Attachment Preview not Working

K

KenW

Member
Outlook version
Outlook 365 64 bit
Email Account
Exchange Server
Operating system::    Wondows 10
Outlook version:     Microsoft 365 - full
Email type or host:    imap - send receive works
I'm helping someone with Microsoft 365 Outlook, the old version (not using "Try New Outlook"). Windows 10 fully patched.

The user said this issue started after May's Patch Tuesday. They could not open an attachment or preview an attachment. They needed to save attachment and then open attachment.

Suggested they run Microsoft 365 and Office Updates, done. Then in Trust Center disabled all the Protected View settings. Now documents open as they did but Attachment Preview still doesn't work.

Things tried

Ran SFC /Scannow - found and fixed errors
Ran Quick Repair
Under Options, General, Multi Monitors - set to Compatibility Mode
Checked no old versions of Office or Word or third party Office suites installed.
Disabled Norton AV
Under Options "Attachment Handling" ensured "Turn off Attachment Preview" not enabled
Under "Attachment Previewers" that Word and Excel were enabled. Actually disabled exited, came back in and re-enabled.
Multiple "Restarts", not shutdowns in between steps

No progress. Cannot preview a Word or Excel document. The icon for the correct app shows on the attachment. Preview as an option is in Context menu. If you click Preview the process appears to start and fails out to "This file cannot be previewed because there is no previewer installed for it. Of course in attachment handling the previewer shows enabled.

Of note PDF's can be previewed, just Word and Excel files fail.

Have suggested user do an Online Repair and I'm awaiting results. I'm avoiding completely removing Microsoft 365 and then re-installing.

Is there something else someone can think of that is a more routine "Fix". I don't see a lot of issues being reported when I search, although there are old ones, just this user says it started after this Patch Tuesday.
 
Thank you for responding.

Happens with all Word and Excel files. I created a very simple document, a one line document that said this is a test document. I'm also using Microsoft 365, fully patched. Emailed document to them. Could not preview even this basic document.

On my system I can preview all file types as well in what I will call Outlook 365. Strange that it happened after Patch Tuesday but failed to generate that normal out cry when something goes wrong. Of course it might be weeks before someone previews a document.

It very well could be related to that print issue. Hopefully the fix is coming.
 
  • Online Repair (if not done) – often fixes preview handler issues.
  • Re-register Preview Handlers:
    Run in Command Prompt as Admin:

    swift
    regsvr32 /u "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\PreviewHandlers.dll"
    regsvr32 "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\PreviewHandlers.dll"

  • Check Registry Keys:
    • Ensure Word {84F66100-FF7C...} and Excel {00020827...} handlers exist under:
      HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\PreviewHandlers
  • Test in File Explorer Preview Pane – if preview fails there, it’s system-level.
  • Run Outlook as Admin Once – may restore COM/handler permissions.
  • Try in New Windows Profile – checks for user profile corruption.
 
Thank you for these helpful suggestions. Sorry in the delay in responding, was on vacation.
 
Can I ask you what the command
Swift
does in your commands above?
 
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