Windows 7 email program?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Paul H
  • Start date Start date
I'm still working on things in the background trying to come up with
alternatives for the stationery users as well as others. There are
alternatives, such as using XP in an virtual environment on the Win7
machines ("XP Mode" or just XP depending upon the hardware capabilities of
the machine), as well as other options, such as not updating to Win7. There
is also the potential to get Winmail working on a Win7 machine without
copying any files over from other OSs, but that is a bit more challenging.
<g>

steve
 
Given the extent of your system you might consider something more advanced
such as Outlook.

steve
 
The option I like the best is not updating to Win7 ... lol .... but in time that will not be an option as more people need to
purchase new 'puters, so I guess we need to look at all other options to try and ensure the future of this extremely popular hobby
..... many thanks for the info re that and also Winmail Steve .. more avenues to explore and save info on :-))

Ann


I'm still working on things in the background trying to come up with
alternatives for the stationery users as well as others. There are
alternatives, such as using XP in an virtual environment on the Win7
machines ("XP Mode" or just XP depending upon the hardware capabilities of
the machine), as well as other options, such as not updating to Win7. There
is also the potential to get Winmail working on a Win7 machine without
copying any files over from other OSs, but that is a bit more challenging.
<g>

steve
 
Unfortunately people tend to be very apathetic until all of a sudden they find they can no longer continue the hobby they have been
doing for many years, and was supported by MS way back when it started to evolve so I understand .... I guess progress always
overlooks some section of the community and only time will tell if the hobby survives

Ann


You're very welcome, Ann.
I'm not into stationery or editing HTML source code, and I guess
MS feels not enough of its users are, otherwise they'd make it
more of a priority.
 
I'm not sure where you are seeing a conflict in my statements.

Windows Mail and Windows Live Mail can be used simultaneously,
and in Vista they are both fully functional.

Windows Mail will only run in Windows 7 after employing the hack I
previously mentioned.
Windows Mail newsgroups mode under Windows 7 is fully functional,
and I am using it in that fashion right now.
Windows Mail email mode under Windows 7 is functional as far as
the basics are concerned, but I don't recommend it for the average
user because they will get frustrated when their MailTo links don't work.
Furthermore, future Windows 7 updates may further degrade WM's
limited compatibility with that OS, since Microsoft has no intention
of supporting WM functionality under Windows 7.
 
"Windows Mail email mode under Windows 7 is functional as
far as
the basics are concerned, but I don't recommend it for the
average
user because they will get frustrated when their MailTo
links don't work."

By "MailTo" links do you mean addresses/contacts cannot be
inserted in outgoing mail (either new mail, or replies to
others)?

What other parts of Windows Mail do not work under Windows
7?

Thanks.
 
MailTo links are typically found on a web page.
One example is Craigslist listings. When clicking on such a
link to contact the person who placed the ad, the browser sends
the request to the OS, which then opens the default email program,
starts a new email message and it fills in the 'To' address and often
the Subject line also.

A related function that won't work in Windows Mail on Win7 is the
Mail button in any other program, including Internet Explorer.
Likewise, when using Windows Live Photo Gallery, the Email button
on its toolbar won't call up Windows Mail.

A savvy person who is determined to use WM on Win7 can use the
appropriate manual workarounds, but the average user will become
frustrated.
 
Which is unfortunate; that is, that languages such as Fortran, COBOL and
Pascal got less support in the DOS and Windows (PC) environments. Even C/C++
got less support than it could have. Microsoft is as successful as it is due
to DOS and Basic ... oh let's see, wasn't it Basic that came first for the
PC? The Basic that Microsoft provided for the PC was proprietary and they
have favored it because it is proprietary; Basic was never favored by
computer language specialists. Pascal was explicitly designed to be a
superior replacement for Basic, designed to be a real language. Basic was
originally designed for only educational purposes.

So yes, Basic was often the only choice, even for those of us that wanted
something better, and it is unfortunate that Basic was the only choice when
it was.
 
As Gray has explained, he is using the term in a general sense. There is
also a "mailto URL scheme" (sometimes called a mailto protocol) that is an
internet standard; see:

http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2368.txt

The mailto protocol is useful since it allows things such as a message's
subject and even a small body for a message. There are many things that the
mailto protocol does not do; it is intended only for simple messages. Two
things it won't do within the mailto link is create messages with medium to
large size bodies and or (for security reasons) allow specification of the
sender. The mailto protocol of course does not provide a mechanism to
specify what program to use to send a message so of course Windows must use
the default email program.
 
Basic was used in colleges - that was my first exposure to it, but even that
was run on the school's mainframes. In the workforce in the mid-80's (a
large commercial bank), we first introduced PC technology to the mainframe
COBOL developers, starting with IBM-XT's, then IBM-AT's (running "plain" DOS
on dual floppy drives). The Microsoft / Windows proprietary was simply
called "MS-DOS". However, we were IBM junkies and went the PS/2 route
running OS/2 1.0 the minute they came out. We quickly found products being
developed that emulated mainframe COBOL and JCL, that ran on the PC and cut
mainframe CPU costs for application development. Oh, the days . . . . . .
 
And even before that, I was one of a few chosen to evaluate a RISC processor
370 emulator that ran in an AT box that ran VM.

It is a shame that OS/2 was not more successful, but that is getting further
off-topic. Many of the young people probably think that things such as HTML
and email was invented by the internet and multitasking operating systems
started with NT but we know the truth.

I think this thread got off-topic on the subject of the registry. I think
people might get frustrated with off-topic discussion. Relative to the
registry, though, we know there has been many changes with computers and a
lot to learn over the years. Software companies such as Microsoft and
computer specialists such as us must proceed forward but we often would
prefer to continue using the technology that has been successful in the
past.
 
That's because you haven't replaced the correct registry values that were
removed during the upgrade. One registry file that has been posted is not
nearly adequate to replace what was removed during the upgrade. Unless
those values are reset, then Windows doesn't work in terms of the mailto and
other protocols that are affected.

steve

MailTo links are typically found on a web page.
One example is Craigslist listings. When clicking on such a
link to contact the person who placed the ad, the browser sends
the request to the OS, which then opens the default email program,
starts a new email message and it fills in the 'To' address and often
the Subject line also.

A related function that won't work in Windows Mail on Win7 is the
Mail button in any other program, including Internet Explorer.
Likewise, when using Windows Live Photo Gallery, the Email button
on its toolbar won't call up Windows Mail.

A savvy person who is determined to use WM on Win7 can use the
appropriate manual workarounds, but the average user will become
frustrated.
 
Well, I've been around with computers since the mid-70's and have gone from
Fortran, to BASIC, back to Fortran, back to BASIC and then a little C and
then more BASIC. Keep in mind that it at least 3 or 4 flavors of BASIC, so
they really can't be equated.

GWBASIC was not included also.

steve
 
Until someone posts a complete registry file that resets
all the necessary Windows Mail values, I can't recommend
use of WM under Windows 7 for the average user.
 
Gary,
Brink, aka Shawn, has one at Sevenforums.com
Would you mind check it out ?
Or, that is one the same ?
t-4-2
 
I hope we get an answer before a week from tomorrow! Even though I don't
like it, it would be the easiest option for me.
Thanks,
Paul
 
CORRECTION:
I have again downloaded the "Windows Mail2.zip" file, extracted the
"Windows Mail2.reg" file, and ran it, and this time it did the trick!
Windows Mail can now be configured as the default mail program
under Windows 7.
What I don't know is whether the original "Windows Mail.zip" file
is still required also. I had used it some time ago with less than
stellar results. However, the author indicates that the second file
is "in addition to" the first file. If that is true, I don't know why he
doesn't just combine the two files into one.

--
Gary VanderMolen, Microsoft MVP (Mail)
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/profile/vandermolen


Which particular link at SevenForums?
I tried both of the .reg files mentioned here:
http://www.sevenforums.com/software/2300-cant-make-windows-mail-default-5..html
with the following results:
a) Windows Mail is not added to "Set your default programs".
b) Windows Mail is added to "Set program access and computer defaults"
but it doesn't update the necessary registry keys to make MailTo work.
 
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