Last Updated: November 12, 2025
ISSUE
When opening an email in classic Outlook, you see the error:
“Contacting the server for information.”
This issue occurred because the CDN URL was incorrectly using the file:// protocol instead of https://. In affected emails, the URL for the Smartlink images were using the file:// protocol instead of the https:// protocol.
To verify this issue, please do the following:
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Open the email in classic Outlook.
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On the ribbon, under the Move grouping, select More move actions, Other actions, then View source.
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Look for the URLs for the smartlink images or URLs with CDN in the path such as: src=file://res.public.onecdn.static.microsoft/assets/fluentui-resources/1.1.0/app-min/assets/item-types/20_2x/pptx.png.
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The URLs should have the https:// protocol such as: src=https://res.public.onecdn.static.microsoft/assets/fluentui-resources/1.1.0/app-min/assets/item-types/20_2x/pptx.png
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STATUS: FIXED
This issue is addressed with a service side change that is rolling out November 12, 2025. The fix ensures that CDN asset URLs included in new emails have the correct prefix as https:// instead of file://. The Outlook Team is investigating if any other fixes can be done from the client. We will update this topic as soon as we get any updates.
WORKAROUND
To work around the issue, delete the broken images next to the shared files in the email on your next reply. For example, the red x is for the pptx.png image that normally shows next to the PowerPoint file. Delete just that image for each occurrence that you see it in the email. Deleting the image does not delete the link to the file.
Another solution would be to start a new email thread and insert the file into it. Now that the service fix is implemented, the issue should not occur for new emails.
Or if it’s an option, another solution would be to reply to those emails in new Outlook or Outlook Web Access (OWA). This issue will not occur in either of those clients.
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See Also
Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in classic Outlook for Windows
