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The fix depends on what kind of image Outlook cannot show. If the picture is linked from a web address, check whether Outlook is blocking HTTP images through the BlockHTTPimages registry value. If the image is embedded in classic Outlook and the problem began after the May 12, 2026 updates, check for the documented Outlook issue and install the fixed build for your Office version and update channel.
First identify how the image is supplied
Outlook can show the same red X and “The linked image cannot be displayed” message for two different cases: an image loaded from a URL, or an image embedded in the message. The remedy for one does not necessarily fix the other.
- URL image: The email refers to an image hosted at a web address. Microsoft’s troubleshooting article identifies a blocked-image registry setting as a cause of this error in this case. Microsoft Learn: The Linked image cannot be displayed error in an Outlook email message
- Embedded image: The message contains the image as an embedded item, commonly referenced by a
cid:value. A separate issue affected embedded images in classic Outlook after the May 12, 2026 updates. Microsoft Support: Images are not displayed in emails, newsletters, or signatures in classic Outlook
If you are unsure which case applies, inspect the message source using the steps in the embedded-image section below before changing registry settings.
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Microsoft says the URL-image error can occur when BlockHTTPimages is set to 1. Its troubleshooting article describes a red X and a notice that Outlook prevented automatic picture download, followed by this error after the user selects Download Pictures. The article lists Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, and Microsoft 365 among applicable products; the symptom description focuses on Outlook 2010 and 2013.
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Check the setting before editing the registry
Only investigate this setting if the missing image is URL-sourced. Registry editing can cause problems if done incorrectly, so back up the registry first, as Microsoft recommends. The value may be in one of these locations, where x.0 represents the Office version-specific registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOfficex.0CommonHKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarepoliciesMicrosoftOfficex.0Common
Microsoft’s documented resolution is to remove the BlockHTTPimages value. Do not remove unrelated registry values. If you are not comfortable identifying the correct key and value, ask your IT administrator for help.
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If the value is under Policies
A value under the Policies path may be controlled by Group Policy rather than by a setting you can change locally. Microsoft warns that a policy refresh can restore the value. In that situation, contact your administrator to change the policy; deleting the value locally may not last.
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For embedded images in classic Outlook, check the 2026 issue
Microsoft documented a separate problem in which images in emails, newsletters, or signatures failed to display in all supported versions of classic Outlook after the May 12, 2026 updates. The error could read: “The linked image cannot be displayed. The file may have been moved, renamed, or deleted. Verify that the link points to the correct file and location.”
Confirm whether the message contains an embedded image
- Open the affected message in classic Outlook.
- Choose Move > Actions > Other Actions > View Source.
- In the source, find a
v:imagedatatag and inspect itssrcattribute for acid:value, such assrc=cid:image001.png@....
A cid: source is consistent with an embedded image and points to this issue’s diagnostic path, rather than the URL-image registry fix.
Install the fixed build for your version and channel
Microsoft marked the issue fixed in its June 5, 2026 notice. The listed fixed builds vary by Office version and, for some versions, update channel. Check Microsoft’s current known-issue notice and the installed product’s version and channel before deciding whether a listed build applies.
| Product/version | Fixed build information in Microsoft’s June 5, 2026 notice |
|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Version 2606 | Build 20120.15000 is listed; the notice says the fix is in Beta Channel with build 20120.20000 or later. |
| Microsoft 365 Version 2606 | Build 20131.20000 is listed. |
| Microsoft 365 Version 2605 | Build 20026.20118 is listed; the notice says the fix is in Current Channel with build 20026.20140. |
| Microsoft 365 Version 2604 | Build 19929.20202 is listed. |
| Microsoft 365 Version 2603 | Build 19822.20272 is listed. |
| Microsoft 365 Version 2602 | Build 19725.20370 is listed. |
| Microsoft 365 Version 2508 | Build 19127.20666 is listed. |
| Word 2016 | Build 5556.1004. |
| Word 2019 | Build 10417.20145. |
| Word 2021 | Build 14334.20714. |
| Word 2024 | Build 17932.20814. |
These are build identifiers from Microsoft’s notice, not a guarantee that every installation has the same update channel or rollout timing. Microsoft says original message images should display once the fix is installed. However, a reply or forwarded copy may permanently lack the image if it was not included in that copy; updating Outlook cannot restore an image that is absent from the message.
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If neither diagnosis fits
The two Microsoft articles establish these specific causes and the 2026 classic Outlook issue; they do not show that every broken image has the same cause. If the source is not a URL with the implicated setting and does not match the embedded-image issue, avoid changing registry values on speculation. Ask your organization’s support team to inspect the message source and Outlook version, or report the issue with the affected message and relevant details.
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