are correct in Outlook Classic

Kelvin Stoner 20

all of a sudden one day outlook would not download the pictures in an email. and all the settings are correct. and i dont know what else to check.

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Hi Kelvin Stoner

Thank you for reaching out to the Q&A Forum.

Based on the screenshot of your Trust Center settings, you are absolutely correct. Since the "Don't download pictures automatically" box is unchecked, Outlook is instructed to download images.

I would like to share some information from my side that in case the settings are correct, but images are still blocked, the issue is likely stemming from a background system setting or a corrupted profile. Here are some recommendations you can try:

Check Outlook Web App (OWA): Please log in to outlook.office.com with the same email there.

If pictures do not load on the web: The issue is likely a firewall, VPN, or the sender's server. Outlook settings cannot fix this.
If pictures do load on the web: The issue is definitely within your Outlook Desktop application > you should try to check "Work Offline" Mode:

"Work Offline" Mode: In Outlook, look at the status bar at the very bottom of the window. If it says "Working Offline" or "Disconnected," go to the Send / Receive tab and click Work Offline once to reconnect.

User's image

Check Advanced Security Settings

Outlook relies on Windows core internet settings to display images. A specific legacy security setting often causes this issue.

Close Outlook > Click Start and type Internet Options (open the Control Panel result).
Go to the Advanced tab and scroll down to the Security section.
Look for: Do not save encrypted pages to disk > Uncheck this box if it is checked.
Click Apply and OK, then restart Outlook to test.

User's image

Verify Privacy Settings

Since you are on a business account, privacy settings can sometimes block online content.

In Outlook, go to File > Office Account > Under Account Privacy, click Manage Settings > Ensure "Turn on optional connected experiences" is checked. User's image

If none of the above works, your current Outlook profile may be corrupted. Creating a new profile resets the internal cache without deleting your actual emails.

Create a New Outlook Profile

Here are detailed steps to create a new Outlook profile you can see:

Create an Outlook profile - Microsoft Support

I hope this information is helpful. I look forward to your response!

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Kelvin Stoner 20 Reputation points

2026-01-22T13:01:14.1866667+00:00

i did all that but it still is the same. and the funny thing is that it was working and then one day it just quit without changing any settings that i am aware of.
Anonymous

2026-01-23T11:11:40.4666667+00:00
Hi Kelvin Stoner

Thank you for your update.

If you have already tried all the recommendations above, including creating a new Outlook profile, but it still does not work, you can also try clearing the cache and performing an online repair:

Clear the Outlook Temporary Cache

Outlook saves images to a temporary folder on your computer before displaying them. If a file in this folder becomes corrupted, Outlook will stop downloading new images entirely.

Close Outlook completely.

On your keyboard, press the Windows Key + R > Copy and paste the following path into the box and press Enter:%localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache> and delete all files inside this folder.

(If that folder does not open, try: %localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files)

Note: These are temporary cache files only. Deleting them is safe and will not remove your emails or documents.

Once the folder is empty, restart Outlook and check if images load.

Perform an Online Repair

If clearing the cache does not work, the Outlook program files may have been affected by a recent background update. You can try to force a repair: Repair an Office application - Microsoft Support

And could you let me know how OWA behaves in your case?

I hope this helps and looking for your update.

1 additional answer

Your answer

Kelvin Stoner 20 Reputation points

2026-01-22T13:01:14.1866667+00:00

i did all that but it still is the same. and the funny thing is that it was working and then one day it just quit without changing any settings that i am aware of.
Anonymous

2026-01-23T11:11:40.4666667+00:00

Hi Kelvin Stoner

Thank you for your update.

If you have already tried all the recommendations above, including creating a new Outlook profile, but it still does not work, you can also try clearing the cache and performing an online repair:

Clear the Outlook Temporary Cache

Outlook saves images to a temporary folder on your computer before displaying them. If a file in this folder becomes corrupted, Outlook will stop downloading new images entirely.

Close Outlook completely.

On your keyboard, press the Windows Key + R > Copy and paste the following path into the box and press Enter:%localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache> and delete all files inside this folder.

(If that folder does not open, try: %localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files)

Note: These are temporary cache files only. Deleting them is safe and will not remove your emails or documents.

Once the folder is empty, restart Outlook and check if images load.

Perform an Online Repair

If clearing the cache does not work, the Outlook program files may have been affected by a recent background update. You can try to force a repair: Repair an Office application - Microsoft Support

And could you let me know how OWA behaves in your case?

I hope this helps and looking for your update.

Answer 1

Kelvin Stoner 20

ok what i did was reinstalled outlook and now it is working

Anonymous

2026-01-24T08:22:38.9333333+00:00

Hi Kelvin Stoner

I’m glad to hear it worked and thank you for sharing your solution.

Have a nice day!