Mail will not show images in e-mails

Question

Level 1

3 points

Mail will not show images in e-mails

For some reason, after having my Comcast internet re-connected recently, I can no longer see images embedded in e-mails. They don't show in the preview pane or when the e-mail is double-clicked. It's very strange.

I tried deleting the preference file and all the other tricks, but nothing seems to work. I also haven't been able to find any answers to this online, so it seems to be a very strange problem.

Any/all help would be greatly appreciated. I guess my next step would be to create a new user and see if that works.

Thanks in advance.

Posted on Mar 4, 2008 8:24 PM

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Answer 1

BillC37

Level 2

325 points

Mar 5, 2008 3:17 AM in response to Ludacris1

Hi, and welcome to Discussions!

You may have tried this but....Go to Mail ----> Preferences and select the "viewing" button. Check the block that says "Display remote images in HTML messages."

Also, if you want to avoid looking at images in general (ie junk mail), if you leave the above mentioned box unchecked, there's a "load images" button at the top of each email with un-downloaded images (both in preview and when you open the email).

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Answer 2

Ludacris1 Author

Level 1

3 points

Mar 5, 2008 7:36 AM in response to BillC37

Hi. Thanks for the reply.

Yeah, that was actually the first thing I checked, as I knew that's how Mail allowed images, but it was already checked. Even when I uncheck it, I don't get the "load images" button at the top of the e-mails.

Just to clarify, when I say Mail won't show images, it just shows a bunch of blue box question marks scattered all over the e-mail. When I right click on one of them and "load image" nothing happens.

This is really bizarre, but I need it to be fixed, as I always allow images to load. Can't figure it out...

Thanks.

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Answer 3

BillC37

Level 2

325 points

Mar 5, 2008 7:39 AM in response to Ludacris1

The blue boxes with question marks are normal for non-downloaded images. Not having the "Load Images" button (top right corner, next to Junk/not junk) is NOT normal.

Try the new user trick. If that works, it's in your pref settings (but since you tried deleting the prefs, don't expect that to work).

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Answer 4

Ludacris1 Author

Level 1

3 points

Mar 5, 2008 7:57 AM in response to Ernie Stamper

It is a POP Comcast account.

It's just really strange because the way things went was that my Internet connection was disconnected due to a bill discrepancy (long story...) and when Comcast activated my account again, my Apple Mail stopped loading images. How does that make sense?

Thanks for the help.

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Answer 5

Ludacris1 Author

Level 1

3 points

Mar 5, 2008 8:31 AM in response to Ernie Stamper

This is happening to ALL messages in my Inbox, dating back to 2006, which again adds to the strangeness of this issue.

I just don't get why service interruption would affect an app on my computer, but maybe I don't really understand how the logging of e-mails work, as they must be stored on Comcast servers and are therefore not allowing the images to transfer to my computer.

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Answer 6

Mar 5, 2008 8:35 AM in response to Ludacris1

A New User Account would help to diagnose, but I suspect you may only need to use the Rebuild command in the Inbox of the Comcast account. This may only be an indexing problem, if you have not created, somehow, more than on account folder for the this account. Did you set the account up, again, by chance? In the Finder, open Home/Library/Mail and see if the number of POP account folders matches what you expect?

Ernie

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Answer 7

Ludacris1 Author

Level 1

3 points

Mar 5, 2008 8:45 AM in response to Ernie Stamper

I will try this out and post my results.

I just want to avoid losing all of my old e-mails, which has happened to me before. I have a few e-mails buried in my Inbox that are SUPER important, so I don't want to mess with things too much, i.e. rebuilding my Inbox or wiping out Mail and starting from scratch.

I may start with the New User method and see what I get from there.

Thanks very much for all the quick responses.

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Answer 8

Mar 6, 2008 1:49 AM in response to BillC37

I'm getting the same problem with my Apple Mail, but only from one sender! His messages have images embedded in the email, but they only appear as placeholders (blue square with ? in it). I can Quicklook them, but they appear in a different order to the sequence in the email (judging from the descriptions). It's weird that it only happens with emails from this user (using Outlook, I believe).

Stranger still, I can see the images fine using Mail on my iPod touch accessing the same POP account (I've set it leave the messages on the POP server for 7 days so both clients can grab them).

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Answer 9

Ludacris1 Author

Level 1

3 points

Mar 8, 2008 3:05 PM in response to Ludacris1

OK, tried creating a new user and the same thing is happening.

I also tried setting up Entourage 2008 and believe it or not, the same exact thing is happening. It's ridiculous.

I can only imagine this means I need to contact Comcast and sort it out with them. It seems their server is not allowing my e-mail address to access images within an e-mail.

My Comcast web mail works fine however, so I'm really confused.

Please give a shout if this makes sense to anyone.

Thanks in advance.

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Answer 10

Mar 8, 2008 3:20 PM in response to Ludacris1

Hi,

Very odd report. If you send me an email, and will send you a message with a properly attached image file, to test. Click on my name to the left, and look in the bio field of my Profile.

This should not be happening.

Ernie

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Answer 11

Ludacris1 Author

Level 1

3 points

Mar 8, 2008 3:34 PM in response to Ernie Stamper

OK, glad you mentioned that.

I can actually receive attached images, say, if a friend sends a pic from a vacation. No problem.

The problem is with things like, say, eBay sends me a message and the eBay logo and ALL images within the e-mail will not load. Same with a Paypal (or whatever for that matter). I'll get the text, but NONE of the images in the e-mail will load, see what I'm saying? It's very strange...

This is simply an annoyance more than anything else. But it just suddenly stopped working, so I want to figure out what the deal is.

Maybe that helps...

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Answer 12

Mar 8, 2008 3:52 PM in response to Ludacris1

Is there no button to download images, at the top of the email message. What exactly is your selection at Mail Preferences/Viewing?

What is selected in System Preferences/Security/Firewall?

Ernie

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Answer 13

Ludacris1 Author

Level 1

3 points

Mar 8, 2008 3:58 PM in response to Ernie Stamper

I've tried both ways. I have it set, and had it set before this started, to show ALL images in HTML messages. I don't mind having images and I don't want to click a button to see them. It just stopped working.

That's all I can say. As I mentioned, it must be a Comcast issue where the images aren't being allowed to come to my e-mail address from their server. Otherwise, why would this happen with a new user account AND in another e-mail program?

Thanks.

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Answer 14

Mar 8, 2008 4:16 PM in response to Ludacris1

It strikes me that this is not an email problem. With such images, they never permanently download, but depend on being connected to the internet to access them when the message is in the message viewer. This is why you have found the same problem with Mail, and with Entourage. Email clients use Port 110 to communicate for POP accounts, while web mail and your iPod use other ports. I think you have something blocking Port 110. Please confirm your settings in System Preferences/Security/Firewall.

Have you changed routers, recently?

Look in System Preferences/Sharing -- is there anything about any Ports? Do you have any anti-virus software?

Ernie

Ernie

Message was edited by: Ernie Stamper

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Answer 15

Ludacris1 Author

Level 1

3 points

Mar 9, 2008 10:15 AM in response to Ernie Stamper

No Firewall settings and there is nothing in Sharing about ports.

The thing is, I see nothing in Mail or Entourage about Port 110. They are using Port 587 and 995 for receiving mail. Should I change this setting manually to Port 110, or leave it as is?

I have no anti-virus on my machine either, and I haven't made any router changes.

Thanks.

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