Disable Outlook Express

[goldtech]

Hi,

Is there any way to completely disable Outlook Express? Every time I
accidentally click on a newsgroup link or a mail link Outlook Express
opens. These days many people like myself use web-based tools for
email and newsgroups. How do I disable Outlook Express?

I'll do a registry hack if there's no other way...just tell me how
please. Thanks.

XP SP3, IE7


Lee G.

 

[Bruce Hagen]

Hi,

Is there any way to completely disable Outlook Express? Every time I
accidentally click on a newsgroup link or a mail link Outlook Express
opens. These days many people like myself use web-based tools for
email and newsgroups. How do I disable Outlook Express?

I'll do a registry hack if there's no other way...just tell me how
please. Thanks.

XP SP3, IE7

Lee G.

[Crossposted to OE General]

Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs | Add/Remove Windows Components. Uncheck
Outlook Express.

Whatever program you use for e-mail should be made the default e-mail
client.

Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs | Set Program Access and Defaults |
Custom + Down Arrow | Select the radio button for the program you use.

 

[Mick Murphy]

Start>Control Panel>Add/Remove Programs>Add/Remove Windows Components>Select
Outlook express, etc

 

[Kayman]

Hi,

Is there any way to completely disable Outlook Express? Every time I
accidentally click on a newsgroup link or a mail link Outlook Express
opens. These days many people like myself use web-based tools for
email and newsgroups. How do I disable Outlook Express?

I'll do a registry hack if there's no other way...just tell me how
please. Thanks.

XP SP3, IE7

http://www.windowsreference.com/int...xploreroutlook-express-from-windows-registry/

 

[Steve Cochran]

One can make the inbox.dbx file read only and OE then won't start.

steve

Hi,

Is there any way to completely disable Outlook Express? Every time I
accidentally click on a newsgroup link or a mail link Outlook Express
opens. These days many people like myself use web-based tools for
email and newsgroups. How do I disable Outlook Express?

I'll do a registry hack if there's no other way...just tell me how
please. Thanks.

XP SP3, IE7

Lee G.

[Crossposted to OE General]

Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs | Add/Remove Windows Components.
Uncheck Outlook Express.

Whatever program you use for e-mail should be made the default e-mail
client.

Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs | Set Program Access and Defaults |
Custom + Down Arrow | Select the radio button for the program you use.
--

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Is there any way to completely disable Outlook Express? Every time I
accidentally click on a newsgroup link or a mail link Outlook Express
opens. These days many people like myself use web-based tools for
email and newsgroups. How do I disable Outlook Express?

You've already gotten a couple of answers to your question, but I'll
make a couple of suggestions about your statement that "many people
like myself use web-based tools for email and newsgroups."

My point of view is that accessing either E-mail or newsgroups via a
web interface is far and away the worst possible way to do it. It's
the slowest, clunkiest, most error-prone method there is. I'm glad
that there is a web-based interface to my E-mail server, since I use
it--even though I don't like it--when I'm traveling and need to use a
public computer.

Bear in mind that Outlook Express comes with Windows XP, and is
therefore the only E-mail client or newsreader that many people have
tried. However there are many other choices for both E-mail and news,
and I think several of those choices are better. I strongly recommend
that you give them a try before you permanently settle on using a
web-based interface.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

What application should such links open in?

 

[Robert Aldwinckle]

Run... (e.g. press Win-R and enter)

msimn.exe /unreg

Note: I'm not sure how completely that can be undone.
Supposedly its reverse would do that

msimn.exe /reg

but when I did that I found that OE stopped being listed as an option
in XP's Set Program Access and Defaults Custom configuration.
(Run... control appwiz.cpl and click on and expand that list to see it
--before you use the /unreg command. <eg>)
Somehow (mysteriously) OE started appearing again there recently
but I don't have any idea what I would have done to have done that.
(In retrospect it might have been just installing XPsp3.)

Hmm... I suppose just expanding that Custom list and unchecking
Enable access to this program appropriately might have the same
effect as an explicit msimn.exe /unreg command. Haven't tested
that possibility.

; )



Or if you want to do the /unreg's effects more selectively,
switch to a cmd window (aka Command Prompt) and enter:

ftype | find /i "msimn"

then use the ftype command with each of those listed file types
to nullify them. In that case you might also want to issue
these two command pipelines to see if there are extensions
you would want to disassociate from the file types that you
were nullifying:

assoc | find /i "mail"

assoc | find /i "news"

In fact, I just realized that

ftype "Microsoft Internet Mail Message"=
and
ftype "Microsoft Internet News Message"=

probably don't work as nullifying commands,
(They seem to be too long for the command parser.)
nullifying the related assoc commands is probably
the most you could do manually for those file types.


FYI

Robert Aldwinckle
---

XP SP3, IE7

Lee G.

[Crossposted to OE General]

Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs | Add/Remove Windows Components. Uncheck
Outlook Express.

Whatever program you use for e-mail should be made the default e-mail
client.

Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs | Set Program Access and Defaults |
Custom + Down Arrow | Select the radio button for the program you use.
--

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA

 

[RI mom]

I use Outlook instead of Outlook Express (this is a work computer) and this
problem has bugged me as well. I was able to correct it on my home machine,
which had Vista, but at work, its XP, so no luck. My IT people can't get it
either and don't want me removing OE from the registry. Any other ideas would
be appreciated.

 

[RI mom]

I'm on my work computer (XP) and Outlook is our default mail program. This
has bothered me as well. I was able to fix this problem on my home machine,
which is Vista, but no luck here. My IT people won't allow me to remove OE,
so any other ideas would be appreciated.

 

[Bruce Hagen]

Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs | Add/Remove Windows Components. Uncheck
Outlook Express.

Whatever program you use for e-mail should be made the default e-mail
client.

Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs | Set Program Access and Defaults |
Custom + Down Arrow | Select the radio button for the program you use.

Also, if you make the Inbox.dbx file Read Only, OE won't even start.

In OE: Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder will reveal the location
of your Outlook Express files. Write the location down and navigate to it in
Windows Explorer or, copy and paste it into Start | Run.

In WinXP, Win2K & Win2K3, the OE user files (DBX and WAB) are by default
marked as hidden. To view these files in Windows Explorer, you must enable
Show Hidden Files and Folders under Start | Control Panel | Folder Options
Icon | View, or in Windows Explorer | Tools | Folder Options | View.

Close OE and find the Inbox.dbx file. Right Click | Properties. Check to
Read Only. This can be reversed at any time.
--

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA

 

[smlunatick]

I'm on my work computer (XP) and Outlook is our default mail program. This
has bothered me as well. I was able to fix this problem on my home machine,
which is Vista, but no luck here. My IT people won't allow me to remove OE,
so any other ideas would be appreciated.

Outlook Express will not be removal completely as it is "built" into
IE 6, which was the base of Windows Explorer hence it is too
integrated in XP.

Just remove all "account" in OE. If no account, every time you access
OE, it will request you to create an account.

BTW: It seems that Outlook can not be used to access
"newsgroups." (not sure.)

Also, it seems that Windows 7 will not have a built-in email programs.

 

[Bob I]

Outlook Express will not be removal completely as it is "built" into
IE 6, which was the base of Windows Explorer hence it is too
integrated in XP.

Just remove all "account" in OE. If no account, every time you access
OE, it will request you to create an account.

BTW: It seems that Outlook can not be used to access
"newsgroups." (not sure.)

Correct, Outlook actually fires off OE to handle newsreading.

 

[RI mom]

Sorry for the double post.
Outlook is set as my default e-mail. I will discuss the other options with
our IT dept. so as not incur their wrath if something goes wrong.
Thanks for all your help.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

You need to configure OL (and OE-as-newsreader-only) properly. The
following is based on OL 2003 but it should work for OL 2007 AFAIK.
=======
HOW TO properly set up Outlook for Mail and Outlook Express for News

A. Set the defaults to use Outlook Express to access Newsgroups:

1. Control Panel | Internet Options | Programs | Newsgroups | Select Outlook
Express and OK your way out;

2. IMPORTANT! As counterintuitive as it sounds, do not let Outlook or
Outlook Express let themselves set to the default newsreader:

a. Start Outlook Express to access news. When OE prompts you to make it
your default newsreader the next time you launch it, click the "Don't ask me
again" box and then click the "No" button;

b. Close Outlook Express and start Outlook. When it asks whether you
want to set Outlook as your default mail and news handler choose "No".
Leave Outlook open and continue to the next section.

3. Set the Outlook Toolbar:

a. Choose View | Toolbars | Customize*;

b. Select the Commands tab;

c. From the Categories list select "Go";

d. From the Commands list select "News" and drag & drop it to any place
you want on the Toolbar. The default location is in the "Go" menu.

e. Press Close to return to Outlook.

*Not seeing the News option in Customize? Choose View | Toolbars | Customize
| Toolbars (tab) | Select Menu Bar and press Reset | Start again from #3
above.

B. Start Outlook Express as Newsreader from a shortcut

1. Copy the following line to your clipboard (CTRL+C):

"C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\msimn.exe" /newsonly

2. Right click on an empty area of your Desktop and choose New > Shortcut;

3. Paste the contents of your clipboard (CTRL+V) into the "Type the location
of the item" box;

4. Press Next;

5. Type a name for the shortcut (e.g., Newsreader);

6. Press Finish and your shortcut will be created. You can drag & drop this
shortcut to anywhere you want (e.g., Quick Launch toolbar, Shortcuts section
of the Navigation Pane in Outlook 2003).

Freely adapted from http://www.sparnaaij.net/Faq/news.htm and
http://www.slipstick.com/emo/2004/up040122.htm#news

 

[Steve Cochran]

As Bruce indicated, if you make the inbox.dbx file (hidden) read only, then
OE will not start.

steve

 

[Richard]

I use Outlook instead of Outlook Express (this is a work computer) and this
problem has bugged me as well. I was able to correct it on my home
machine,
which had Vista, but at work, its XP, so no luck. My IT people can't get
it
either and don't want me removing OE from the registry. Any other ideas
would
be appreciated.

Ever try renaming the Program. If you want it back you just
rename it back to the correct name. It might work. I've done
it with other programs.

Richard

 

[R. McCarty]

As long as Windows File Protection ( SFC ) is monitoring XP renaming
the OE app,msimn.exe will be quietly replaced with one from the dllcache
or the ServicePackFiles location.