1. Check Your Internet Connection

Let’s start with the basics, shall we? If your internet connection is slow or unstable, the Windows Mail app may fail to process your emails correctly and display raw HTML data instead. Hence, the first thing you should do is check your internet connection by running an internet speed test on your PC.

2. Disable and Re-Enable Mail Sync

Sync issues with the Mail app could also prevent it from displaying emails correctly. If it’s nothing major, you should be able to fix the issue by simply disabling and re-enabling sync for your email account.

  1. Open the Mail app on your PC. Click the gear icon in the bottom left corner and select Manage accounts from the menu that appears on your right. 
  2. Select your email account to open its settings.
  3. Click on Change mailbox sync settings.
  4. Under Sync options, disable the toggle for Email and then re-enable it after a few seconds. 

3. Remove and Re-Add Your Account

Another thing you can do is remove your account from the Mail app and add it back. This should force the Mail app to retrieve all of your emails from the server, resolving any issues caused by improper loading. Here’s how you can go about it. 

  1. In the Mail app, click the settings icon in the bottom left corner.
  2. Select Manage accounts from the right pane.
  3. Click on your email account to open its settings.
  4. Select Delete account from this device. Once removed, restart the Mail app and add your account again.

4. Repair or Reset the Mail App

When an app like Mail starts behaving strangely, the built-in app repair tool in Windows 11 can come in handy. You can use this tool to scan the Mail app for common issues and apply the necessary fixes.

  1. Press the Windows key + S to open the search menu. 
  2. Type Mail in the search box. Right-click on the first result and select App settings.
  3. Scroll down to the Reset section and click the Repair button. Once the Mail app is repaired, check if it still shows your emails as HTML code. If it does, you can try resetting the app to its default state from the same menu. 

5. Temporarily Disable Third-Party Antivirus Program

It’s always a good idea to protect your computer with a solid antivirus program. However, these programs can sometimes get too cautious and prevent apps like Windows Mail from loading properly. To check for this possibility, temporarily disable your antivirus program and then try to use the Mail app again. 

6. Update the Mail App

Using an outdated version of the Mail app can also result in such anomalies. To avoid them, you need to ensure that the Mail app on your PC is updated to the most recent version. Open up the Microsoft Store app, navigate to the Library tab, and click the Get updates button in the top right corner. If a newer version of the Mail app is available, click the Update button to install it. 

7. Reinstall the Mail App

If updating the Mail app does not help, your next best option is to reinstall it. Doing so should remove any corrupt or redundant app data from your PC and get things moving again. 

  1. Press the Windows key + S to open the search menu and type Mail in the search box. Right-click on the first result and select Uninstall.
  2. Select Uninstall again to confirm.  Once removed, head over to Microsoft Store app and install the Mail app again. 

8. Install Windows Updates

Keeping your Windows computer updated to the most recent version is always helpful. If the Mail app showing the HTML code issue is caused by a bug within Windows, it shouldn’t take long before Microsoft releases a fix.  Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app. Navigate to the Windows Update tab and click on Check for updates button in the top right corner.  Download and install pending updates and check if the issue is still there. 

Get Back to Reading Your Emails

It can be confusing if Windows 11 Mail app shows your email messages as HTML code. Thankfully, fixing the issue isn’t too difficult if you apply the above-mentioned tips. If you’re tired of dealing with such recurring issues, you might want to consider switching to a different email client, such as Microsoft Outlook.