User getting error "some of the files in this web page aren't in the expected location" when opening new emails in Outlook Classic

Question

User getting error "some of the files in this web page aren't in the expected location" when opening new emails in Outlook Classic

Schoedel, Daniel 0

A user reported that she get the error message "some of the files in this web page aren't in the expected location" when she creates a new email in Outlook Classic. I have done the following:

I have deleted all signatures
I deleted the normalemail.dotm
I created a new mail profile

She does not get the error if I change the default file format to Rich Text. I also get the error if I try to look at items under Outlook Options\Mail.

Hopes email error

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Answer accepted by question author

Josh Williams 80

Had the same issue with 3 users. My fix was
Open Outlook classic.

Select File → Options.
Select Mail.
Under Compose messages, select Stationery and Fonts.
On the Personal Stationery tab, select Theme.
Choose**(No Theme)**.
Select OK through all windows.
Close Outlook completely, reopen it, and test a new email.

Josh Williams 80 Reputation points

2026-09-11T13:45:45.25+00:00

Also check their signature to make sure its not pointing to any sharepoint or Onedrive locations.
Schoedel, Daniel 0 Reputation points

2026-09-11T13:52:09.7233333+00:00

So this is interesting, I was playing with this solution on my system and when I changed the theme. I got this error. Once I changed it back to No Theme, the error went away. I will reach out to my end user and try this.
Schoedel, Daniel 0 Reputation points

2026-09-11T13:57:19.7766667+00:00

This fixed my user's issue. Thank you so much!

1 additional answer

Your answer

Josh Williams 80 Reputation points

2026-09-11T13:45:45.25+00:00

Also check their signature to make sure its not pointing to any sharepoint or Onedrive locations.
Schoedel, Daniel 0 Reputation points

2026-09-11T13:52:09.7233333+00:00

So this is interesting, I was playing with this solution on my system and when I changed the theme. I got this error. Once I changed it back to No Theme, the error went away. I will reach out to my end user and try this.
Schoedel, Daniel 0 Reputation points

2026-09-11T13:57:19.7766667+00:00

This fixed my user's issue. Thank you so much!

Answer 1

Dear Schoedel, Daniel,

Thank you for providing the troubleshooting steps you've already completed.

Since the message only appears when using HTML format and does not occur when the default message format is changed to Rich Text, this suggests that Outlook may be attempting to load an HTML-related resource, such as a stationery file, theme, image, or other web content that is no longer available or cannot be accessed.

Firstly, to help narrow down the cause, could you please clarify a few points?

Is the issue occurring only for this user, or do other users experience the same behavior?
If you create a brand-new blank HTML email containing only plain text, does the warning still appear?
Does the issue follow the user when signing into Outlook on another computer?
Does the same issue occur when creating a new email in Outlook on the web (OWA)?
Are other users in your organization experiencing the same issue?

As additional troubleshooting, please try the following:

Step 1: Start Outlook in Safe Mode

Right-click the Start button and click Run > type: Outlook.exe /safe and test creating a new email.

Step 2: Disable all COM Add-ins

Outlook > File > Options > Add-ins > Manage: COM Add-ins > Go > Uncheck all add-ins and restart Outlook

Step 3:

Check File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts and ensure that no custom stationery, theme, or background image is configured.

Also check: Right-click the Start button and click Run > type: %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Stationery > Rename the folder temporarily and test again.

Step 4: Check Internet Explorer / Edge Legacy HTML Settings

Open: Control Panel > Internet Options > Under: General > Browsing History > Delete > Clear: Temporary Internet Files and Cached Web Content > Then reset Internet Options to default settings.

Step 5: Repair the Outlook app

Go to Windows Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Outlook > ... > Advanced options > Repair. Otherwise, you can go to Control Panel > Programs and Features > Select Microsoft 365 Apps > Change > Online Repair

Moreover, if possible, according to my research, I recommend you try these:

Email is set to HTML
Changed the PNGs to JPGs
Kept only one image and deleted the rest
Removed the table layout template that Microsoft supplied
Removed all content originating from the Microsoft template.

Please try these steps and let me know the result. If you have any questions or if I have misunderstood anything, please feel free to reach out. I'm looking forward to your update.