OL97: Outlook Displays File Attachment as a Black Outlined Box

• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Outlook 97

SYMPTOMS

When you insert or view a file attachment in Microsoft Outlook, the attachment may be displayed as a black outlined box, rather than as an attachment icon and file name of the attachment.

CAUSE

This problem occurs if all of the following conditions are true:

• You are using Microsoft Word as your e-mail editor.

  -and-

• The picture placeholder option is selected in the Word e-mail template.

RESOLUTION

Open Word and turn off the option to display picture placeholders or do not use Word as your e-mail editor.

WORKAROUND

To display the attachment icon and file name, turn off the picture placeholders viewing option by following these steps:

1. Create a new mail message in Microsoft Outlook.

2. Click in the body of the mail message.

3. On the Tools menu, click Options.

4. Click the View Tab and click to clear the Picture Placeholders check box.

5. Click OK.

MORE INFORMATION

Outlook gives you the option to use Microsoft Word as your e-mail editor. The default template used for this is Email.dot.

With Word as your e-mail editor, most of the editing features available in Word are available when working with e-mail messages. The picture placeholder option in Word displays an empty box in place of each graphic in your document in order to increase the speed at which you can scroll through and display a document containing many graphics.

REFERENCES

For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE ID: Q159476
   TITLE     : WD97: How to Enable, Disable Microsoft Word as the E-Mail
               Editor

   ARTICLE ID: Q166344
   TITLE     : OL97: File Attachments Will not Open When Using Wordmail

NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If Word Help is not installed on your computer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q120802
   TITLE     : Office: How to Add/Remove a Single Office
               Program or Component