Stump the Gadgetress: Solving e-mail’s Red X
August 13th, 2007, 4:35 pm · 11 Comments · posted by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress
Q: Why is it that when I receive mail with graphics there is an empty box with a red x or a logo in the upper left hand corner of the box. Conversely when the graphics are present in the mail I receive, when I forward said mail, the graphics don’t show up?
By the way, I right click on the red x, and then select “show pic”, but nothing happens?? - Jim Carneghi, Mission Viejo, CA
Gadgetress: Think of the Red X as protection against the digital unknown. But what’s so dangerous about an image in an e-mail?
Don’t get paranoid but remember, computer viruses are often spread when someone opens an infected e-mail. Usually, a suspicious attachment is to blame.
But images are another way for the outside world to know what you’re doing at home on your computer. Some images don’t really live inside the e-mail itself. Instead, they are sitting on some company’s computer. When you open the e-mail, the message pings that company’s computer to get the image. Thus, that company knows that not only did you open the e-mail, they know when you did.
Let me dissect this recent message I got from Apple about the new iMacs. I opened it and not only do I get red X’s, there’s a message in the “InfoBar” at the top that says, “Some pictures have been blocked to help prevent the sender from identifying your computer. Click here to download pictures.”
But if you open up the email’s properties and look at the source of the message, you’ll see that the image goes to a web site. In this case, the “What’s in Store” image actually lives at: http://images.apple.com/chatterbox/us/2=007/08/5508A/img/top.gif
So, now Apple knows that I opened its e-mail. Good thing Apple’s not such a bad seed. But what if it was an annoying spammer?
I just want my images!
If you could care less about the security feature or you don’t mind if advertisers snoop around, then go ahead and let the images load by clicking the warning message. If you don’t even want the warning message, you can turn the feature off.
- In Outlook Express, go to “Tools” in the menu bar, select “Options” and then select the tab that says “Security.” Uncheck the box if you really want to see the images all the time. I don’t recommend this.
- In Microsoft Outlook, go to “Tools,” select “Options” and then pick the “Security Tab.” In the middle of the window where it says “Download Pictures,” select “Change Automatic Download settings.” Then change your settings.
- Yahoo mail also blocks some images. To turn on or off, go to your Yahoo mail account and click the “Options” option (located on the upper right corner of the page for me). Select the “Spam Protection” feature and Yahoo takes you through three steps. The last step lets you select what sort of image blocking you prefer:
AOL Mail blocks images from unknown senders. To unblock those, find and select the “settings” link in the e-mail program. Then uncheck the box that says “Hide images in mail from unknown senders.” Don’t forget to save changes! (The save button is right over the “General Settings” line.)
Readers, if you have other e-mail programs you’re wondering about or can offer suggestions to others, please comment below. Thanks!
Handpicked Goodness:
- ClickZ Network: Article on Blocked email images and what it means to marketers. Plus, handy chart on email programs that block images. (Article from Sept. 29, 2004)
- Want to know who’s looking at when you check email? EmailLabs offers a marketer’s view in “Designing Emails For the Preview Pane and Disabled Images.”
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I am presently using a ’98 IBM Aptiva that does not have either Outlook or Outlook Express and cannot follow the instructions to remove the red x.
What do I do?
Thanks.
Annette: You can start by sharing what e-mail program you use. — Gadgetress
I use internet explorer; how do I open up the pictures?
JJ and everyone else who confuse the Web with e-mail:
* Internet Explorer is what you use to look for stuff on the Internet, like this site you’re looking at right now.
* Outlook Express is the e-mail program that lives on your computer. Instructions on the red X are above.
But if still believe you’re using Internet Explorer to check your e-mail, you are probably using an Internet-based service to check your e-mail, such as Yahoo, Gmail, AOL or other service. Make sense? Now, ask your question again. –Gadgetress
Thanks for your article on the red x.
I am using Internet explorer with AOL as my mail provider.
When I go to windows that you suggest using to overcome not being able to see the pic’s, they do not look like the ones you show. HELP!
Enjoy your weekly column, it’s good for us that are technically challenged. Too bad it doesn’t run more often as I need all the help I can get.
THANKS.
John
Hi Would like to thank u for ur prompt response. Very informative, but I may have not phrased my question properly. I was referring to mail received from friends I correspond with. They send pics of a friendly nature, which end up as an empty box with the dreaded red x. I’m using Yahoo mail. When I forward the pics I do receive as an attachment, the pics get forwarded properly. Also, u didn’t mention why when I rite click on the red x and select “show pic” nothing happens. Thanks again
Hello Tamara,
I hope I can make this clear. I read your article this morning regarding the Red X in Outlook and I understand what you are doing but my situation is a little different. I am using MS Vista Premium Home on my new laptop. I also can access my companies email using Outlook through the internet from any computer. I get on Outlook OK from my new laptop and I can read the emails I have from anyone who sends them. The problem I am encountering is when I reply to those emails. That is when I get the “red X” in the upper left hand corner and I cannot put anything in there. When I use Outlook directly with my computer at work and hit reply I get the message that was sent to me and I can answer it. When I go through the web on my laptop I just get the red X.
Anything you can do to help me with this? None of my IT guys seem able to solve it but it may be because they are unfamiliar with Vista.
Thanks
Rick
I am still stumped…I use internet explorer and hotmail for my email. I can receive images, but when I forward, it’s the red x. I have been all over the options and security…help.
Thanks!!!!
I’m still having trouble…my security tab doesn’t give me either option you’ve displayed. I use msn hotmail and internet explorer. I can receive pictures just fine…I just can’t forward them.
Help…Thanks!
Marian
Can you give instructions as to how to enable the pictures to download on msn.com ( or hotmail, I supposed is the same)?
Thanks,
Traci
I use Wiindows Live Hotmail and I get the dreaded red x when I try to download an email with pictures attached. If I open it wth Micrrosoft Outlook, it downloads just fine. Operating system is Vista Home Premium.