{"id":3023,"date":"2022-04-08T10:30:19","date_gmt":"2022-04-08T10:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/?p=3023"},"modified":"2022-04-13T13:20:10","modified_gmt":"2022-04-13T13:20:10","slug":"unable-to-open-attachments-in-outlook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/unable-to-open-attachments-in-outlook\/","title":{"rendered":"Unable to Open Attachments in Outlook? Fix the Issue Easily!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you know that an average working professional exchanges close to 40 emails a day? Worldwide, over 4 billion people use email. This figure is rapidly increasing with every passing year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clearly, email exchange is a regular part of people&#8217;s life. Outlook is a hugely popular email service that people use to exchange messages. In such a scenario, if you find yourself unable to open attachments in Outlook, your whole day can come to a standstill.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don&#8217;t worry. You&#8217;re not the only person facing this problem. Many people report of this issue frequently. So, in this article, you&#8217;ll find some effective resolutions for the same.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Related Post, Why: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/outlook-not-showing-attachments\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Outlook Not Showing Attachments<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_76 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/unable-to-open-attachments-in-outlook\/#Why_You_are_Unable_to_Open_Attachments_in_Outlook\" >Why You are Unable to Open Attachments in Outlook?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/unable-to-open-attachments-in-outlook\/#1_Unidentified_File_Format\" >1. Unidentified File Format<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/unable-to-open-attachments-in-outlook\/#2_The_File_Format_is_Associated_with_the_Wrong_Program\" >2. The File Format is Associated with the Wrong Program<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/unable-to-open-attachments-in-outlook\/#3_Compressed_File\" >3. Compressed File\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/unable-to-open-attachments-in-outlook\/#4_Presence_of_an_Antivirus_Program\" >4. Presence of an Antivirus Program<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/unable-to-open-attachments-in-outlook\/#5_Files_are_not_in_a_Windows-compatible_Format\" >5. Files are not in a Windows-compatible Format<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/unable-to-open-attachments-in-outlook\/#6_Outlook_Add-ins\" >6. Outlook Add-ins<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/unable-to-open-attachments-in-outlook\/#7_Corrupt_File\" >7. Corrupt File<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/unable-to-open-attachments-in-outlook\/#How_to_Fix_%E2%80%98Unable_to_Open_Attachments_in_Outlook_Problem\" >How to Fix \u2018Unable to Open Attachments in Outlook\u2019 Problem?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/unable-to-open-attachments-in-outlook\/#1_Use_Save_As\" >1. Use Save As<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/unable-to-open-attachments-in-outlook\/#2_Use_the_Right_Format_Extension_to_Download_Files\" >2. Use the Right Format Extension to Download Files<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/unable-to-open-attachments-in-outlook\/#3_Clear_Temporary_Files\" >3. Clear Temporary Files<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/unable-to-open-attachments-in-outlook\/#4_Disable_Your_Antivirus_Application\" >4. Disable Your Antivirus Application<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/unable-to-open-attachments-in-outlook\/#5_Make_Microsoft_Email_Address_the_Main_Email_Address\" >5. Make Microsoft Email Address the Main Email Address<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/unable-to-open-attachments-in-outlook\/#6_Disable_Outlook_Add-ins\" >6. Disable Outlook Add-ins<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/unable-to-open-attachments-in-outlook\/#7_Install_Current_Outlook_Updates\" >7. Install Current Outlook Updates<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/unable-to-open-attachments-in-outlook\/#8_Checks_to_Implement_for_a_Corrupt_File\" >8. Checks to Implement for a Corrupt File<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/unable-to-open-attachments-in-outlook\/#Final_Thoughts\" >Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_You_are_Unable_to_Open_Attachments_in_Outlook\"><\/span><b>Why You are Unable to Open Attachments in Outlook?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Email attachments can contain crucial work-related files. So, if you cannot open them, you can miss out on vital communication. But this problem does not happen on its own. Here are some main reasons that render you open email attachments in Outlook.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Unidentified_File_Format\"><\/span><b>1. Unidentified File Format<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your PC doesn&#8217;t have the needed program to identify file format, you&#8217;ll definitely face this problem. If your colleague sends you a .PSD image file and your system doesn&#8217;t have Adobe Photoshop installed, you can&#8217;t open the image file attachment. So, you need to know the file format of the attachments and install a program that supports it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_The_File_Format_is_Associated_with_the_Wrong_Program\"><\/span><b>2. The File Format is Associated with the Wrong Program<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you have the necessary program to open the attachment in a specific format, but it&#8217;s still not opening? It means that the file format is associated with an incorrect program. It can also mean that the said program is experiencing problems. In this case, you can save the attachment, right-tap the file, and choose a different program to open it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Compressed_File\"><\/span><b>3. Compressed File<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When people need to send more than a few files via email, they compress them into a single compressed file. Then, the compressed file gets attached to the email. However, if the file is in a .rar, a .zip, or other compressed file formats, it won&#8217;t be possible for you to open it. So, it must be uncompressed before opening.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Presence_of_an_Antivirus_Program\"><\/span><b>4. Presence of an Antivirus Program<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another reason why Outlook email attachments won&#8217;t open is because of interference by the antivirus on your system. These programs can interfere with the opening of attachments. The antivirus blocks your capacity to open safe Outlook attachments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Files_are_not_in_a_Windows-compatible_Format\"><\/span><b>5. Files are not in a Windows-compatible Format<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Often, it so happens that the email sender is a Mac computer owner and the files they attach are not in a format that&#8217;s compatible with Windows. It leaves the recipient confused about why they can&#8217;t open attachments in Outlook. So you must let your email sender, who&#8217;s a Mac computer owner, know that you use a Windows PC, and their email must be in a compatible format.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Outlook_Add-ins\"><\/span><b>6. Outlook Add-ins<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Add-ins in Outlook can also hinder you from opening email attachments. The natural course of action for it is to disable all add-ins.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Corrupt_File\"><\/span><b>7. Corrupt File<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the email attachment you receive is corrupt, it can also be a reason for this problem. So you can ask the sender to verify if the attachment works on their system.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Related Post: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/blog\/how-to-backup-outlook-emails\/\" rel=\"noopener\">How to Backup Outlook Emails<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Fix_%E2%80%98Unable_to_Open_Attachments_in_Outlook_Problem\"><\/span><b>How to Fix \u2018Unable to Open Attachments in Outlook\u2019 Problem?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The various reasons described above have their own specific fixes. Read about the different ways you can try opening attachments in Outlook.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Use_Save_As\"><\/span><b>1. Use Save As<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can try to save the Outlook attachment in a location other than your desktop or download folder. Do it before opening it straight from the email. Go through these steps to implement this method.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Right-tap the attachment and then click &#8216;<strong>Save As<\/strong>.&#8217;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choose a location that&#8217;s not your default download folder or desktop.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Name the attachment and then save it.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Use_the_Right_Format_Extension_to_Download_Files\"><\/span><b>2. Use the Right Format Extension to Download Files<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, your file format can prevent you from downloading and opening attachments. You must know about the file extensions and the associated file types. It will allow you to open the attachments easily.<\/span><\/p>\n<table xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xhtml\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" dir=\"ltr\" border=\"1\">\n<colgroup>\n<col width=\"290\" \/>\n<col width=\"309\" \/><\/colgroup>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;FILE TYPE&quot;}\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong>FILE TYPE<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<td data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;EXTENSION&quot;}\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong>EXTENSION<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;MS Word&quot;}\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>MS Word<\/strong><\/td>\n<td data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;.docx or .doc&quot;}\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>.docx or .doc<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;MS PowerPoint&quot;}\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>MS PowerPoint<\/strong><\/td>\n<td data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;.ppt, .pps, or .pptx&quot;}\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>.ppt, .pps, or .pptx<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;MS Excel&quot;}\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>MS Excel<\/strong><\/td>\n<td data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;.xlsx, .xls&quot;}\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>.xlsx, .xls<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Compressed file&quot;}\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Compressed file<\/strong><\/td>\n<td data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;.zip&quot;}\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>.zip<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Adobe Acrobat&quot;}\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Adobe Acrobat<\/strong><\/td>\n<td data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;.pdf&quot;}\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>.pdf<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Executable file&quot;}\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Executable file<\/strong><\/td>\n<td data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;.exe&quot;}\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>.exe<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;HTML file&quot;}\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>HTML file<\/strong><\/td>\n<td data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;.html&quot;}\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>.html<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Audio file&quot;}\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Audio file<\/strong><\/td>\n<td data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;.mps&quot;}\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>.mps<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Bitmap&quot;}\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Bitmap<\/strong><\/td>\n<td data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Microsoft Paint&quot;}\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Microsoft Paint<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Clear_Temporary_Files\"><\/span><b>3. Clear Temporary Files<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you find attachments in Outlook not opening, it can be because of excessive temporary system files. Clean them by following these points.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tap the Windows button present in the top-left corner.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Input <strong>%tem%<\/strong> in the search bar, and press Enter.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, you will see a folder appearing. In it, select every temporary file.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, press &#8216;<strong>Delete<\/strong>.&#8217;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The next step is to clear your Recycle Bin.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Start Outlook again and try opening the attachments.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Disable_Your_Antivirus_Application\"><\/span><b>4. Disable Your Antivirus Application<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, you may find yourself unable to open Outlook attachments because of the antivirus software on your PC. The antivirus software regards even safe files as suspicious mistakenly. Your antivirus program may then block the attachment, and you won&#8217;t be able to open it. In such a case, try disabling the software temporarily.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Make_Microsoft_Email_Address_the_Main_Email_Address\"><\/span><b>5. Make Microsoft Email Address the Main Email Address<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are repeatedly encountering an &#8216;<strong>Access is Denied<\/strong>&#8216; error, it&#8217;s likely that your primary email address is a non-Microsoft one. So, changing the primary email ID to a Microsoft email ID will effectively resolve the problem.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Go to the account page of Microsoft and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/login.live.com\/login.srf\">sign in<\/a> with your account.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next, head over to &#8216;<strong>Your info<\/strong>&#8216; and choose &#8216;<strong>Manage your sign-in email or phone number<\/strong>.&#8217;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Give a Microsoft email ID in the &#8216;<strong>Make Primary Area<\/strong>.&#8217; Remember that a Microsoft email ID ends with<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><em><strong>@hotmail.com<\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><em><strong>@live.com<\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><em><strong>@outlook.com\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Disable_Outlook_Add-ins\"><\/span><b>6. Disable Outlook Add-ins<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many users are unable to open attachments in Outlook because of problems caused by add-ins. So, it&#8217;s best to disable them by adhering to the steps below.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Launch MS Outlook.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tap&#8217; <strong>File<\/strong>,&#8217; &#8216;<strong>Options<\/strong>,&#8217; followed by &#8216;<strong>Add-ins<\/strong>.&#8217;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Below &#8216;<strong>Manage<\/strong>,&#8217; tap &#8216;<strong>COM Add-ins<\/strong>.&#8217;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tap &#8216;<strong>Go<\/strong>&#8216; and uncheck every add-in.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you have disabled everything, tap &#8216;<strong>OK<\/strong>.&#8217;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exit MS Outlook and open it again.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Install_Current_Outlook_Updates\"><\/span><b>7. Install Current Outlook Updates<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are missing the latest Outlook updates, you&#8217;ll be unable to open Outlook attachments. Follow the steps below to install the current Outlook updates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Open MS Outlook, and tap &#8216;<strong>File<\/strong>.&#8217;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next, launch the &#8216;<strong>Office Account<\/strong>&#8216; tab, and tap the &#8216;<strong>Update Options<\/strong>\u00a0button.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, choose &#8216;<strong>Update Now<\/strong>&#8216; in the menu on your screen.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Restart Outlook.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_Checks_to_Implement_for_a_Corrupt_File\"><\/span><b>8. Checks to Implement for a Corrupt File<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You cannot open a corrupt mail attachment as it&#8217;s damaged. If the file gets infected with the virus, they become corrupt and inaccessible. So, you must implement some checks to get an uncorrupted file.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Request the sender to confirm if the file is opening on their computer.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the file isn&#8217;t accessible, the problem lies in the source location. The sender must make another file that isn&#8217;t damaged and send it to you.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final_Thoughts\"><\/span><b>Final Thoughts<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Email exchange has become vital for people today. The fixes above will help you when you are unable to open attachments in Outlook. However, there&#8217;s a slight chance they may not work. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In such a scenario, it&#8217;s wise to connect with a professional <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emailsupport.us\/microsoft-outlook-support\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Outlook support service<\/strong><\/a>. The technicians will diagnose the root cause and help you to open attachments in Outlook as before.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Do you know that an average working professional exchanges close to 40 emails a day? Worldwide, over 4 billion people use email. This figure is rapidly increasing with every passing year.\u00a0 Clearly, email exchange is a regular part of people&#8217;s life. Outlook is a hugely popular email service that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3062,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[257],"tags":[1095,1097,1096,1092,1093,1094],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.10 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Unable to Open Attachments in Outlook | Why &amp; How To Fix?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Are you unable to open attachments in Outlook? 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