"pictures could not be found" in forwarded email

[Rick]

Fairly frequently, when I forward an email that contains an image, I get
this warning:

"One or more of the pictures in this message could not be found. When you
send this message the pictures will not be included. Are you sure you want
to send this message?"

Any idea why this is happening? Thanks.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Make sure you don't have those pictures open in another program.

Gary VanderMolen

 

[Rick]

Thanks. No, I don't have the image open anywhere else. It's usually just a
small banner image included in an email from someone else. If I then
forward this email back to myself, I get the below warning. If I then say
yes, when the email is received it arrives with the standard warning "Some
pictures have been blocked to help prevent the sender from identifying your
computer. Click here to download pictures." I click here and it downloads
the picture that a minute ago it said it couldn't find.

I can't figure out why if Windows Mail can't find the picture, how does it
manage to send it anyway?

-- Perplexed

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Check your security settings:
Tools, Options, Security, uncheck "Do not allow attachments..."
and uncheck "Block images..."

Gary VanderMolen

 

[Guest]

Thanks, I had the same problem and followed your instructions and everything
works fine.
Joseph

 

[Guest]

I'm running Vista and get the same message. I tried to find the setting to
change,but it not like XP that I used to have. Any ideas?

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Great! Glad to have been of some help.

Gary VanderMolen

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

You can't find "Tools" on the toolbar of the main WinMail screen?
Make sure you're not in the message composition screen.

Gary VanderMolen

 

[Cal Bear '66]

Gary,

Maybe he needs to press ALT to see the Menu bar.

 

[Guest]

Thanks. I'm just learning Vista

You can't find "Tools" on the toolbar of the main WinMail screen?
Make sure you're not in the message composition screen.

Gary VanderMolen

 

[Guest]

Thanks, I'm just learning Vista.

You can't find "Tools" on the toolbar of the main WinMail screen?
Make sure you're not in the message composition screen.

Gary VanderMolen

 

[Rick]

Thanks. I don't want to disable these important security features. Ah, but
wait a minute: I think now I get what you're saying here. You're saying
that I'm blocking images in HTML mail. Then when I go to forward the email
to someone, WinMail sends the email **which does still have some sort of
pointer to the image that I've blocked**, but of course it can't find the
image because I've blocked it and it generates this message. Is that right?

But when the forwarded email is received, the recipient can receive my image
if they want to.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Yes, that's right. The error message saying the image "could not be found"
is misleading. It really means the image is blocked by security settings.

Gary VanderMon

 

[Rick]

Yet when I say YES I do want to send the message, it clearly IS clearly sent
EITHER with the actual image OR with a pointer to the images, yes? This is
what's confusing. WinMail first acts as if it can't find the images but if
you agree to the send the email it does seem to send the image after all.

Because if my recipient is also blocking images he's then put in a similar
boat to what I was in a minute ago, and receives the counterpart message:
"Some pictures have been blocked..." Yet, if I haven't sent them (since
WinMail told me it couldn't find them), how could they even need to be
blocked on his end?

There's still a piece I don't get, probably about pointers and references...
Did I send out the image, or just a pointer to it, or none of the above?
Where is the image? Thanks!

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Comments interspersed.

Yet when I say YES I do want to send the message, it clearly IS clearly sent EITHER with the actual image OR with a pointer to
the images, yes?
Yes.

This is what's confusing. WinMail first acts as if it can't find the images but if you agree to the send the email it does seem
to send the image after all.

Which makes it similar to Vista's poorly named UAC (User Account Control).
You get warned, but if you persist, it lets you do it.

Because if my recipient is also blocking images he's then put in a similar boat to what I was in a minute ago, and receives the
counterpart message: "Some pictures have been blocked..." Yet, if I haven't sent them (since WinMail told me it couldn't find
them), how could they even need to be blocked on his end?

There's still a piece I don't get, probably about pointers and references... Did I send out the image, or just a pointer to it,
or none of the above? Where is the image? Thanks!

It depends on how the original message was composed. One can either
include the image, or simply have a reference to an image URL.

Gary VanderMolen

 

[Guest]

This is the one that helped. I had just about given up hope. I had them
opened in many programs as I tried all the ways to attach a picture. Thanks
for keeping on keeping on.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Glad to have helped.

Gary VanderMolen

This is the one that helped. I had just about given up hope. I had them
opened in many programs as I tried all the ways to attach a picture. Thanks
for keeping on keeping on.

 

[Guest]

Thank you, this has worked but does it not increase security risks?

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Yes, it does increase security risks somewhat, but there has to be
a trade-off between degree of security and usability. It's a matter
of judgment. Most of us can tell whether an attachment is suspect or
something we wanted and expected. For the few times we misjudge,
our antivirus should kick in and save us.

Gary VanderMolen

 

[Guest]

Check your security settings:
Tools, Options, Security, uncheck "Do not allow attachments..."
and uncheck "Block images..."

Gary VanderMolen