Why is My Outlook Preview Not Working? Top 10 Solutions

  

Rollins Duke   
Published: August 14th, 2025 • 7 Min Read

As many users face the same issues, Outlook Preview Not Working is more than just a convenience. It’s essential to quickly scan email content, view attachments such as PDF or Word Documents and decide what needs your attention without opening each message fully.

When Outlook Preview Not Working makes a smooth workflow come to a halt. Suddenly, you’re forced to double-click every message, waste time navigating between windows and risking crucial emails. When the preview is blank, Attachment will not display or message previews are missing entirely; the problem can be disruptive and confusing.

In this guide, we will break down the most common cause of Outlook Preview Issues and learn step-by-step instructions to fix Outlook Preview Not Working so users restore Outlook preview pane and get back efficient emailing.

Common Reasons “Outlook Preview Not Working”

• Outlook relies on preview handlers to display Attachment like PDF, Word, Docs, and Excel files inside the reading pane. If the handler for a file type is disabled, outdated or incorrectly configured, attachment won’t display.
• It might be unrelative, but the Outlook preview feature can break if Windows Firewall is disabled. Some preview functions rely on background services that get blocked or without the firewall running. Similarly, Protect View, a security feature in Office Apps can sometimes overprotect, blocking file reviews even for trusted users.
• Add-ins are helpful, but a faulty and updated one interferes with Outlook rendering of preview content. Likewise, If your Outlook profile becomes corrupted, it can disrupt settings that control the reading pane and preview handlers.
• If Outlook is running in Compatibility Mode, it may disable or misconfigure certain modern UI elements including the preview Pane. On top of that, changes to Reading Pane placement(Right/Bottom/Off) or Compact Layout settings can make it appear like the preview function is gone when just hidden.
• If the software responsible for rendering certain file types such as Adobe Reader for PDF or Office component for Word/Excel is missing, outdated or corrupted, Outlook won’t display them in the preview pane.

Quick Troubleshooting Tips for “Outlook Preview Not Working”

If your Outlook Preview Not Working suddenly stops working, you don’t always need a full technical overhaul. These quick fixes can often restore functionality within minutes.

Method 1. Enable PDF or Document Preview Handler

1. In Outlook and navigate to file.
   
2. Click on Options and press on Trust Center.
   
3. Hit on Trust Center Settings and Attachment Handling.
   
4. Make sure the Turn Off Attachment Preview is unchecked.
5. Tap on Attachment and Document Previewer and preview handlers for PDFs, Word, Excel and other file types are selected.
6. Relaunch Outlook and Test Outlook Preview feature.

Method 2. Active Windows Firewall Service

1. Press Win+R and type services.msc and hit Enter.
2. Locate Windows Firewall or Windows Defender Version Firewall.
3. If status is stopped, and right click on it and press Start.
4. Relaunch Outlook to see if preview returns.

Method 3. Disable Protected View(For Testing)

1. Open Word or Excel and click on file and tap on Options.
2. Hit on Trust Center and press on Trust Center Settings.
3. Choose Protected View and temporarily check the boxes under Protected View.
4. Test Outlook Preview feature.

Method 4. Update Outlook / Microsoft Office

1. Open Outlook and navigate to file and click on Office Account.
   
2. Tap on Update Options and select Update Now.
   
3. This ensures you have fixed the latest bugs and preview handler updates.

Method 5. Set Appropriate Compatibility Mode

1. Right-click on your Outlook Shortcut and select Properties.
   
2. Choose Compatibility Mode and uncheck Run This Program in compatibility mode for if it’s enabled.
   
3. Apply changes and relaunch Outlook.

Comprehensive Fixes When Preview Still Isn’t Working

If the quick tips do not solve Outlook Preview issues then you need to follow deeper troubleshooting. As it can solve major issues such as corrupted files, misconfiguration or damaged software components.

Approach 1. Delete Temporary Files and Clear Cache

1. Press Win+R and type %temp% and hit Enter.
2. Select all files in the folder and delete them(skip any that are not in use).
3. Also Clear Outlook Secure Temp Folder by locating it in the registry.
4. Open Registry Editor and Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Outlook.
   
5. Look for Outlook Secure Temp Folder and open the file path in File Explorer.
6. Delete the contents.

Approach 2. Adjust Reading Pane and Layout Settings

1. Go to the View tab and select the Reading Pane and hit on Right to Bottom.
2. If you see only sender and subject on one line, adjust View and tap on View Settings and press on Other Settings and toggle Compact Layout.

Approach 3. Disable Suspicious Add-ins via Safe Mode

1. Close Outlook and press Win+R and type Outlook.exe/safe.
   
2. If Outlook Preview features working correctly then it may happen due to faulty Add-ins.
3. Navigate to file and click on options and choose Add-ins.
   
4. Select COM:GO and Select Add-ins and press Go.
   
5. Now. Uncheck all suspicious Add-ins and press on Disable or Remove as needed.
   

Approach 4. ReInstall to Fix PDF Outlook Preview Not Working

1. ReInstall Adobe Reader or repair your Office installation(For Word/Excel).
2. Ensure the correct app is set as default by clicking on Settings and press on Apps.
3. Choose Default Apps and assign a preferred viewer for each file type.

Advantages of Automated Approach

• This software can also convert PST to PDF, MBOX, EML, and many more.
• It is specially designed with a simple initiative interface to make it reliable to operate by any professional or individual users.
• You can also use the Preview feature to repair only selective folders as needed.
• With this wizard, users can repair individual or batch Outlook files without facing any restrictions.
• This tool also offers users Split PST file feature to divide Outlook files in smaller sizes.

Conclusion

Let’s conclude this post as we have shared all tried and tested methods to fix Outlook Preview Not Working. If manual approaches do not work then it may be possible Outlook Preview Not Works due to damaged Outlook files. So, we recommend you to opt Automated Approach as it can easily handle any number of Outlook files and no risk of losing any data.