Vista - Can't set Windlows Live Email or Outlook as default email program

I'm running Windows XP SP2 with the following email programs:

* Windows Live Mail
* Outlook 2003
* Outlook Express (not used)

When I access "Set Program Access and Defaults", and choose Custom,
the only e-mail client which is displayed underneath "Choose a default
e-mail program" is Outlook Express. Does anyone know why this is, and
how I can restore them to the list?

Thanks,

P.

Hi Paul, if you have the mail client Windows Live Mail installed, it
should definitely be listed as an option under "Custom", as well as
mentioned under "Microsoft Windows" and "Non-Microsoft" in "Set Program
Access and Defaults". An uninstall/reinstall may correct it. But make sure
you have the latest version of Windows Live Mail installed (12.0.1606).
--
Cheers,
Peter
(Windows Vista Home Premium with Windows Live Mail 12.0.1606)
"There are more things in Heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in
your philosophy." - Shakespeare
---------------
"Paul Moloney" <pmoloney@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:4491c31b-31bc-4f66-8083-d9b970c83d30@xxxxxx

Is Windows Live Mail installed?
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

"Paul Moloney" <pmoloney@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:4491c31b-31bc-4f66-8083-d9b970c83d30@xxxxxx

I just discovered that the "Windows Live Mail" option at "Set Program Access and Defaults" is found at the registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Windows Live Mail
within the Value data for the Value called "(Default)". The Data for that Value should read "Windows Live Mail". If it is blank, then double-click on that Value and enter "Windows Live Mail" in the Value data field.
--
Cheers,
Peter
(Windows Vista Home Premium with Windows Live Mail 12.0.1606)
"There are more things in Heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." - Shakespeare
---------------

"Peter.R" <Peter.R@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:uK7#TzpYIHA.4180@xxxxxx

Peter...
Iirc that Mail key is the same location that some units have the 'dual
identity' of Hotmail being labeled as Windows Live Mail which caused to the
surprise of many the wrong default program.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Hotmail
The default value for Hotmail in an earlier era was Windows Live Mail. It
should now read Windows Live Hotmail, if not edited to say so.


What I can't remember or lost track of is whether or not some update or WLM
installation included fixing that value.


--
...winston
ms-mvp windows live mail


"Peter.R" <Peter.R@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:ue5v9IZaIHA.1184@xxxxxx
I just discovered that the "Windows Live Mail" option at "Set Program Access
and Defaults" is found at the registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Windows Live Mail
within the Value data for the Value called "(Default)". The Data for that
Value should read "Windows Live Mail". If it is blank, then double-click on
that Value and enter "Windows Live Mail" in the Value data field.
--
Cheers,
Peter
(Windows Vista Home Premium with Windows Live Mail 12.0.1606)
"There are more things in Heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in
your philosophy." - Shakespeare
---------------

"Peter.R" <Peter.R@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uK7#TzpYIHA.4180@xxxxxx

Yes that is correct, thanks Winston.

I didn't think it worth mentioning because I believe WLMail 1606 did correct the Hotmail misnomer in XP. I can't confirm this because I had already manually corrected it whilst using build 1365. I think it was already correct in Vista though.

I suspect the OP was still using WLM 1365, so updating to 1606 would have corrected his problem.

--
Cheers,
Peter
(Windows Vista Home Premium with Windows Live Mail 12.0.1606)
"There are more things in Heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." - Shakespeare
---------------

"...winston" <winstonmvp@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:uWrJ8YjaIHA.1164@xxxxxx

Vista is where I first noticed it having used WLM through-out all beta on
that o/s. I didn't install WLM on my XP laptop until WLM Rtm since I
primarily use that laptop with OL03 and rarely the news client.

I, like you corrected it in Vista thus lost track what
corrected[it]...possibly a Vista Windows Mail update included an unmentioned
tweak or WLM Rtm.

--
...winston
ms-mvp windows live mail


"Peter.R" <Peter.R@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:eZKCxJkaIHA.536@xxxxxx
Yes that is correct, thanks Winston.

I didn't think it worth mentioning because I believe WLMail 1606 did correct
the Hotmail misnomer in XP. I can't confirm this because I had already
manually corrected it whilst using build 1365. I think it was already
correct in Vista though.

I suspect the OP was still using WLM 1365, so updating to 1606 would have
corrected his problem.

--
Cheers,
Peter
(Windows Vista Home Premium with Windows Live Mail 12.0.1606)
"There are more things in Heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in
your philosophy." - Shakespeare
---------------

"...winston" <winstonmvp@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uWrJ8YjaIHA.1164@xxxxxx

Hi again Winston.

I found a post I saved from the microsoft.beta.windows live.mail
newsgroup which was posted just after WLMail 1606 came out. The poster
stated that the dual "Windows Live Mail" entry bug in XP's Internet
Options->Programs tab had been corrected by the new build of WLMail.

This might interest you also Winston...

I finally found the registry entry that corrects the Hotmail as "Windows
Live Mail" misnomer for the "E-mail link:" list entry in Vista in the
"Customize Start Menu" dialog box (right-click Start Orb
button->Properties->Start Menu [tab]->check "Start menu"->Customize
[button]->General [tab]->Show on Start menu [section]).

To correct this misnomer in XP (also corrects it in Internet
Options->Programs [tab]), I only had to change the Value data for the
'Default' Value from "Windows Live Mail" to "Windows Live Hotmail" at the
registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Hotmail but
apparently build 1606 of Windows Live Mail corrected this registry entry
anyway, in both XP and Vista.

However, despite the above correction, the "E-mail link:" list entry for
Hotmail remained as "Windows Live Mail" in Vista.

So in Vista, the Value data for the Value '@C:\Program Files\Internet
Explorer\hmmapi.dll,-202' at the registry key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local
Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache also needs to changed
from "Windows Live Mail" to "Windows Live Hotmail"

Editing the above registry entry also allows the true "Windows Live Mail"
list entry to appear in the "E-mail link:" list. Hopefully, the WLM team
will fix this with the next build of WLMail.

See the attached Vista screenshot.

--
Cheers,
Peter
(Windows Vista Home Premium with Windows Live Mail 12.0.1606)
"There are more things in Heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in
your philosophy." - Shakespeare
---------------

"...winston" <winstonmvp@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:29496CA7-0D2D-4750-AE6E-E05BA4BBAB39@xxxxxx

nntp://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windows.live.mail.desktop/
<nntp://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windows.live.mail.desktop/
<1EC0BA3FEF024703B27EB7F7E21DECA6@xxxxxx>>
<1EC0BA3FEF024703B27EB7F7E21DECA6@xxxxxx>

nntp://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windows.live.mail.desktop/
<nntp://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windows.live.mail.desktop/
<uZjRW5LbIHA.1204@xxxxxx>>
<uZjRW5LbIHA.1204@xxxxxx>


_____

NewsGator Inbox attempted to retrieve the web page for this item but
received an error:

The URI prefix is not recognized.

_____

Hi again Winston.

I found a post I saved from the microsoft.beta.windows live.mail
newsgroup which was posted just after WLMail 1606 came out. The poster
stated that the dual "Windows Live Mail" entry bug in XP's Internet
Options->Programs tab had been corrected by the new build of WLMail.

This might interest you also Winston...

I finally found the registry entry that corrects the Hotmail as "Windows
Live Mail" misnomer for the "E-mail link:" list entry in Vista in the
"Customize Start Menu" dialog box (right-click Start Orb
button->Properties->Start Menu [tab]->check "Start menu"->Customize
[button]->General [tab]->Show on Start menu [section]).

To correct this misnomer in XP (also corrects it in Internet
Options->Programs [tab]), I only had to change the Value data for the
'Default' Value from "Windows Live Mail" to "Windows Live Hotmail" at
the
registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Hotmail but
apparently build 1606 of Windows Live Mail corrected this registry entry
anyway, in both XP and Vista.

However, despite the above correction, the "E-mail link:" list entry for
Hotmail remained as "Windows Live Mail" in Vista.

So in Vista, the Value data for the Value '@C:\Program Files\Internet
Explorer\hmmapi.dll,-202' at the registry key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local
Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache also needs to changed
from "Windows Live Mail" to "Windows Live Hotmail"

Editing the above registry entry also allows the true "Windows Live
Mail"
list entry to appear in the "E-mail link:" list. Hopefully, the WLM team
will fix this with the next build of WLMail.

See the attached Vista screenshot.

--
Cheers,
Peter
(Windows Vista Home Premium with Windows Live Mail 12.0.1606)
"There are more things in Heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of
in
your philosophy." - Shakespeare
---------------

"...winston" <winstonmvp@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:29496CA7-0D2D-4750-AE6E-E05BA4BBAB39@xxxxxx
of'dualtoMail.ofmakenews:4491c31b-31bc-4f66-8083-d9b970c83d30@xxxxxx
..and

_____

***RESOURCE NOT FOUND***


<http://services.newsgator.com/subscr...url=nntp%3a%2f
%2fmsnews.microsoft.com%2fmicrosoft.public.windows.live.mail.desktop%2f%
3cuZjRW5LbIHA.1204%40TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl%3e%0d> Related...




_____

***RESOURCE NOT FOUND***

Thanks Peter.. I had not saved that.

But there's a bit more to that HKCU\Software\Classes\etc regedit in Vista
(may be the same in XP)
- If WLM is already installed, changing the hmmapi.dll entry from Windows
Live Mail to Windows Live Hotmail *adds* (rather than replace/modify an
existing) the Windows Live Hotmail item to the 'Show on Start menu\E-mail
link:' drop down option box.
- enabling Windows Live Hotmail, Windows Live Mail , or Vista's Windows Mail
as the 'E-mail link:' will add the respective item to Start Menu though with
different 'Rt Click' Context Menu:
<Read Email, Internet Properties, Remove From List----where the second
provides access to IE7's properties and tabs>

If one already has WLM or Windows Mail(WM) pinned to the Start Menu,
selecting WLM or WM as the E-mail link adds an additional WLM or WM item to
the Start Menu with the same 3 context menu items, unlike Outlook(OL) if
chosen the Rt.Click Context Menu provides access to OL's properties(Email
Accounts, Data Files and Profiles)


--
...winston
ms-mvp windows live mail


"Peter.R" <Peter.R@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uZjRW5LbIHA.1204@xxxxxx
<snip>
However, despite the above correction, the "E-mail link:" list entry for
Hotmail remained as "Windows Live Mail" in Vista.

So in Vista, the Value data for the Value '@C:\Program Files\Internet
Explorer\hmmapi.dll,-202' at the registry key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local
Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache also needs to changed
from "Windows Live Mail" to "Windows Live Hotmail"

Editing the above registry entry also allows the true "Windows Live Mail"
list entry to appear in the "E-mail link:" list. Hopefully, the WLM team
will fix this with the next build of WLMail.

See the attached Vista screenshot.