Outlook preview lets you see the content of the email without opening it. Generally, double-clicking on the file should open the preview. However, if you don’t have the application to view the document, the preview might not work correctly.
In such case, you should install applications to view this preview. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, verify to download it before moving on to the following steps.
If this doesn’t work, read this article to find the causes and its solution for Outlook preview not working issue.
Causes for Outlook Preview Not Working
It is very hard to pinpoint the causes for your outlook preview not working, but the fixes for this issue are quite easy. We have gathered some issues that might be the culprit for your preview not working.
How to Fix Outlook Preview Not Working
There are many options for you to solve this issue but before we move on to these steps, make sure you are aware of what changes you are bringing to your outlook. Here’re some of the solutions to fix the problem with your Outlook preview.
Turn Attachment Preview On
There are previewers like HTML previewers, Microsoft previewers, and so on that lets you preview your mail on Outlook. However, if they don’t have the excess to show the previews, you won’t be able to see it.
To enable the previews, follow these steps:
After following these steps, restart your Outlook and see if the preview is working or not.
Enable Firewall Service
When yourWindows Firewall Service is disabled, you might not be able to preview documents in your Outlook. An error message saying, “This file cannot be previewed because of an error with the following previewer” may appear.
Here’re the steps to enable the Firewall service:
Following these steps will enable the Windows Firewall Service on your computer, which might have been the cause of your issue.
Update Microsoft Office
If nothing works, you’re able to always update your MS office to the latest version to get rid of such glitches on your Outlook.
Here’re the steps:
This could be another option to solve your Outlook preview not working issue.
Turn Protected View Off
Disabling the protected view is not a permanent solution; however, it lets you see the preview on your Outlook. Using this as a one-time thing would be a better idea. If you turn Protected View off, it won’t protect or give security to your device from the harmful files you might receive in your Outlook.
Follow these steps:
Make sure to enable it all once your outlook preview starts working.
Optimize the User Interface
If the document is not opening, try optimizing the user interface for compatibility. Open your previewer, i.e. MS Word, Excel, etc., and follow these steps to fix your issue.
You can use this method for all different applications prior to trying to preview documents in outlook.
Use the Registry
A registry is a folder of settings and information related to the installed software and hardware documents stored in Windows. Error on the registry can cause your preview to not function so make sure tobackup registrybefore moving further. In such cases, you’re able to try changing the Value Data.
Restart your computer after following these steps, and recheck if it’s working now or not.
Reset View
If you may’t see previews on your Outlook or it keeps on glitching, you can simply reset the view under the view tab. Along with changing the outlook view, you can also change the layout of the preview panel, which could be the cause of your issue
It shows the email in the reading panel beside or below the preview. This might be handy when the email doesn’t open in another tab.
