Outlook 2010: Download Images Automatically
Contributed by Rob Rogers 
Tagged: Microsoft Outlook Outlook prevents the automatic download of pictures in email messages as a security measure to help prevent possible spamming. It permits images from sites in your Trusted Zone to show but blocks all others. You can override this feature by following this tech recipe:
1. Open Outlook 2010.
2. Go to the Ribbon and select File.
3. Click Options.
4. In the left pane, select Trust Center.
5. Click the Trust Center Settings button.
6. Select Automatic Download from the left pane.
7. Uncheck the Don’t download pictures automatically in HTML e-mail messages or RSS items checkbox.
8. Click OK.
9. Click OK to close the Outlook Options window.
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Shawn Shirey said on November 20, 2009
Very cool tip…
Anonymous said on November 30, 2009
You fixed it! Changing default settings in this larger Outlook is not always intuitive.
Anonymous said on January 3, 2010
I have unlocked the “Don’t download pictures automatically in HTML e-mail messages or RSS items”. I am still not receiving images in my e-mails.
This did not fix my condition.
Rmbrighton said on July 21, 2010
Hey Bruce,
did you ever resolve the issue, I am having the same experience.
Chris said on July 26, 2010
All I get is an image placeholder with the red X. Even in outlook 07 this was thecase.
Anonymous said on July 26, 2010
I am not sure about the fix, but yes it is fixed. I believe Regcure was the fix.
Michelle said on November 9, 2010
Great tip, thanks for sharing, couldn’t find the answer on the help menu for Outlook 2010.
Mrs. Smith said on December 1, 2010
Worked like a charm! Thanks bunches! :D
Gozer said on December 19, 2010
doesn’t work schmucko
Clem said on January 6, 2011
@gozer did you restart Outlook?
Laura said on March 15, 2011
Thank you sooooo much.
Sam Iyer said on March 21, 2011
Great tip…Thanks a lot
sam
Aa said on June 7, 2011
Doesn’t work for me, I can receive images from others but when I send them they arrive as attachments no matter what my settings are, and no matter what the recipient’s settings are. This did not happen in the previous version of Outlook.
Cosa said on June 11, 2011
Such simple instructions, THANK YOU! it took me less than a minute.
Guest said on June 22, 2011
Mine is all glitched up too. Errr… MS is killing me with Outlook & Media Center issues…. all worked just fine a year ago, now I can’t see images in email and when sending emails back & forth to clients text turns into 72pt fonts here and there and Media Center can’t see my tv tuner, altho other programs can…. MS needs better support for Outlook 2010 & Media Center!
Jboyer said on July 7, 2011
That is a relief. I wish they just put that option somewhere in the “Mail” section of the file menu.
Reddog said on July 28, 2011
Doesn’t work for everyone – Outlook 2010 has a flaw that means some people cannot resolve the problem using standard fixes.
I tried every option, including every suggestion from Microsoft, and the images refused to display – I only get the red X placeholder.
This will take a fix from Microsoft, but don’t hold your breath as they can take an age to fix non-threatening security issues.
I’m now asking each email sender to switch me to plain text versions of emails where available so I don’t miss out on information – so much for Windows 7 and Office 2010 being the best you can get… and don’t get me started on the botched Bluetooth implementation in Win7…
Tiss Lassad said on July 31, 2011
Very useful, thanks!
Donna DJ said on September 25, 2011
Thanks, great help on here!
Christine said on September 25, 2011
This fix did not work for me, either. Not sure why. Last week I had to uninstall & reinstall Outlook 2010. Ever since the reinstall, I get the red X for pics.
I hope there is another solution.
Tina said on September 25, 2011
These settings worked for me initially. But now, at least once a day, the images in emails stop showing up and appear as red x’s instead. And the only way to fix it is to restart the freaking computer. THAT is annoying. I was using Windows Live since it came with W7, but I was having the same issues with that–which is why I decided to purchase Outlook, thinking I just needed a “better” email program. HA. Now Outlook does the exact same thing, and I’ve spent a lot of money to buy the same stupid problem. Wonderful.
jeanius said on October 6, 2011
didn’t work for me.
10111993 said on October 11, 2011
There is definitely a flaw somewhere else. My work machine and laptop are configured to download pics with these instructions fine. Office 2010 on my home machine will not display images, even using these fixes. I uninstalled and reinstalled, but it still will not download pics with these settings. Something else is causing the images to be blocked, but I can’t find the answer.
les reen said on November 28, 2011
the check box is not checked and images will still not show up. Could it be security essentials?
Larry617 said on December 18, 2011
thanks for the great posting.. a logical explaination with step by step guide…why microsoft has to keep assuming we want all this and not even asking if we want to turn on or off is beyond me.
great post!
Wendy said on January 30, 2012
Yay! This seems to fix yet another annoying 2010 problem. Thanks!