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How to Fix Outlook Blank Email Bug | Body Messages Not Showing

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Published By Nilesh Kumar
Debasish Pramanik
Approved By Debasish Pramanik
Published On December 23rd, 2024
Reading Time 7 Minutes Reading
Category Error, MS Outlook

Is the body of email messages not showing in Outlook? Do you find Outlook blank email bug in your email account?

If so, then you have come to the right place!

Firstly, let us have a glance at Outlook in brief.

Outlook is the most trusted, professional, and reliable email client application. There is a large customer base for Outlook due to its easy and simple-to-use interface. It has multiple features and functionalities which is apt for users whether they are professionals or individuals.

Despite various features and functionalities of Outlook, there are some issues that the user faces. Today, users encounter unusual email issues such as disappearing email text and blank incoming messages, which cause discomfort and agitation.

The following is the screenshot of the user query regarding the ‘Outlook showing blank emails’ issue.

outlook showing blank emails issue

In the above scenario, the user faces the abrupt issue of ‘blank messages’ while opening the email which causes fear and anxiety amongst them.

Users have reported such instances and queries in various forums sites. Since both professionals and individuals use Outlook application, these email issues have become a concern. Although Outlook offers numerous features and functionalities. Users are now encountering blank email message bodies like a critical issue that requires immediate attention. So, in this article we will discuss various errors like this, reason behind it, and what are the ways to fix this Outlook errors.

Reasons Behind the Outlook Blank Email Bug

There are several factors which can cause Outlook to display blank emails. Let’s know these points in below section.

  • It can be due to HTML formatting issues which can prevent email content from showing.
  • Third-party add-ons may disrupt email display in Outlook.
  • If your Outlook version is outdated then it can cause rendering problems.
  • Having damaged PST file can lead to showing blank emails errors.
  • Incorrect display settings may make emails appear empty.

More errors of such kind are given as below:

email message body is blank in outlook

Methods to Fix the Issue of Outlook Blank Email Bug

The following are the methods to fix the issue of Outlook blank email bug:

  1. Manual Method
  2. Automated Method

Another issue blog: Cannot Start Microsoft Outlook Error

Manual Methods to Apply When Outlook Shows Blank Emails

There are various approaches via a manual method that can help to fix the issue of Outlook blank email bug. Here are the steps given below:

1) If the Outlook email message is fully blank, then try the below-listed technique

  • Firstly the user needs to disable the add-ins. This can be done by moving the cursor towards the menu bar, going to File>Options>Add-ins
  • Now, select COM Add-ins and then click on ‘Go’ to fix the issue of ‘email body not showing in Outlook’
  • Now, uncheck the add-ins which are not in use and then click on the ‘OK’ button

2) If the emails are in plain text then follow the technique as mentioned below

  • Go to File>Open>Mail>Stationery and Fonts
  • From ‘Composing and Reading plain text messages’, select Font>Font Color>Choose Automatic option

3) There was Outlook blank email bug addressed by Microsoft that was later fixed by a patch

For this, we simply need to update the Outlook app:

  1. Run the Outlook app.
  2. Go to File, then Office Account, then Product Information
  3. Click on Update Options, then select Update Now.
  4. Once the update is done, you’ll see the “You’re up to date” message.
  5. Close all apps and restart Outlook to address your problem.

4.) You can Repair PST File Using ScanPST.exe

  • Firstly, find the ScanPST.exe tool on your system and double click on it.

open scanpst

  • You can found at this location – C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\OfficeXX.
  • Next, open it and click on Browse option to select your PST file.

browse the damage pst file

  • Now, click Start to start the process of repairing your file.

scanning process is started

  • At last, restart your Outlook application and check if the issue is fixed or not.

5.) Clear Outlook Cache

By, following this steps you can solve Outlook blank email bug problem in a small period of time.

  • Firstly, you need to close your Outlook application.
  • Then, go to this location – C:\Users[Your Username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook.
  • After this, you have to delete all files present inside (don’t delete the folder).
  • Now, reopen Outlook to rebuild the cache data.

If any of the above mentioned techniques don’t work then, move to the professional automated tool for the solution to this issue.

Another error blog: MS Outlook Error 0x800CCC0F

Solve Outlook Blank Email Bug Error – Automated Method

The automated method Outlook PST Repair Tool is the most reliable and preferred technique to fix the Outlook blank email bug.

The following are the steps to recover the corrupted or blank emails using the automated method:

  • Install and Launch the repair software.
  • Click on the ‘Add File’ button.

If you have exported the Outlook mailbox to a PST file, then select it a follows:

scan mode

  • You can click on the ‘Select File’ radio button and browse the PST files using the ‘’ button.
  • Browse the PST files and then click on the ‘Open’ button.
  • The source file is now displayed in the textbox corresponding to the browse button.

If you do not know the location of PST file, do the following:

search outlook email file

  • You can select the ‘Search Selected Drive’ to get all the PST files stored in the particular hard drive. Then, click on ‘Search’ button.
  • After the search completes, click on ‘OK‘ button.
  • You can select ‘Search All Drives’ to get all the PST/BAK files stored in all the drives. Then, click on ‘Search’ button.
  • After the search completes successfully, you can click on ‘OK‘ button.
  • You can now view all the PST files in the software window.
  • In the ‘Add File’ window, you can select ‘Search File’ radio button and browse for the PST files.
  •  The textbox corresponding to the browse button displays the location path of the PST files.

If your Outlook mailbox having blank emails issue is using OST file, then opt to rebuild corrupt Outlook OST file.

  • There are two scanning mode:
    • Quick Scan: Provides faster recovery of PST files.
    • Advance Mode: It ensures deep data recovery task.
  • After making a choice, click on ‘Add’ button.
  • The scanning process of PST files would begin now.
  • After the scanning process completes, you can click on ‘Yes‘ to save the scan.
  • You can view your PST files in multiple view modes including Normal Mail, Hex, Properties, Message Header, and more.

preview data

Note: If you can view your email messages in this preview window without any issues, it signifies that the software is capable of recovering your Outlook blank emails bug. Thus, you can proceed with the method. But, if the tool also displays blank emails as it is, then this method is not feasible in your case.

  1. In the software window, the bold folders depict the mailbox with PST files whereas normal folders represent empty folders.
  2. You can identify recovered deleted email items by their red color.
  3. You may now select ‘Export’ button to migrate all the PST files or select PST files and then export.
  4. In the opened window, choose ‘PST’ as export type.
  5. Click on ‘Advanced Settings’ and then provide the details as below:
  • PST Split Option: Specify to split the size of the PST file.
  • Date Filter Option: Set the date range as desired to export them.
  • Categories: Select the category which you want to export

Then, click on ‘Save’ button.

  1. After saving the categories, then click on OK button.
  2. Now, Browse your PST files to the destination location.
  3. Check on the options given at the bottom of the window like Maintain Folder Hierarchy, Don’t Export Empty Folder and many more.
  4. Lastly, click on ‘Export’ button to save the PST files into the destination location.

select pst to export

Do try the free demo version first to see the results.

Final Thoughts

This blog provides an overview of Outlook and discusses user inquiries about blank emails, and presents potential solutions to the issue. The manual method is simple and easy to perform and gives desirable results in most cases. However, if it is unable to fix the email message body is blank in Outlook issue, then the automated method can help you in quick deep data recovery with complete data integrity.

  author

By Nilesh Kumar

As a Chief Technical Writer, I know the technical issues faced by home and professional users. So, I decided to share all my knowledge via this blog. I love to help you with challenges while dealing with technical jargon.