How do I get Microsoft Outlook to be my default email?

[Guest]

I cannot get Microsoft Outlook to be my default email so I can import my
address book from Outlook Express.

 

[Nees]

Go to Start-> Control Panel-> Internet Options-> tab Programs and set the
dropdown list for E-mail to Miicrosoft Office Outlook.

Nees

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

Set it in Internet Explorer's tools, options, programs.

 

[neo [mvp outlook]]

Did you tried opening Internet Explorer, select Tools > Internet Options >
Programs tab and then set Microsoft Outlook as the default? If yes and it
still isn't working, are you getting any error messages when you try to set
Microsoft Outlook as the default e-mail program?

 

[Ginger]

I also have this same problem and none of these answers work. I can't even
find out how to open the mail dialog box. The only thing I've accomplished
so far is importing my contacts. I cannot send or receive.

 

[Ben M. Schorr - MVP (OneNote)]

Go to Internet Explorer, Tools | Internet Options | Programs and make
sure the default e-mail program is Microsoft Outlook.

If you want more detailed instructions you'll have to give me more
information about what versions of things you are using.

--
-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr, MVP
Roland Schorr & Tower
http://www.rolandschorr.com
http://www.officeforlawyers.com
Author - The Lawyer's Guide to Microsoft Outlook 2007:
http://tinyurl.com/5m3f5q

 

[Brian Tillman]

I also have this same problem and none of these answers work.

None of WHAT answers worked?

 

[Ginger]

Thank you for your response. I am using Windows Vista Home Premium and
install Office 2007. I've check the Internet Options and that is OK. My
email still keeps going to Windows Live.

Ginger Brown

 

[jcash1969]

I had the same problem using Vista Home Premium and Outlook 2000. Hopefully
my solution will also work for Outlook 2007.

The first thing I had to do, to be able to send and receive, was to enable
the Telnet program in Windows. Go to Control Panel, click on Programs, then
Turn Windows Features On or Off. Check the boxes next to Telnet Client and
Telnet Server (they were unchecked by default on my system), then click OK.
It will take a few minutes to install them, and it may require you to restart
your computer. Assuming all of your POP and SMTP settings are correct, you
should be able to send and receive now.

To use Outlook as your default mail program, or at least to use Outlook
whenever you click on a MAILTO: link, is a little more involved, and requires
you to change the Windows registry. Be very careful when doing this, as
incorrectly changing the registry can quickly turn your computer into a five
hundred dollar doorstop.

First create a system restore point. Go to Control Panel, click on System &
Maintenance, then click on System. In the left panel, click on System
Protection. It may take a few seconds for the "Create" button to become
active. When it is, click on Create to set a new restore point. Now, if you
happen to do something terrible, you can revert to that restore point and it
will be all better.

Next, open the Registry Editor. (Easiest way is to hold down the Windows
key and press R, type in regedit and press Enter) Press Ctrl-F to open the
Find dialogue. Enter the word "mailto" (without the quotes) and press enter.
Press F3 to repeat the search until the status bar at the bottom says
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto. In the left pane, click the arrow next to
mailto to expand it, then under mailto, expand where it says shell, then
expand open then click on command. Now the status bar should read
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto\shell\open\command. In the right pane,
double-click on (Default) to open it. Copy the value in the box and hit
cancel. You will need this value for the other locations. For my Outlook
2000, it reads "C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~3\Office\OUTLOOK.EXE" -c IPM.Note /m "%1"
Yours should be similar.

Press F3 to continue searching for "mailto" until the status bar shows
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WindowsMail.Url.Mailto, and then expand that in
the left pane like you did before so it shows
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WindowsMail.Url.Mailto\shell\open\command. Again,
double-click on (Default) in the right pane, but this time, paste in the
value you copied from the first one and click OK.

Press F3 to search again for "mailto" until the status bar reads
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\mailto. Once again, expand it
like before to open the shell\open\command entries in the left pane,
double-click on (Default) and once again, paste the value from earlier into
the box and hit OK.

Press F3 to search again for "mailto" until the status bar reads
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WindowsMail.Url.Mailto. And
again, do the expand thing and then the paste thing.

And once more, do it all again for the following key -
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Windows Mail\Protocols\mailto.

In effect, what you just did is allow the computer to think it is opening
Windows Mail, but you've replaced the command so that it opens Outlook
instead. You can now close the Registry Editor. Next time you click on an
email address in a webpage or in an email message, it should open a new
Outlook message window instead of a Windows Mail window.

Good luck, and let me know how it turns out.

Adam Garrison
(e-mail address removed)

 

[LJB]

I had the same problem using Vista Home Premium and Outlook 2000. Hopefully
my solution will also work for Outlook 2007.

The first thing I had to do, to be able to send and receive, was to enable
the Telnet program in Windows. Go to Control Panel, click on Programs, then
Turn Windows Features On or Off. Check the boxes next to Telnet Client and
Telnet Server (they were unchecked by default on my system), then click OK.
It will take a few minutes to install them, and it may require you to restart
your computer. Assuming all of your POP and SMTP settings are correct, you
should be able to send and receive now.

To use Outlook as your default mail program, or at least to use Outlook
whenever you click on a MAILTO: link, is a little more involved, and requires
you to change the Windows registry. Be very careful when doing this, as
incorrectly changing the registry can quickly turn your computer into a five
hundred dollar doorstop.

First create a system restore point. Go to Control Panel, click on System &
Maintenance, then click on System. In the left panel, click on System
Protection. It may take a few seconds for the "Create" button to become
active. When it is, click on Create to set a new restore point. Now, if you
happen to do something terrible, you can revert to that restore point and it
will be all better.

Next, open the Registry Editor. (Easiest way is to hold down the Windows
key and press R, type in regedit and press Enter) Press Ctrl-F to open the
Find dialogue. Enter the word "mailto" (without the quotes) and press enter.
Press F3 to repeat the search until the status bar at the bottom says
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto. In the left pane, click the arrow next to
mailto to expand it, then under mailto, expand where it says shell, then
expand open then click on command. Now the status bar should read
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto\shell\open\command. In the right pane,
double-click on (Default) to open it. Copy the value in the box and hit
cancel. You will need this value for the other locations. For my Outlook
2000, it reads "C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~3\Office\OUTLOOK.EXE" -c IPM.Note /m "%1"
Yours should be similar.

Press F3 to continue searching for "mailto" until the status bar shows
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WindowsMail.Url.Mailto, and then expand that in
the left pane like you did before so it shows
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WindowsMail.Url.Mailto\shell\open\command. Again,
double-click on (Default) in the right pane, but this time, paste in the
value you copied from the first one and click OK.

Press F3 to search again for "mailto" until the status bar reads
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\mailto. Once again, expand it
like before to open the shell\open\command entries in the left pane,
double-click on (Default) and once again, paste the value from earlier into
the box and hit OK.

Press F3 to search again for "mailto" until the status bar reads
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WindowsMail.Url.Mailto. And
again, do the expand thing and then the paste thing.

And once more, do it all again for the following key -
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Windows Mail\Protocols\mailto.

In effect, what you just did is allow the computer to think it is opening
Windows Mail, but you've replaced the command so that it opens Outlook
instead. You can now close the Registry Editor. Next time you click on an
email address in a webpage or in an email message, it should open a new
Outlook message window instead of a Windows Mail window.

Good luck, and let me know how it turns out.

Adam Garrison
(e-mail address removed)

 

[LJB]

I had the same problem using Vista Home Premium and Outlook 2000. Hopefully
my solution will also work for Outlook 2007.

The first thing I had to do, to be able to send and receive, was to enable
the Telnet program in Windows. Go to Control Panel, click on Programs, then
Turn Windows Features On or Off. Check the boxes next to Telnet Client and
Telnet Server (they were unchecked by default on my system), then click OK.
It will take a few minutes to install them, and it may require you to restart
your computer. Assuming all of your POP and SMTP settings are correct, you
should be able to send and receive now.

To use Outlook as your default mail program, or at least to use Outlook
whenever you click on a MAILTO: link, is a little more involved, and requires
you to change the Windows registry. Be very careful when doing this, as
incorrectly changing the registry can quickly turn your computer into a five
hundred dollar doorstop.

First create a system restore point. Go to Control Panel, click on System &
Maintenance, then click on System. In the left panel, click on System
Protection. It may take a few seconds for the "Create" button to become
active. When it is, click on Create to set a new restore point. Now, if you
happen to do something terrible, you can revert to that restore point and it
will be all better.

Next, open the Registry Editor. (Easiest way is to hold down the Windows
key and press R, type in regedit and press Enter) Press Ctrl-F to open the
Find dialogue. Enter the word "mailto" (without the quotes) and press enter.
Press F3 to repeat the search until the status bar at the bottom says
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto. In the left pane, click the arrow next to
mailto to expand it, then under mailto, expand where it says shell, then
expand open then click on command. Now the status bar should read
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto\shell\open\command. In the right pane,
double-click on (Default) to open it. Copy the value in the box and hit
cancel. You will need this value for the other locations. For my Outlook
2000, it reads "C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~3\Office\OUTLOOK.EXE" -c IPM.Note /m "%1"
Yours should be similar.

Press F3 to continue searching for "mailto" until the status bar shows
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WindowsMail.Url.Mailto, and then expand that in
the left pane like you did before so it shows
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WindowsMail.Url.Mailto\shell\open\command. Again,
double-click on (Default) in the right pane, but this time, paste in the
value you copied from the first one and click OK.

Press F3 to search again for "mailto" until the status bar reads
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\mailto. Once again, expand it
like before to open the shell\open\command entries in the left pane,
double-click on (Default) and once again, paste the value from earlier into
the box and hit OK.

Press F3 to search again for "mailto" until the status bar reads
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WindowsMail.Url.Mailto. And
again, do the expand thing and then the paste thing.

And once more, do it all again for the following key -
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Windows Mail\Protocols\mailto.

In effect, what you just did is allow the computer to think it is opening
Windows Mail, but you've replaced the command so that it opens Outlook
instead. You can now close the Registry Editor. Next time you click on an
email address in a webpage or in an email message, it should open a new
Outlook message window instead of a Windows Mail window.

Good luck, and let me know how it turns out.

Adam Garrison
(e-mail address removed)

My problem is Outlook Express is showing in the
computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto and I need it to be Outlook 2003:

"%ProgramFiles%\Outlook Express\msimn.exe" /mailurl:%1

 

[jcash1969]

I had the same problem using Vista Home Premium and Outlook 2000.
Hopefully

My problem is Outlook Express is showing in the
computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto and I need it to be Outlook 2003:

"%ProgramFiles%\Outlook Express\msimn.exe" /mailurl:%1

Try the following location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Microsoft
Outlook\Protocols\mailto\shell\open\command
It should have the command line for Outlook in it, which you could then copy
and paste into that HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto\shell\open\command location.

I assume you're not using Windows Vista, though, since Vista doesn't use
Outlook Express. If that doesn't work, let me know, and I'll do some digging
on my XP machine.

Good luck.

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

My problem is Outlook Express is showing in the
computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto and I need it to be Outlook 2003:

"%ProgramFiles%\Outlook Express\msimn.exe" /mailurl:%1

So change it. Open Windows Explorer. Click Tools>Folder Options. Locate
the MailTo URL file type. Select it and click Advanced. Select "open" and
click Edit. Make sure the "Application used to perform action" field
contains

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\outlook.exe" -c IPM.Note /m "%1"

"Use DDE" should be checked. Be sure to include the spaces and quotes

 

[georgebwi]

I have a similar issue. I get this error when starting up Outlook. "Either
there is no defualt mail client or the current mail client cannot fulfill the
messaging request." I have followed the instructions to set outlook as the
default mail client. IDEAS???

 

[Shannon]

I tried setting up my email. I have yahoo and want it to now be Outlook. How
do I do this? Ive tried and it keeps giving my an error! Im frustrated!!!

 

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

1. Do you use a paid account?
2. What do the instructions on Yahoo! say for setting up your e-mail?
3. What is the exact error message?
4. Think how we feel reading your post!

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. ALWAYS
post your Outlook version. How to ask a question:
http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375


After furious head scratching, Shannon asked:

| I tried setting up my email. I have yahoo and want it to now be
| Outlook. How do I do this? Ive tried and it keeps giving my an error!
| Im frustrated!!!

 

[VanguardLH]

I tried setting up my email. I have yahoo and want it to now be Outlook. How
do I do this? Ive tried and it keeps giving my an error! Im frustrated!!!

Depends on the domain for the Yahoo mail host. You didn't mention which
domain for Yahoo Mail you were trying to use.

Depends on whether you have a free or paid accounts. Paid accounts get
access to Yahoo's POP and SMTP mail hosts, free accounts do not except
for some domains (hence my first question).

 

[RN1Business]

I had the same problem using Vista Home Premium and Outlook 2000. Hopefully
my solution will also work for Outlook 2007.

The first thing I had to do, to be able to send and receive, was to enable
the Telnet program in Windows. Go to Control Panel, click on Programs, then
Turn Windows Features On or Off. Check the boxes next to Telnet Client and
Telnet Server (they were unchecked by default on my system), then click OK.
It will take a few minutes to install them, and it may require you to restart
your computer. Assuming all of your POP and SMTP settings are correct, you
should be able to send and receive now.

To use Outlook as your default mail program, or at least to use Outlook
whenever you click on a MAILTO: link, is a little more involved, and requires
you to change the Windows registry. Be very careful when doing this, as
incorrectly changing the registry can quickly turn your computer into a five
hundred dollar doorstop.

First create a system restore point. Go to Control Panel, click on System &
Maintenance, then click on System. In the left panel, click on System
Protection. It may take a few seconds for the "Create" button to become
active. When it is, click on Create to set a new restore point. Now, if you
happen to do something terrible, you can revert to that restore point and it
will be all better.

Next, open the Registry Editor. (Easiest way is to hold down the Windows
key and press R, type in regedit and press Enter) Press Ctrl-F to open the
Find dialogue. Enter the word "mailto" (without the quotes) and press enter.
Press F3 to repeat the search until the status bar at the bottom says
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto. In the left pane, click the arrow next to
mailto to expand it, then under mailto, expand where it says shell, then
expand open then click on command. Now the status bar should read
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto\shell\open\command. In the right pane,
double-click on (Default) to open it. Copy the value in the box and hit
cancel. You will need this value for the other locations. For my Outlook
2000, it reads "C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~3\Office\OUTLOOK.EXE" -c IPM.Note /m "%1"
Yours should be similar.

Press F3 to continue searching for "mailto" until the status bar shows
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WindowsMail.Url.Mailto, and then expand that in
the left pane like you did before so it shows
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WindowsMail.Url.Mailto\shell\open\command. Again,
double-click on (Default) in the right pane, but this time, paste in the
value you copied from the first one and click OK.

Press F3 to search again for "mailto" until the status bar reads
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\mailto. Once again, expand it
like before to open the shell\open\command entries in the left pane,
double-click on (Default) and once again, paste the value from earlier into
the box and hit OK.

Press F3 to search again for "mailto" until the status bar reads
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WindowsMail.Url.Mailto. And
again, do the expand thing and then the paste thing.

And once more, do it all again for the following key -
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Windows Mail\Protocols\mailto.

In effect, what you just did is allow the computer to think it is opening
Windows Mail, but you've replaced the command so that it opens Outlook
instead. You can now close the Registry Editor. Next time you click on an
email address in a webpage or in an email message, it should open a new
Outlook message window instead of a Windows Mail window.

Good luck, and let me know how it turns out.

Adam Garrison
(e-mail address removed)

 

[RN1Business]

I had the same problem using Vista Home Premium and Outlook 2000. Hopefully
my solution will also work for Outlook 2007.

The first thing I had to do, to be able to send and receive, was to enable
the Telnet program in Windows. Go to Control Panel, click on Programs, then
Turn Windows Features On or Off. Check the boxes next to Telnet Client and
Telnet Server (they were unchecked by default on my system), then click OK.
It will take a few minutes to install them, and it may require you to restart
your computer. Assuming all of your POP and SMTP settings are correct, you
should be able to send and receive now.

To use Outlook as your default mail program, or at least to use Outlook
whenever you click on a MAILTO: link, is a little more involved, and requires
you to change the Windows registry. Be very careful when doing this, as
incorrectly changing the registry can quickly turn your computer into a five
hundred dollar doorstop.

First create a system restore point. Go to Control Panel, click on System &
Maintenance, then click on System. In the left panel, click on System
Protection. It may take a few seconds for the "Create" button to become
active. When it is, click on Create to set a new restore point. Now, if you
happen to do something terrible, you can revert to that restore point and it
will be all better.

Next, open the Registry Editor. (Easiest way is to hold down the Windows
key and press R, type in regedit and press Enter) Press Ctrl-F to open the
Find dialogue. Enter the word "mailto" (without the quotes) and press enter.
Press F3 to repeat the search until the status bar at the bottom says
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto. In the left pane, click the arrow next to
mailto to expand it, then under mailto, expand where it says shell, then
expand open then click on command. Now the status bar should read
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto\shell\open\command. In the right pane,
double-click on (Default) to open it. Copy the value in the box and hit
cancel. You will need this value for the other locations. For my Outlook
2000, it reads "C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~3\Office\OUTLOOK.EXE" -c IPM.Note /m "%1"
Yours should be similar.

Press F3 to continue searching for "mailto" until the status bar shows
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WindowsMail.Url.Mailto, and then expand that in
the left pane like you did before so it shows
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WindowsMail.Url.Mailto\shell\open\command. Again,
double-click on (Default) in the right pane, but this time, paste in the
value you copied from the first one and click OK.

Press F3 to search again for "mailto" until the status bar reads
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\mailto. Once again, expand it
like before to open the shell\open\command entries in the left pane,
double-click on (Default) and once again, paste the value from earlier into
the box and hit OK.

Press F3 to search again for "mailto" until the status bar reads
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WindowsMail.Url.Mailto. And
again, do the expand thing and then the paste thing.

And once more, do it all again for the following key -
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Windows Mail\Protocols\mailto.

In effect, what you just did is allow the computer to think it is opening
Windows Mail, but you've replaced the command so that it opens Outlook
instead. You can now close the Registry Editor. Next time you click on an
email address in a webpage or in an email message, it should open a new
Outlook message window instead of a Windows Mail window.

Good luck, and let me know how it turns out.

Adam Garrison
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

<nothing>

Did you have a particular reason for posting nothing more than a quote of
someone else's message?