Summary: This article will cover the section where users can easily find the ways to change attachment settings in Outlook. It will have some info about attachment settings, their issues, manual methods to fix them, and the expert solution to handle Outlook attachments successfully.

Table of Contents

About Outlook Attachment Settings

These are the settings present in Outlook that tell you how your files are going to behave, like how attachments will open, display, download and attach to Outlook at the system level.

Also Read: How to Find Large Attachments in Outlook? Ultimate Guide

Setting it wrong can affect:

  • Maximum attachment size
  • Preview option to view
  • Blocked file types
  • Automatic downloads
  • Displaying attachments feature
  • Handling of attachments in Cached Exchange Mode
  • Your security restrictions

You might face problems with your emails in terms of your attachments if you do not configure these settings correctly.

People Also Find Helpful: How to Change Profile Picture in Microsoft Office 365 (End-User & Administrator Methods)

Why Does Outlook Attachment Settings Create Problems?

Read these points to know where exactly users make mistakes in attachment settings.

  • Large attachments can beat the criteria of Outlook’s size limitation, and also make emails non-functional
  • Disabling preview file settings is responsible for blocking the preview and embedding of files inside Outlook
  • Outlook blocks some file types for security reasons too
  • Having corruption in the Outlook profile can also create errors linked to attachments
  • Attachments will not load properly due to sync issues with Exchange or Microsoft 365
  • If you have unknown Outlook add-ins, then they may change the attachment function
  • A large mailbox can reduce Outlook performance and cause attachment issues

If you are also dealing with missing attachment issues, here is our complete guide on why do attachments disappear in Outlook.

How to Change Attachment Settings in Outlook? Top 7 Methods

Let’s follow these manual steps to fix Outlook attachment settings quickly.

#1. Change Attachment Preview Settings in Outlook

If your attachments are failing to preview properly, then follow the below set of steps.

  1. At first, open Outlook
  2. Go to File tab
  3. Look for the options button
  4. Here, you will find Trust Center
  5. Inside it, select Trust Center Settings
  6. Now, hit on Attachment Handling
  7. There, just uncheck the option to disable attachment preview
  8. Lastly, click OK

This will give Outlook permission to preview certain types of files.

#2. Open & Modify Attachment Download Settings

There are times when Outlook keeps blocking the attachments which are downloaded automatically.

  • Open Outlook
  • Go to file, and then options
  • Select Trust Center over there
  • Tap on Trust Center Settings
  • There, choose the automatic download option
  • Now, you can give your permission to selected users and save it

Meanwhile, users can allow the attachment download option for their known senders.

#3. Increase Outlook Maximum Attachment Size Limit

There is a particular limit set on the attachments. It is around 150 MB per mail. You have the option to increase the size and fix attachment issues in Outlook.

  1. Press Windows + R, type in regedit, and hit enter
  2. Next, go to this location:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\XX. 0\Outlook\Preferences

  1. Right-click on the right pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value
  2. Name it: MaximumAttachmentSize
  3. Open it and set the attachment size limit in KB.
  4. For instance: 51200 KB is for a maximum attachment size of 50 MB
  5. Hit Save, close Outlook and then open it again

 Also remember that your email server might have its own limits on the size of attachments. To know more about this method, you can follow our guide on how to increase Outlook attachment size limit.

#4. Disable Unknown Outlook Add-ins

If your attachments are not showing in Outlook, check these steps:

  • Start by opening Outlook
  • Go to File > Options
  • Select Add-ins
  • Click on Go
  • Disable all unnecessary add-ins
  • After that, restart Outlook again

Now, check whether attachments are appearing correctly.

#5. Repair Outlook Profile

Users often ignore the fact that their Outlook profile is corrupted. They continue to work, and this affects their attachments.

  • Open Control Panel
  • Next, select Mail
  • Click on Show Profiles
  • After that, create a new Outlook profile
  • Just configure your account again

After following all these steps, again open your attachments and check their function.

#6. Update Outlook to Latest Version

Sometimes, using the older version of Outlook can create bug-related issues with your attachments.

  • First, open Outlook
  • Select File
  • Choose an Office Account.
  • Hit on Update Options
  • Select Update Now

Installing the updated editions will fix Outlook attachment settings.

#7. Once Check Blocked Attachments Settings

There are some file types which Outlook does not allow you to access, like:

  • .exe
  • .vbs
  •  .js
  •  .cmd

If users send any of these files which are associated with the above extensions, then Outlook will hide those attachments.

How Do I Fix Outlook Attachment Settings? Checklist to Follow

This is the section where we quickly remind you to check all the parameters below and follow the right method straight away without wasting time.

  • You can restart & update Outlook
  • Verify internet speed
  • Turn off unknown add-ins
  • Repair Outlook profile
  • Clear all cache memory
  • Check attachment size restrictions
  • Review Trust Center settings
  • Test Exchange or Microsoft 365 for connectivity
  • Scan the mailbox at every interval to avoid corruption

By this, you can fix attachment issues in Outlook.

Facing Outlook Attachment Issue – Better Solution to Opt

Outlook has some basic settings for attachments. But, the biggest challenge which users face is finding emails with a lot of attachments from multiple mailboxes. It is more difficult when relevant files are stored within different folders which have years of messages. This is where SysTools Outlook Attachment Extractor tool allows users to search Outlook files to batch extract attachments from any Outlook data file.

Also Read: How to Fix Outlook Attachment Reminder Not Working? 101 Guide