How to set the default mail application

[Neoseifer]

Hi,

I'm installing Thunderbird using the zip version (I've juste copied the Thunderbird Folder in $Progs) because there isn't a good solution to silent install it from the setup.

The problem is that I want Thunderbird as my default mail program. I also want to put it in the start menu (under "Internet") and optionnaly in the "Send to -> New Message" (I don't know the english word for this menu but I think you understood )

What keys/values must I add in the registry to do this ?

[xneogen]

You can create your own setup with InnoSetup.

Thats for Pegasus Mail. Change it for your needs.

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Pegasus Mail]
@="Pegasus Mail"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Pegasus Mail\Protocols]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Pegasus Mail\Protocols\mailto]
@="URL:MailTo Protocol"
"EditFlags"=hex:02,00,00,00
"URL Protocol"=""

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Pegasus Mail\Protocols\mailto\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\Programs\\PMAIL4\\WSENDTO.EXE,0"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Pegasus Mail\Protocols\mailto\shell]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Pegasus Mail\Protocols\mailto\shell\open]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Pegasus Mail\Protocols\mailto\shell\open\command]
@="C:\\Programs\\PMAIL4\\WSENDTO.EXE %1"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Pegasus Mail\Shell]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Pegasus Mail\Shell\open]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Pegasus Mail\Shell\open\command]
@="C:\\Programs\\PMAIL4\\WINPM-32.EXE"

Have fun, xneogen

[Neoseifer]

Okay, thanks !!

but is this enough to set all I want ? I don't see any line about the start menu for example...

[prathapml]

@neoseifer

If this is on Windows XP, the below is what I use, change the path-names and version number according to your version of Mozilla ThunderBird

;Set the Start Menu sticky for Mail
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Clients\mail]
@="Mozilla Thunderbird"

;==============================
; Give details to make Thunderbird the default e-mail client


[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla Thunderbird]
@="Mozilla Thunderbird"
"DLLPath"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\Mozilla\\Thunderbird\\mozMapi32.dll"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla Thunderbird\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\PROGRA~1\\Mozilla\\Thunderbird\\thunderbird.exe,0"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla Thunderbird\shell\open\command]
@="C:\\PROGRA~1\\Mozilla\\Thunderbird\\thunderbird.exe -mail"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla Thunderbird\shell\properties]
@="Thunderbird &Options"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla Thunderbird\shell\properties\command]
@="C:\\PROGRA~1\\Mozilla\\Thunderbird\\thunderbird.exe -options"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla Thunderbird\protocols\mailto]
@="URL:MailTo Protocol"
"URL Protocol"=""
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla Thunderbird\protocols\mailto\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\Program Files\\Mozilla\\Thunderbird\\thunderbird.exe,0"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla Thunderbird\protocols\mailto\shell\open\command]
@="C:\\Program Files\\Mozilla Thunderbird\\thunderbird.exe -compose \"%1\""
;==============================
; general app settings

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Mozilla\Mozilla Thunderbird 0.7.1\bin]
"PathToExe"="C:\\Program Files\\Mozilla\\Thunderbird\\thunderbird.exe"

;==============================

That should make thunderBird the default mail-client, and set that for the start menu as well.

[Neoseifer]

Thanks Prathapml

In the registry, I've seen that

"ReinstallCommand"="\"C:\\Program Files\\Mozilla Thunderbird\\thunderbird.exe\" -silent -nosplash -setDefaultMail"

I try to launch this command. It works well, but a very little window (we can just see the title bar) of thunderbird stays open. After that, thunderbird is the default mail client and the shortcut in the start menu is ok.

I haven't find an help about the parameters for thunderbird.exe.

-h or --help doesn't works

[prathapml]

Wow, so that's all you need to do? (running the command "%ProgramFiles%\Mozilla Thunderbird\thunderbird.exe -silent -nosplash -setDefaultMail")

Thanks a lot neoseifer!

It does all the path/protocol/start-menu setting by itself? This is a nice discovery then! I'll try it now. In the meantime, could some more people test this as well? Looks good, and an easy method.

EDIT:

oh no... I was so excited.... That command doesn't do all that is required - it just sets the protocols (takes over "mailto:" for itself). That command is not needed to be used or put in registry if you use the code pasted by me above). The registry tweaks code pasted in my previous post, was the "invariably works every-where" sort of thing. (well, that's if you overlook that there's absolute paths like C:\ in there instead of variables ).

[oioldman]

Will those reg keys work with any mail program? or would they be different for each product?

(I know the .exe and icons will be, i mean the format of the keys and general content)

I use a product called Tobit InfoCentre if anybody is up for investigations

[Neoseifer]

Yeah I think it works for all mail clients. If you look in your registry, you can see all your mail clients listed under [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Clients\mail] : Outlok express, Hotmail and Thunderbird for me.

so I think you can register InfoCentre as your default mail client with these keys.

[Neoseifer]

oh no...  I was so excited....  That command doesn't do all that is required - it just sets the protocols (takes over "mailto:" for itself). That command is not needed to be used or put in registry if you use the code pasted by me above). The registry tweaks code pasted in my previous post, was the "invariably works every-where" sort of thing. (well, that's if you overlook that there's absolute paths like C:\ in there instead of variables ).

Too bad.

Anyway, the "little window bug" was not very nice.

Perhaps there's other parameters than can be passed to thunderbird.exe to do all the work...

[oioldman]

Thanks neoseifer, will try when homa nd us evirtualpc to confirm.

[ZileXa]

This tweak doesnt work for Thunderbird 0.8 or higher... because the location is incorrect, its not Mozilla\\Thunderbird\\thunderbird.exe but Mozilla Thunderbird\\thunderbird.exe

Now it works perfect! very nice.

Is there also something like this for Mozilla Firefox??