I sent a long, lengthy e-mail to the Harvard FAS Computer Helpdesk after literally hours of trying to set up Mozilla Thunderbird as the default e-mail client in Windows Vista. See below for the account (which I included to the help desk, when asking for help)…
Anyway, at the end of this hours-long, hair-pulling debacle, I finally went in and manually edited Windows’ system registry. Microsoft being the nice fuzzy corporate empire it is likes to make everything that affects something invisible, so after slogging through preferences and options to get to a run screen to get to regedit.exe, I replaced the mailto registries twice: one time with Thunderbird’s, and one time reloading Windows’. At one point clicking at mailto: link launched 30-something IE windows. But finally — finally — it worked!
Then I got this fantastic reply from the helpful Harvard student at the Computer Help Desk:
Hi,
if I understand you correctly, you are trying to set Thunderbird as your default program.
Please follow the instructions below:
1. Press the start key, type “default programs” in the search field. Default Programs should be the first one on the list, highlight it and press enter
2. Select Thunderbird and click “Set this program as default”
3. Go to “Choose defaults for this program”, check “Select All”
4. Click save and exit.
Thunderbird by then should be the default email program for your user account. Please let us know if this help you resolve the problem.
Regards,
Leo
I had to try hard not to be offensive… I tried what he mentioned in the first 15 minutes of trying to troubleshoot the issue (mentioned below, obviously, ATTEMPTS 3-5 and then some)… Obviously he hadn’t clued in on what my actual issue was. Dagnabit, opinion of Harvard students dropping like a freaking boulder. Oh well.
Happy summer, folks.
DEALING WITH: SETTING MOZILLA THUNDERBIRD AS THE DEFAULT E-MAIL CLIENT IN WINDOWS VISTA BUSINESS
Note: This began as an attempt to get rid of the message that keeps popping up EVERY TIME I open Mozilla Thunderbird. (See Attempt 1) Thus, even though some settings were modified in the course of the creation of this document, I kept continuing my attempts because of the failed checks below (i.e., still trying to get mailto to work properly, and Mozilla to stop asking the question repeatedly.)
ATTEMPT 1
Click yes for “Do you want to use Mozilla Thunderbird as the default mail application?” when Mozilla Thunderbird begins (also check the check box saying “Do not ask again.”)
Result: Thunderbird still keeps asking every time the program is started up. It does not appear to be the default program (failing the checks indicated below).
ATTEMPT 2
In Thunderbird, click Tools -> Options.
Under Default Settings, check “Mail,” “News,” and “RSS Feeds.”
Result: As soon as you close the Options dialog, the settings are lost.
ATTEMPT 3
Under Control Panel -> Default Programs -> Set Default Programs…
Result: Thunderbird does not show up. Windows Vista Help “Change which programs Windows uses by default” invites you to try Attempt 4…
ATTEMPT 4
Under Control Panel -> Default Programs -> Set Associations, change associations for .eml and .nws files from Windows Mail to Mozilla Thunderbird (using Change Program, Browse Button, and selecting Thunderbird).
Result: Thunderbird still does not show up when Attempt 3 is repeated. However, the .eml and .nws settings stay, and are probably responsible for the positive checks indicated below. Negative checks are all still negative.
ATTEMPT 5 (Re-trying Attempt 3)
Go back to Control Panel -> Default Programs -> Set Default Programs and see if Thunderbird shows up… Nope.
ATTEMPT 6
Go to Control Panel -> Default Programs, Click “Set Program Access and Computer Defaults” to open new window. Click Custom and open up details. Under “Choose a default e-mail program:” click “Use my current e-mail program,” and Uncheck “Enable access to this program” for Windows Mail.
Result: Mailto still goes straight to Windows Mail. However, Windows Mail is no longer shortcutted on my Start Menu.
ATTEMPT 7
Go to Control Panel -> Default Programs, Click “Set Program Access and Computer Defaults” to open new window. Click “Non-Windows” and click OK.
Result: Mailto still the same. Thunderbird still keeps asking, and doesn’t recognize itself as the default mail application.
ATTEMPT 8
When Thunderbird starts up and pops up with the dialog, “Do you want to use Mozilla Thunderbird as the default mail application?” click NO after checking the “Do not ask again” check-box.
Result: Thunderbird still keeps asking.
CHECKS THAT TURN OUT NEGATIVE (demonstrating Thunderbird is NOT default)
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Clicking a mailto: link in a web browser (Firefox or Internet Explorer). Always reverts to Windows Mail.
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Whether Thunderbird asks “Do you want to use Mozilla Thunderbird as the default mail application?” Keeps asking.
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Whether Thunderbird is checked in “Mail,” “News,” and RSS Feeds” under Tools -> Default Settings. Always come unchecked, even if Thunderbird program isn’t closed and restarted.
CHECKS THAT TURN OUT POSITIVE (showing that Thunderbird is default)
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Under Control Panel -> Default Programs -> Set Associations, .eml and .nws files, previously set to Windows Mail, are now set to Mozilla Thunderbird. (as per ATTEMPT 4)
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Go to Control Panel -> Default Programs, Click “Set Program Access and Computer Defaults” to open new window. Under Custom, “Choose a default e-mail program” Windows indeed recognizes that I want to “Use my current e-mail program.” (as per ATTEMPT 6)
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Re-enable access to Windows Mail (see Attempt 6), go into Windows Mail. Click Tools -> Options. Under “Default Messaging Programs,” Windows Mail says, “This application is NOT the default Mail handler” and “This application is NOT the default News handler.” (probably a result of ATTEMPT 4) The checks (above) still turn out negative.
