Outlook 2003 takes longer than expected to populate the preview pane when you receive an encrypted e-mail message

When you receive or click an encrypted e-mail message in Outlook 2003, the preview pane is unresponsive. Additionally, Outlook appears to stop responding (hang). After an unexpectedly long time, you receive the following expected message in the preview pane:

To resolve the problem in which you receive the expected message after an unexpectedly long time, apply the hotfix that is described in Microsoft Knowledge Base article 935411. Then, add the DisableEncryptedMessagePreview entry to the registry.

How to obtain the hotfix

This issue is fixed in the Outlook 2003 post-Service Pack 3 Hotfix Package that is dated December 7, 2007. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

How to enable the hotfix

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall the operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

To enable this hotfix, follow these steps:

1. Exit Outlook 2003.
2. Start Registry Editor.
   • In Windows Vista, click Start
     Collapse this imageExpand this image

     
     , type regedit in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
     
     
     Collapse this imageExpand this image

     
     If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Continue.
   • In Windows XP, click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
3. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Options\Mail
4. On the Edit menu, point to New , and then click DWORD Value.
5. Type DisableEncryptedMessagePreview, and then press ENTER.
6. Right-click DisableEncryptedMessagePreview, and then click Modify.
7. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
8. On the File menu, click Exit to exit Registry Editor.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

When this hotfix package is not installed, Outlook opens the encrypted e-mail message internally. The time that is required to open the e-mail message internally may include the time that is required to load items such as a large attachment or large amounts of body text. Then, Outlook checks the encryption status of the e-mail message. If the e-mail message is encrypted, you receive the following message in the preview pane: When this hotfix package is installed, Outlook checks the encryption status before it loads the e-mail message into memory. This process may potentially reduce the time that is required to load a large attachment or large amounts of body text. If the e-mail message is encrypted, you receive the following message in the preview pane: