How to embed image into Windows Live Mail (Win 7) email signature?

Question

I have tried doing the steps here: http://www.timeatlas.com/email/general/create_image_signatures_in_windows_mail_or_live_mail

However I don't like having to uncheck the "Block images" box in the Security tab in Safety Options, because I believe this is weakening the security of the email client.

Is there way to have images in email signatures in Windows Live Mail without having to weaken the security?

Note, I have tried embedding an image into html using Base64 encoding but Windows Live Mail declares that the signature is "too large" and truncates the signature to remove the image.

Solution

You need to use the path to the image, rather than the image itself.

See this article for step-by-step instructions:
Create Image Signatures in Windows Mail or Live Mail.

The steps are :

1. Create a HTML Signature Source File
2. Link the HTML file to your Email Signature
3. Fix Windows Live Mail Signature Image
4. You may need to go to Tools > Safety Options... > Security Tab > Download Images section, to uncheck Block Images

Comments

[avirk]

How about this tutorial. However I'm not using the windows live mail but I'll check the compatibility of the article and tell you. If you got problem let me know.

[avirk]

Also see this video and check other videos uploaded by the same user.

[CJ7]

Please see in the question where I have stated that I don't want to do step 4 because I think it weakens the security of the mail client. Is there way to achieve this without step 4?

[harrymc]

It might work with Block Images on, just try and see. The security problem with images is usually the parameters that are appended to them. However, today all major email clients get images without parameters. I myself don't see images as a danger, especially since I have installed both antivirus and anti-intrusion security products.

[CJ7]

It doesn't work with Block Images on. The main problem with images in emails is that if they are linked to external websites then senders of spam can learn your IP address.

[harrymc]

I use MailWasher as a pre-filter for my mail, so I never read any spam on my computer to start with. Advertising your IP address is not dangerous, since nobody can attack you thru your modem/router, which is by itself an excellent firewall, and then thru your own computer's firewall, unless you have unwisely turned on DMZ. The crooks know anyway your IP and maybe even your modem's model, since they know the block of iPv4 IP addresses allocated to your ISP thru the Internet Registry database.

[CJ7]

Ok, but then why is the mail client defaulted to block images? I would prefer to leave the default security settings alone.

[harrymc]

HTML signatures must be less than 4KB, so your only other option is to use a really small image in base64. Block Images was only supposed to apply to Internet images, so its applying to local ones is probably a MS bug. In any case, have you considered that if your recipients have the same default, they won't either be able to see the image in your signature? This works both ways.

[CJ7]

That's right, I didn't think of that, but there is an exception for people in your contacts. Can you get Windows Live Mail to add images to an email automatically in MIME format? That seems to be how Outlook does it although I don't have it so I'm not sure.

[harrymc]

I don't use Windows Live Mail (too limited for me), but this article seems to imply that you should put the signature into the Stationery Folder.

[avirk]

Does that not the same link which I have provide in my comment sir? :)