How to change the default email program in Windows
Question: Help! Whenever I try to email a photo from within Windows Live Photo Gallery, it tries to open a Windows Mail account I don’t use anymore instead of Microsoft Outlook. How do I change this on my new PC?
Good question.
It’s quite easy to change the default email program in your operating system.
You mentioned it’s a “new” PC so I’ll assume you’re running either Windows Vista or Windows 7, but my advice would be the same for both.
You can choose a different email program as the default by following these easy steps:
1. Click the Start button in the lower left-hand corner of the screen.
2. Select the tab that says Default Programs. it should be underneath Help and Support.
3. Click Set your default programs (the first option) and under Programs, click the email program you’d like to use (in your case Microsoft Office Outlook), and then click “Set this program as default.”
4. Click OK and restart your PC. That’s it!
I still use XP and Outlook Express. Is it that easy to switch to MS Outlook without losing anything?
Migrate from Express to Outlook [full]:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/287073
I tried in Windows 7×32 but there is no e-mail program listed
nor any place to type one in.I’m using Windows Live.
Live Mail for Windows 7: http://download.live.com/windows7
Thanks for responding Jeremy.
Correct me if I’m wrong. Although both are Microsoft apps, Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express are not the same thing at all and begs the question of why ‘Express’ will attempt to dominate from time to time when one has clearly chosen to use Microsoft Outlook as the default email program.
Is it possible to uninstall ‘Express” to preclude any interference, or adverse interaction, with Microsoft Outlook?
Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs -> Windows Components -> [uncheck] Outlook Express.
Alternatively, http://en.kioskea.net/faq/1201-uninstall-outlook-express
Outlook [full] doesn’t require Express so there should not be any effect from removing it.
Your recommendation doesn’t work. I want to make g-mail my default email but, from what I’ve read, g-mail isn’t in the registry so I can’t change it. I am running windows 7. Any suggestions
GMail is web-based and therefore requires a browser. (Or setup in an offline/IMAP email client like Outlook.)
The easiest way to integrate it into Windows 7 is with GMail Notifier Plus: http://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/777838-rel-gmail-notifier-plus-for-windows-7/
Info: http://lifehacker.com/5274325/gmail-notifier-plus-adds-email-alerts-to-the-windows-7-taskbar
Sorry your answer only works for a Mircosoft product or one that might have paid Mircosoft some fee..
I’ve searched online for a solution for people like me who don’t use a Microsoft product but want to set up default email software, in my case an open source product called Virtual Access, without resorting to Regedit. Can’t believe MS have stuck their heels in with this issue. I was amazed it is still a problem in Windows 7
This is no help to me .. running Vista .. this does not work .. I want Yahoo as my default .. not on list .. only Windows mail ????