I see a red x instead of a picture in an email

If I had asked the red x question, I would mean that I often get what are supposed to be pictures in an email, but all I see is a big blank square with a little red x (in a little square) in the upper left hand corner. I think that someone told me this...

means I don't have the program that it was created in...is there something I can do to translate the picture into something the computer will read?

MAYBE THIS WILL HELP
Q: I can't seem to get any attachments in my email. Outlook Express says that it removed unsafe attachments from my email. How can I start getting attachments again?
A: Constant bombardment from internet villains makes me wonder if WWW actually stands for Wild, Wild West! We yearn for safe browsing. We long to send and receive email without being harassed. That's why we install anti-virus software and firewalls. That's why browsers and email programs have security settings.
But sometimes, too much security can cause other problems. Anyone who has upgraded to Outlook Express 6 or bought a new computer may be experiencing an error message like this:
Outlook Express removed access to the following unsafe attachments in your mail...
Why is this happening? When faced with mysterious problems, blame it on Microsoft!
By default, the Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus option (hereafter called DNAATBSOOTCPBAV) is enabled in OE 6. When this virus-protection feature is on, OE uses Explorer's unsafe file list to determine if a file is safe. Any e-mail attachment with a file type that is considered unsafe is not downloaded, and access to the attachment is removed.
The unsafe file list includes any file types that may have script or code associated with them. Thus, you may find that you can't receive the pictures from your cousin's wedding, or the mp3 of your grandson's first words. All is not lost...you can avoid this problem by turning off the DNAATBSOOTCPBAV option.
Start Outlook Express. On the Tools menu, click Options.

The red x means that the link points to a picture that is not there. Sometimes someone will want to send you a picture and instead they send you their shortcut to the picture, since your computer doesn't know where the picture is it will show you a red x. If the attachment size says Picture Name.jpg (1K) that is not a picture.

sometimes it helps if you clik on it and then you can clik show picture