Receiving "blank" emails with Windows Mail

[ThumperGT]

I don't think anyone else has posted about this previously (and apologies if they have) but I wondered if any other members here had noticed a recurrent problem with Windows (Live) Mail?

I am a PC user with Windows Live Mail as my email managing software. With the introduction of Vista and then Windows 7, and the associated demise of Outlook Express, Windows Mail is effectively the default package for PC owners. However, from time to time I receive emails from contacts, friends and others that appear totally blank. I can see the subject line, and who it's from, but the preview pane, and then the email message itself, is completely blank.

However, if I "reply" or "forward" the message, and click the option that converts the message to "plain text", the content miraculously appears. (I discovered this purely by chance, after accusing someone of sending me a blank message!) After this had happened a number of times (and it's now fairly regular) I did a bit of investigation, and determined that all these blank emails were coming from people using Apple notebooks, iPads and desktops.

What I have to assume is that there is something in the coding of an HTML format email created by a Mac computer that is incompatible with Windows Mail.

Using the sizeable membership here on RootsChat, I wondered how many others had come across this problem?  I have asked some of my contacts and several have admitted to receiving similar blank emails - although nobody else had identified the link with Macs. If I can establish that it is an inherent incompatibility, then Apple or Microsoft might be persuaded to do something about it.

Mind you, it's not the only problem with Windows Mail, but let's tackle issues one at a time . . . 

[millymcb]

Hi

I use windows mail and do sometimes get random mails...  but not random ones like you.
Sometimes if my internet is slow or not quite connected yet,  it lists the emails as received (all of them)  in the left hand side - but the preview screen is blank and the same when I try to open them.  When the connection resolves itself it comes back and the messages appear.

Also - I get ones which only show text and I have to click a link on the top of the mail to "show pictures" - although I don't think that is what you are talking about.

I have not noticed a link with sender techology.

Milly

[Billyblue]

 Well, I use Hotmail, which of course is now MS controlled, and the same things happen.
Sometimes when I right click it will give 'show picture' as an option, but then it doesn't always show the picture.
I too discovered by chance, that the way to see these emails is to hit reply.  Which is really rather stupid and you'd think all those whizzos at MS and Apple and wherever, who must know of the situation, could fix it, wouldn't you?

Dawn M     

[a chesters]

Dawn, MS V Apple is equal to Catholics V Prodestants in Northern Ireland, or Sunni V Sheites in Iraq.

Never the twain shall meet for any reason

A Chesters

[Billyblue]

                         

Dawn M

[ThumperGT]

Well, I'm relieved to know I'm not alone! 

[purplekat]

My daughter uses windows 7 and had a similar problem recently, any new windows she opened in Windows explorer were blank.  She downloaded windows IE 9 and this fixed it.  Not sure if it is the problem or cause as yours but I'll post this anyway just  in case it helps.

[ThumperGT]

My daughter uses windows 7 and had a similar problem recently, any new windows she opened in Windows explorer were blank.  She downloaded windows IE 9 and this fixed it.  Not sure if it is the problem or cause as yours but I'll post this anyway just  in case it helps.

Thanks Purplekat, but that sounds like a different issue. Glad it's fixed though.

[ManFromOz]

 
To ThumperGT
 
Just found this thread today. It's been a while. Did you get to the bottom of it?
 
Here's my experience...
 
On a Vista system with Windows Mail, I suddenly began getting a number of "blank" emails, except that their size suggested that they were not empty. From, Date, To and Subject all appear normal - it's just the content or message itself that appears void.
 
The other symptom common to all these emails - if I "Reply" or "Forward", I cannot place the cursor in the message area.
 
Had not tried conversion to Plain Text within Windows Mail, but I did discover that if I "Saved As" an eml file, then copied the email to an XP system, the messages opened normally when using Outlook Express 6.
 
So far does this parallel your issue?
 
If so, some further findings that may be of interest if you haven't already worked it out...
 
(1) Several people blame antivirus programs, specifically McAfee and Norton. I can't prove them wrong, but I have not been able to find evidence in my Norton logs of these emails being affected. Furthermore, a possible pattern (see point 3) suggests to me that it's not Norton.
 
(2) What browser do you use? I have seen one forum where someone has emphatically claimed that this and other problems with Windows Mail stem from incompatibility with IE9. (And one suggested workaround is to revert to IE7/IE8.) Once again, I don't have proof. However, I have noticed that ALL cases of "blank" emails that I have received came after I upgraded from IE8 to IE9. Coincidence or cause? I may get around to uninstalling IE9 to see.
 
(3) Your Apple association is interesting, but for now I am inclined to rank that third as the probable cause in my case. Why? Well the dozen or so not-really-blank emails that I have received have all come from only two sources. The last two such emails, just in the last few days, came from Symantec/Norton Tech Support. ALL PRIOR ONES were from a particular department at Microsoft! OK, maybe MS staff are covertly using Apple equipment? For now, my assumption is that some mail programs or servers produce an email format that is different to 99% of the emails that I receive, and WinMail (possibly when in conjunction with IE9) can't cope.