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Imap not downloading Inline Images from Gmail

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To Summarize: My client sends to my gmail address a lot of emails with inline images. When I read the email in Thunderbird, the images are not there.


Here is what I see...

The client utilizes an Exchange/Outlook solution (don't know if that is relevant). They send emails to my gmail account with inline images. I run Thunderbird/Imap on my pc to manage my email.

If you look at the email in Gmail via a browser, the inline image does not show inline. Instead I see inline the CID tag (e.g. [cid:image001.png@01CFA680.9AB729F0]). The image is there, but it is available as an attachment.

When Thunderbird/Imap brings down the email, the image attachment does not come down. I see the CID tag in the body of the email; that is all.


Here is my best guess as to what is going on...

Th original email has "Content-Type: multipart/mixed", and the CID tag. When the email is received by Gmail, Gmail extracts the inline image content and makes it an attachment. When Thunderbird/Imap gets the email, it does not recognize the presence of the attached image. If the Content-Type was multipart/related, maybe it would, dunno. There is no image attachment when I read it in Thunderbird. By extracting the inline images, did gmail need to also change the content-type? dunno

It seems as of the original email sent by Exchange/Outlook is valid. Gmail is obviously getting the inline image, as I can see it there as an attachment. I have verified the Thunderbird/Imap settings recommended by Gmail. I have Thunderbird configured to show images inline. I have been through various Thunderbird forums/issues, and updated the config about fetching by chunks, as recommended. I posted question for help there as well.

My analysis of what is going on can be way off, so if it is, just ignore it. The bottom line is that the inline images are not making it thru gmail down to thunderbird via imap.

thanks

To Summarize: My client sends to my gmail address a lot of emails with inline images. When I read the email in Thunderbird, the images are not there. Here is what I see... The client utilizes an Exchange/Outlook solution (don't know if that is relevant). They send emails to my gmail account with inline images. I run Thunderbird/Imap on my pc to manage my email. If you look at the email in Gmail via a browser, the inline image does not show inline. Instead I see inline the CID tag (e.g. [cid:image001.png@01CFA680.9AB729F0]). The image is there, but it is available as an attachment. When Thunderbird/Imap brings down the email, the image attachment does not come down. I see the CID tag in the body of the email; that is all. Here is my best guess as to what is going on... Th original email has "Content-Type: multipart/mixed", and the CID tag. When the email is received by Gmail, Gmail extracts the inline image content and makes it an attachment. When Thunderbird/Imap gets the email, it does not recognize the presence of the attached image. If the Content-Type was multipart/related, maybe it would, dunno. There is no image attachment when I read it in Thunderbird. By extracting the inline images, did gmail need to also change the content-type? dunno It seems as of the original email sent by Exchange/Outlook is valid. Gmail is obviously getting the inline image, as I can see it there as an attachment. I have verified the Thunderbird/Imap settings recommended by Gmail. I have Thunderbird configured to show images inline. I have been through various Thunderbird forums/issues, and updated the config about fetching by chunks, as recommended. I posted question for help there as well. My analysis of what is going on can be way off, so if it is, just ignore it. The bottom line is that the inline images are not making it thru gmail down to thunderbird via imap. thanks

Chosen solution

Thanks for the reply. Good News & Bad News.

- bad news, that did not help.
- good news, I got a reply from the gmail support forums that resolved things, as follows.

With Outlook/Exchange senders, it is very common for messages to be sent in Microsoft's proprietary TNEF format ("winmail.dat"). Gmail's web interface can extract the attachments from the TNEF blob, but Thunderbird cannot, unless you install an extension like Lookout.

So I installed the Thunderbird extension Lookout, and restarted. Low'n'behold, when I view the emails, the original inline images are now visible as attachments.

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All Replies (6)

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Read the attached analysis and it should help you:

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Images_in_messages_do_not_appear

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Thanks for the reply. I had seen that article , but when through it again checking settings. No difference. The issue still exists.

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Chosen Solution

Thanks for the reply. Good News & Bad News.

- bad news, that did not help.
- good news, I got a reply from the gmail support forums that resolved things, as follows.

With Outlook/Exchange senders, it is very common for messages to be sent in Microsoft's proprietary TNEF format ("winmail.dat"). Gmail's web interface can extract the attachments from the TNEF blob, but Thunderbird cannot, unless you install an extension like Lookout.

So I installed the Thunderbird extension Lookout, and restarted. Low'n'behold, when I view the emails, the original inline images are now visible as attachments.

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I'm glad you got it sorted out.

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Lookout did not work on the mac. Is there an extension that interfaces TB with gmail on the mac?