An X on the confirmation page means the photo never landed.

Failed upload is not a visa refusal

An X means CEAC did not keep a digital image. It does not mean the visa was refused. The usual instruction is: go to the interview with the confirmation page and one printed photograph that meets the 2×2 rules (white or off-white background, taken within six months, no glasses unless you have a signed medical statement).

Ask that embassy or consulate how they take the print. Some windows want it loose. Some want it attached. Do not assume every post wants a print when a face already shows in the box — that is a different case, usually just a cheap preview.

Still try to fix the digital file

If you have not submitted, retrieve the application and upload a file that actually meets the digital rules: square JPEG, 600–1200 px, 240 kB or less, sRGB, head 50–69% chin to crown. Then print a new confirmation. That is cleaner than arriving with only paper.

If you already submitted and the box is still an X, do not burn the appointment over it. Bring the print. A new DS-160 is only worth it when the post tells you they need a new confirmation with a photo in the box.

The print is a paper product

The $17 sheet is six 2×2 photos on a 4×6 with cut guides. That is for the window, not a substitute for a digital upload you can still replace. The check itself is free. The unwatermarked JPEG and spec report is $12.

Questions

Can I still attend the interview with an X on the confirmation?

Yes, under the usual State Department photo FAQ: bring one printed photo that meets the rules, plus the confirmation page. Confirm with that post if their site says otherwise.

The photo looks blurry, not like an X. Is that the same?

No. Soft pixels with a face in the box usually mean the upload worked.

CEAC rejected the file before I ever got a confirmation.

That is the upload failing in the portal, not an X on a finished form. See photo rejected.