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
    2010-10-11T14:39:07+00:00

    I followed your first steps - but do not get an eml_auto_file when i check the registry.  Is this because I have Windows Live installed and it appears as the default?  This is all above my pay grade - but managed to convert all my .dbx files to .eml by importing them into windows live mail, and I then exported them to Office, but they stayed .eml, and I can neither see or access them in Office, only through the computer.

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-10-12T12:10:13+00:00

    You can use File | Import | Messages to import the eml files from WLM to Outlook or in WLM use File | Export to export them to Outlook.

    steve

    <ccardillo> wrote in message news:*** Email address is removed for privacy ***...

    I followed your first steps - but do not get an eml_auto_file when i check the registry.  Is this because I have Windows Live installed and it appears as the default?  This is all above my pay grade - but managed to convert all my .dbx files to .eml by importing them into windows live mail, and I then exported them to Office, but they stayed .eml, and I can neither see or access them in Office, only through the computer.

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-04-20T17:32:44+00:00

    I had 64bit windows 7 enterprise installed and this trick worked great! only someone reinstalled the os and now the computer has 32bit windows 7 home installed and the same trick doesn't work!

    does anyone know if this reg-hack only works for 64bit?

    thanks.

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  4. Anonymous
    2012-03-14T19:37:36+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

    This is not true.  I received an email from a colleague of mine with two emails received from a 3rd party included as attachments.  Both of these emails came across attached as .eml files.  I opened them just fine with Outlook.  One day later, when I try to open them, I get the "select a program" prompt.

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