How do I get Outlook 2007 to read .eml files and attachments?

Anonymous
2010-03-11T22:35:16+00:00

I am a web developer working from home.  A lot of my clients talk to me via chat programs like Yahoo Messenger and Skype.  Often times, they send mail messages from a end-users to me over yahoo or skype that are .eml files.  These files describe bugs or other errors that end-users experienced.

I can't understand why I can't read "eml" files in Outlook 2007.  Right now, windows 2007 wants to use windows live mail to open these files.

Is there a third-party add-on that will give Outlook 2007 this functionality?

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Apps

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Anonymous
2010-03-12T01:11:33+00:00

I solved the problem for Windows 7 64 bit users and Vista 64 bit users

  1. Open up regedit.exe (The windows registry editor)
  2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Microsoft Internet Mail Message WLMail\shell\open\command
  3. Change "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Live\Mail\wlmail.exe" /eml:%1 to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12\OUTLOOK.EXE" /eml "%1"   (do not forget the double quotes!)
  4. Restart your computer

This way, windows thinks that "Windows Live Mail" is still the default program for opening .eml files.  However, we changed the registry so that instead of opening Windows Live Mail, we are opening OUTLOOK.EXE.  What I mean is that if you opened the control panel, clicked on Default Programs and associated .eml files with Windows Live Mail, we've tricked out the registry so that it will open outlook instead--even though Windows still says it is associated with Windows Live.  Confusing, I know.

The best analogy are those old commercials where "We've secretly changed Lisa's favorite detergent with new all temperature Cheer!"  In this case we secretly changed Windows Live Mail with Outlook when it comes to opening .eml attachments.

Anyhow, this trick worked for me.  I can open .eml files just by double-clicking on them.  You can always change things back if you decide to switch to Windows Live.

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-08-09T18:59:39+00:00

    I must admit - having the same issue. I do NOThave Windows Live Mail installed. I tried to create the entire tree manually but no dice. Could it be that I need the entire registry key tree that Windows Live Mail creates? Is there anyone who got it working who can paste here a registry export (text) of the entire tree created by Windows Live. Possibly if we import the entire tree and just modify that one item it would work?

    I got this working with outlook 2007 but I am using Windows 7 so this might not work under XP. 

    The first thing I did was right click on a saved .eml file and associated it with OUTLOOK (which opens a new email with the .eml file as an attachment)

    Now on my computer HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.eml points to eml_auto_file . 

    I changed HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\eml_auto_file\shell\read\command to call**"c:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\outlook.exe" /eml "%1"** like the other solution above.

    Next I created the keys HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\OUTLOOK_eml.exe\shell\open\command

    In the command key set (default) REG_SZ value to "c:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\outlook.exe" /eml "%1"

    open HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts.eml\UserChoice

    Change Progid to Applications\OUTLOOK_eml.exe

    If you get access denied when changing Progid check the permissions on the UserChoice key.  There might be a deny flag set which you can unset (I would set it back when you are done).

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-08-09T18:39:47+00:00

    This registry change achieves nothing - Outlook cannot open EML extension files, period.  The file will still open in Windows Mail (or Outlook Express).  All you've done with this registry hack is mess up your registry.

    This isn't actually true as the .EML file is just a MIME encoded email the same as you get from a mail server.  If you use the /eml command line argument suggested by Mrbinky3000 outlook opens eml files no problem.  The issue in this post is people are trying the associate the file type in the registry so the /eml switch is present when outlook.exe is called.

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  3. Diane Poremsky MVP 17,541 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2010-03-12T06:30:24+00:00

    Cool. Thanks for posting your solution.

    Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]

    Outlook Tips: http://www.outlook-tips.net/

    Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com

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  4. Diane Poremsky MVP 17,541 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2010-03-11T23:16:05+00:00

    You can't read them with outlook because they are not a file type used by outlook. Are they html or plain text? You can change the extension to HTML and read them in a browser or change it to txt and open them in notepad...   if you don't use live mail, change the assoication for the file type to your browser or notepad.

    ETA: I'm not aware of any addins.

    Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]

    Outlook Tips: http://www.outlook-tips.net/

    Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com

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