The Vanishing "News" command

[Bob Henson]

I know this has probably been asked before, but I'm still wrestling with the
problem of the disappearing "News" command in Outlook 2007. I've tried
umpteen different combinations and cannot get it to work. The current setup
is that I have Windows Live Mail set as default news reader for the system,
and the "News" command has been dragged and dropped onto the "Go" menu.
However, for no reason that I can fathom yet, it is sometimes on the menu,
and sometimes disappears. When it disappears, it is not available in the
customise menu either. When it is there and I click it, Windows explorer
opens as though looking to be told what to open. Pointing it to a program
does not help.

I have seen lots of replies saying "well don't use it then, just open the
news program" - but that's not the answer I'm looking for. I've Googled for
it and seen all sorts of answers, none of which have worked.

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

To get the News command back, go back to the Programs tab in Control Panel |
Internet Options and change the default newsreader to Outlook Express. If
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.

You may need to reset the menu or toolbar using Tools, customize.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]

Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com/

Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

Do you sync your mailbox with a smartphone or pda?
http://forums.slipstick.com/showthread.php?t=39473

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]]

I have seen lots of replies saying "well don't use it then, just open the
news program" - but that's not the answer I'm looking for. I've Googled for
it and seen all sorts of answers, none of which have worked.

It may not be the answer you want, but it's really the best. Put your
newsreader as a shortcut on the Windows Quick Launch bar. On Windows 7 you
won't be able to use it from Outlook any way and I think it will be gone
completely from Outlook 2010.

 

[Bob Henson]

Thanks, but I'm using win 7 and Windows Live Mail, so it's a tad different.
For some reason the "default programs" program won't let me un-tick all the
defaults anyway - not unless I set something else as default.

To get the News command back, go back to the Programs tab in Control Panel
| Internet Options and change the default newsreader to Outlook Express.
If 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.

You may need to reset the menu or toolbar using Tools, customize.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]

Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com/

Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

Do you sync your mailbox with a smartphone or pda?
http://forums.slipstick.com/showthread.php?t=39473

 

[Bob Henson]

That's what I'm doing at the moment, and I'm sure you're correct to say
that's what I'm stuck with. It does annoy me when Microsoft remove more and
more useful features and replace them with bells and whistles that no-one
wants. I suppose that's how they make their cash :-(

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

oh. in that case, no news command - it only works with OE and Vista Mail.
You'll need to use the shortcut to open WLM.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]

Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com/

Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

Do you sync your mailbox with a smartphone or pda?
http://forums.slipstick.com/showthread.php?t=39473

Thanks, but I'm using win 7 and Windows Live Mail, so it's a tad
different. For some reason the "default programs" program won't let me
un-tick all the defaults anyway - not unless I set something else as
default.

To get the News command back, go back to the Programs tab in Control
Panel | Internet Options and change the default newsreader to Outlook
Express. If 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.

You may need to reset the menu or toolbar using Tools, customize.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]

Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com/

Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

Do you sync your mailbox with a smartphone or pda?
http://forums.slipstick.com/showthread.php?t=39473

I know this has probably been asked before, but I'm still wrestling with
the problem of the disappearing "News" command in Outlook 2007. I've
tried umpteen different combinations and cannot get it to work. The
current setup is that I have Windows Live Mail set as default news
reader for the system, and the "News" command has been dragged and
dropped onto the "Go" menu. However, for no reason that I can fathom
yet, it is sometimes on the menu, and sometimes disappears. When it
disappears, it is not available in the customise menu either. When it is
there and I click it, Windows explorer opens as though looking to be
told what to open. Pointing it to a program does not help.

I have seen lots of replies saying "well don't use it then, just open
the news program" - but that's not the answer I'm looking for. I've
Googled for it and seen all sorts of answers, none of which have worked.

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]]

That's what I'm doing at the moment, and I'm sure you're correct to say
that's what I'm stuck with. It does annoy me when Microsoft remove more and
more useful features and replace them with bells and whistles that no-one
wants. I suppose that's how they make their cash :-(

Removing the News item from Outlook's menus isn't losing much because Outlook
never did news. It always called Outlook Express (or Windows Mail on Vista),
so you're still doing what Outlook always did, just in a different location on
your screen.

 

[VanguardLH]

Brian Tillman wrote ...


That's what I'm doing at the moment, and I'm sure you're correct to say
that's what I'm stuck with. It does annoy me when Microsoft remove more
and more useful features and replace them with bells and whistles that
no-one wants. I suppose that's how they make their cash :-(

You didn't realize that the News command in Outlook's window wasn't using
Outlook and that it started a whole *different* program (either Outlook
Express or Windows Mail)? Outlook never has had and probably never will
have support for NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol). Outlook had to
start some OTHER program for newsgroups.

Why would you load Outlook to then load yet another program (to do
newsgroups)? You could've loaded the other program in the first place. You
are making more work for yourself. Regardless that Outlook had the News
command before, having a shortcut in the QuickLaunch toolbar (or another
toolbar that you add to the Windows taskbar) would be a lot quicker than
having to load Outlook and then click on a shortcut that loaded the same
program.

Microsoft "removed" support for the News command under Windows 7 because
Outlook Express died back in 2006 and Microsoft is NOT going to continue
supporting in Outlook a non-supported product (OE) or an e-mail client that
isn't even available in the OS (Windows 7), like Windows Mail (WM). Windows
7, as you should already be aware, does not come with an e-mail client (and
certainly not with an NNTP client). You have to install your own choice(s).
So just how was Outlook's "News" shortcut going to find an NNTP client that
didn't yet exist in the OS? You don't get to program what executable gets
loaded by the "News" menu shortcut. It only works with OE or WM. You don't
have those available under Windows 7.

You thought Outlook Express was going to survive forever?

I have not tried the following. Some users of Windows 7 are getting Outlook
Express installed (you'll have to do a search to find out how they are doing
that). If your hardware supports XP Mode and if you have installed XP Mode
and VirtualPC 2007 then you have a licensed copy of Windows XP SP-3 to use
under XP Mode. I suspect users are either using the OE that might be
included in that virtualized instance of Windows XP or are installing it (by
redoing the IE6 install since OE always came bundled with IE). I suspect
that you cannot get Outlook in the host OS to connect via its "News" menu to
the OE available in the guest OS (virtual machine); however, you might be
able to install Outlook in the guest OS so it can "reach" the OE that is
available in that virtual machine. Personally, I would never bother with
that much work just to regain ancient functionality inside of Outlook to an
old and unsupported OE, especially when much better newsreaders are
available to replace OE. Just a shortcut in a toolbar in the Windows
taskbar would be far easier to use, and even easier to use than having to
load Outlook to get at the Go To menu and then select the News entry.