How to Fix Attachments Not Showing In Outlook?

Attachments are an essential component of email communication, allowing users to share and receive important documents seamlessly within Microsoft Outlook. However, locating the attachment features can sometimes be tricky for non-technical users. A more severe issue that frequently disrupts daily workflows is when Outlook attachments not showing entirely.

Are you currently unable to open attachments in Outlook? If so, this comprehensive guide is tailored for you. Below, we explore why attachments go not showing in Outlook and provide proven troubleshooting methods to resolve the problem efficiently.

Part 1: Causes of Attachments Not Showing in Outlook

The frustrating error of Outlook attachments not showing can stem from various underlying issues, ranging from minor misconfigurations to severe file corruption. The most common causes include:

Understanding these root causes makes troubleshooting much more straightforward. Let's delve into the practical methods to fix Outlook attachment not showing and restore your mailbox's full functionality.

Part 2: How to Fix Attachments Not Showing in Outlook? (6 Methods)

If you are facing an attachment not showing in Outlook, follow these step-by-step methods sequentially to diagnose and resolve the issue in no time.

Method 1: Check the Settings for Attachment Handling

When the file previewer option is deactivated within your preferences, you will likely experience Outlook not showing attachments. Verifying your Attachment Handling settings can quickly solve this:

Step 1: Click the File menu in the top-left corner of MS Outlook.

Step 2: Select Options from the left-hand sidebar.

Step 3: Navigate to the Trust Center tab and click the Trust Center Settings... button.

Step 4: Under the Attachment Handling section, ensure that the Turn off Attachment Preview checkbox is unchecked.

Step 5: Click on Attachment and Document Previewers... and verify that all specific file previewers are active.

Restart MS Outlook to see if your attachments now display properly.

Method 2: Turn off MS Outlook Add-ins

Faulty or third-party extensions can cause conflicts, resulting in Outlook not showing attachment. Disabling them can isolate the problem:

Step 1: Launch MS Outlook on your Windows PC.

Step 2: Navigate to File > Options > Add-ins.

Step 3: Look for the Manage dropdown at the bottom, select COM Add-ins, and click Go....

Step 4: Uncheck all the listed Add-ins to temporarily deactivate them.

Step 5: Click OK to save your preferences, then restart Outlook.

Method 3: Clear Cache in Outlook

Accumulated or corrupted temporary data can prevent the application from working normally. Clearing the RoamCache folder is a highly effective way to address Outlook not showing attachments:

Step 1: Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.

Step 2: Paste the following command into the field and press Enter:

Step 3: The RoamCache folder will open in File Explorer. Select all files inside this directory and click the Delete icon.

Relaunch Outlook to check if the issue of attachments not showing in Outlook is completely resolved.

Method 4: Disable Anti-virus Program Temporarily

Aggressive antivirus configurations may block suspicious email attachments, but they can occasionally restrict completely safe files by mistake. If you trust the sender, consider disabling your antivirus shield temporarily before opening the email. Always re-enable your security software immediately after downloading your attachments.

Method 5: Update MS Outlook

Running an outdated application layout often triggers compatibility issues, causing attachments not showing in Outlook or preventing Outlook not downloading attachments. This typically happens if automatic Microsoft Office updates have been disabled.

Step 1: Open Outlook and go to the File menu.

Step 2: Click on Office Account, expand the Update Options dropdown menu, and choose Update Now.

Method 6: Use Professional Email Repair Tool

If standard manual configurations fail to bring back your files, it generally indicates structural database corruption. In such scenarios, utilizing an enterprise-grade utility like Wondershare Repairit for Email is the most reliable fallback option.

As an all-in-one restoration architecture, Repairit for Email safely recovers corrupted PST/OST files resulting from severe malfunctions, malware encounters, bad sector issues, or sudden operating system crashes.

Wondershare Repairit for Email

Try It Free Try It Free

1,010,994 people have downloaded it.

• Repair damaged PST & OST files in Outlook across all corruption scenarios, including hard disk crashes, bad sectors, virus attacks, and system malfunctions.

• Restore long-term deleted Outlook emails and quickly extract messages, folders, calendars, and attachments within seconds.

• Repair corrupted files and restore deleted mail items with an exceptional success rate.

• Support batch email repair with no file size limitations, allowing full content previews before exporting.

• Fully compatible with Windows 7/8/8.1/10/11, Windows Server 2012/2016/2019, and macOS 10.11 up to the latest versions.

Regardless of how severely damaged your data storage folder is, Repairit for Email resolves file alignment disparities in three simple steps. First, download and install Wondershare Repairit for Email on your desktop computer, then follow the instructions below:

Step 1: Locate and add the corrupted data files.

Launch Wondershare Repairit for Email. Click the Select Files button to load the broken PST or OST directories.

You can select a single mailbox folder or search across local drives by clicking Find to uncover misplaced file elements, then click Repair.

Step 2: Repair the added corrupted emails.

The processing engine will instantly resolve index mismatches and restructure the core data nodes.

Step 3: Preview and save the repaired emails.

Once completed, browse the recovered layout hierarchy in the left panel. Double-click any individual item to preview the body text and attachments, then choose a destination path to save your files safely.

Conclusion

Experiencing Outlook attachment is not showing can create roadblocks in your daily workflows, but it is easily resolvable using the right approach. Whether the problem stems from unconfigured Trust Center preferences, bloated cache directories, or corrupt storage arrays, the 6 methods outlined above provide effective remedies. For deep data structure issues, turning to Wondershare Repairit for email ensures a seamless recovery of your invaluable communication records.