I've been struggling with this one for a while and could use some help.
As the title says, Outlook 2007 (standalone, not an Exchange client) stops responding for about 5 minutes when I try to open certain HTML emails.
Here's the behavior:
- When attempting to view a specific html message in the preview window, or attempting to open it, Outlook appears to hang.
- Outlook stops responding to any input except window actions (e.g. hide).
- Occasionally I've noticed some kind of popup message, but it's so quick I have no idea what it says.
- After about 5 minutes the preview/message displays and Outlook resumes and works fine until the message is re-selected/opened.
- Stops blocking if I disconnect from the network and then doesn't happen any more while I'm off the network.
Here's the environment:
- Office 2007, fully up to date
- Running as a stand-alone. No Exchange server.
- Running on Windows 8
Here's what I've ruled out:
- .PST files aren't too big and have been run through the fixer.
- Up to date installation
- Tried disabling add-ins
- Still happens when running in Outlook's safe-mode
- Still happens in Windows SafeMode with networking
- I don't have Helvetica installed (it's a purported cause in some cases)
Based on my extensive searching and reading I'm thinking it's this: at the end of the email, outside the <html> block, there are some ad trackers such as this:
<img height="1" width="1" style="border-style:none;" src="//googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/viewthroughconversion/1001837251/? value=0&label=FqiuCJWt7AMQw6Xb3QM&guid=ON&script=0">
Note that the src is missing a leading "http:". A suggestion I came across is that the leading "//" has Outlook searching my network for the resource instead of the internet. Is this really possible? Seems like a bad security hole.
I've notified the company sending the email. It's my opinion that the "fault" is on their end, but that Outlook should handle this better. If this is the cause, any way to stop it on my end?
Thanks so much!
-- Chris