Outlook 2016 - chinese characters appearing in messages when replying/forwarding

Anonymous
2017-04-24T13:29:42+00:00

Hello,

I am investigating an issue with Outlook 2016 and seemingly random appearances of chinese characters in email messages when replying or forwarding. I have a Exchange 365 hybrid environment and O365 pro plus office installed on workstations.

I have not been able to pinpoint a common factor why or when this happens. It is possible to reproduce the issue by sending a plain text message to a O365 group and then reply/forward the same message > header information is transformed into "chinese" (I have no idea what they actually are) characters. This does not happen with all groups or senders which is why I am looking into Outlook at the moment.

I`ve tried to change Outlook settings: use UTF8 with mailto protocol, change the encoding settings to different options etc. without success. 

I`d like to hear how would you start to troubleshoot this issue?

BR,

Sam

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For home

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  1. Anonymous
    2018-07-08T14:44:54+00:00

    Devices:

    Samsung Galaxy S7 (Application Mail Samsung)

    iMac Mac OS Hight Sierra (Application Mail)

    PC Windows 10 Pro (Application Outlook 2016) like Surface Pro 3,

    lpad 2 IOS 9.3.5 (Application Mail)

    Synology Active Backup for Office 365 with DSM 6.2.

    Problems:

    IMac application Mail Loading emails to the server, does not respect the dates.

    Opening emails from iPad, I see the characters Chinese.

    Reset all devices, Ipad to the trash... old device.

    IMac... using Thunderbird.. all working good.

    Smartphone with Outlook. all working good.

    PC and Surface Pro 3 testing.

    Synology Active Backup for Office 365 Disabled).

    Languaje devices Spanish (Español)

    Note: Checking emails after write this post... Emails with characters Chinese, now with strange

    characters in Thunderbird client. In Outlook online I dont know.. I deleted all.

    Im sorry about my English.

    Pictures

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-07-25T19:27:25+00:00

    We are experiencing the same issue with Chinese characters with users of Office 2016 Home and Business version 1806 (Build 10228.20134).

    Further investigation revealed the client sending emails was using the following keyboard characters [ :-)   :)   :/   :P ]  to create emoticons. Which appears to be a bug in the creation of the emoticons code converting them to Chinese. We have requested staff to refrain from using the following   :-)   :)   :/   :P... while communicating with clients or other staff members.

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-08-25T11:21:55+00:00

    We are experiencing the same issue with Chinese characters with users of Office 2016 Home and Business version 1806 (Build 10228.20134).

    Further investigation revealed the client sending emails was using the following keyboard characters [ :-)   :)   :/   :P ]  to create emoticons. Which appears to be a bug in the creation of the emoticons code converting them to Chinese. We have requested staff to refrain from using the following   :-)   :)   :/   :P... while communicating with clients or other staff members.

    This may also affect iOS Version of Outlook. I only work with this App and have the same troubles if i`m forwarding mail with emoticons in the text. But i only see the chinese characters in iOS Mail App under „Sent Items“. In iOS Outlook App evertyhing seems to be ok, but my recipients get a chinese text.

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-09-04T12:39:34+00:00

    Hello,

    We are experiencing the same situation, and it not related with O365 Groups. this happens by just doing the follow:

    1-New email or reply in the Outlook for IOS App on a Iphone/Ipad , to a single person email's.

    2-receive the email in the native IOS App on another Iphone ou Ipad the hole email appear in Chinese. if it receives on a outlook App it appears fine.

    ...!!!!

    any (reasonable) explanation for this behavior?

    Best regards,

    Raul Leal

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  5. Anonymous
    2018-09-05T18:14:12+00:00

    I received and forwared a html email with O365. The receiver's Gmail read with an iPhone was in Chinese.

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