Vista - More on the 'Windows Live Mail' as Hotmail misnomer in Vista

In a previous post (news:eQYTu4LbIHA.484@xxxxxx), I examined the "Windows Live Mail" as Hotmail misnomer in Vista in the list entry for the "E-mail link:" 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]).

Now, it is bad enough that this misnomer still exists in Vista SP1, but as I explained previously, when Windows Live Mail (the client) is installed on a Vista System, the selected option for the Start Menu E-mail icon/link (right-click Start Orb button->Properties->Start Menu [tab]->check "Start menu"->Customize [button]->General [tab]->Show on Start menu [section]->E-mail link becomes a *blank* setting. Then, once another option in the list, such as "Windows Live Mail" (Hotmail), or "Windows Mail", is selected, there is no longer any item in the list (blank or otherwise) to return it to Windows Live Mail (the client).

So I explained in my previous post that my workaround was to edit the registry thus:

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 can be changed from "Windows Live Mail" to "Windows Live Hotmail".

However, it seems that the above workaround is only temporary, for I have noticed that on occasion the abovementioned blank list entry and misnomer reappear in the "Customize Start Menu" dialog box. This is because the Value data that I edited 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 somehow reverts back to "Windows Live Mail" (in one instance, it did so when I installed Thunderbird).

Well, it is now clear to me that this Value data, which reverts back to "Windows Live Mail" is taken from within IE7's hmmapi.dll, which resides at C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\.

So the real solution is for Microsoft to update hmmapi.dll with a version that has corrected the "Windows Live Mail" as Hotmail misnomer in the String at Id: 202.

I hope this has already been corrected in IE8's hmmapi.dll, but as yet I have not installed the IE8 Beta to test this.

Nevertheless, until then I have another workaround that is more permanent than my previous one.

We can leave 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 as "Windows Live Mail".

Instead, we can edit the Value data (after backing it up) for the Value 'LocalizedString' at the sub-key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Hotmail

The Value data here is normally "@%ProgramFiles%\Internet Explorer\hmmapi.dll,-202", but when edited to "Windows Live Hotmail", the misnomer is corrected in the E-mail link: list in the "Customize Start Menu" dialog box. Moreover, the blank entry in the list becomes "Windows Live Mail".

It seems that by editing that Value data at that Value 'LocalizedString', it no longer points to 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, thus hmmapi.dll is no longer affecting the option names for Windows Live Hotmail, nor Windows Live Mail.

I have noticed no side affects from editing this Value data at that Value name 'LocalizedString'. Still though, it would be better if Microsoft corrected this misnomer for us, by upgrading IE7's hmmapi.dll. This is obviously not something the Windows Live Mail team can do with an upgrade to Windows Live Mail.

--
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
---------------