I now have Windows 7 Home Premium Edition, and want Gmail as my Default email.

Anonymous
2009-11-29T19:00:26+00:00

I now have Windows 7 Home Premium Edition, and want Gmail as my Default email.  I have found no clearly spelled-out information or directions on how to do this successfully.  Yes- I know about setting your default programs, and Gmail is not listed as an option. 

So then I start the research, and I've gotten as far as reading that i have to "Regisiter with Windows Live Mail" in order to set Gmail as my default email?  I started to register with Live Mail, and they want my name and email address and whether I want updates, the YAHOO tool bar, etc. I don't want to register in any other placces than I need, as I know  email notes for Windows Live Mail will come. AND does this mean that my gmail goes to windows live mail and then forwarded onto to me??? So is this the only way to get Gmail as default email?  Anyone have clear instructions on how to do this?  Thank you.

original title: Having Gmail as Default email program..  I am fairly intelligent, BUT THIS IS DRIVING ME CRAZY

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Internet and connectivity

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Anonymous
2009-12-06T16:51:11+00:00

This worked for me (Windows Live Mail not needed):

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\mailto\shell\open\command\

edit (default) to :

"C:\Users\*username*\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" https://mail.google.com/mail?extsrc=mailto&url=%1

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Anonymous
2009-11-29T19:47:54+00:00

On Sun, 29-Nov-09 19:00:26 GMT, barb1948 wrote:

>

>

> I now have Windows 7 Home Premium Edition, and want Gmail as my Default email.

The term "default e-mail" refers to your default e-mail *program*.

Gmail is not a program, and you can not do this.

> I have found no clearly spelled-out information or directions on

> how to do this successfully. Yes- I know about setting your

> default programs, and Gmail is not listed as an option.

Right! It's not an option because gmail is not a program.

who use gmail use it on their web site, you can

access your gmail using almost any e-mail program you like. Select

your e-mail program and install it. Then go to the gmail web site, and

get the instructions there for using that program for gmail instead of

their web site.

Once you have done that, you can then make that program, the one you

will use to access your gmail, the default e-mail program

> So then I start the research, and I've gotten as far as

> reading that i have to "Regisiter with Windows Live Mail"

> in order to set Gmail as my default email?

Not at all correct. As I said above, you can use almost *any* e-mail

program you want. Windows Live Mail is a choice, but not the only

choice.

> I started to register with Live Mail, and they want my name

> and email address and whether I want updates, the YAHOO tool

> bar, etc. I don't want to register in any other placces than

> I need, as I know email notes for Windows Live Mail will

l goes to windows live

> mail and then forwarded onto to me???

Not exactly. It will go to Windows Live Mail only if you set up

Windows Live Mail for it, following the instructions on the gmail web

site. And it's not really "forwarded."

> So is this the only way to get Gmail as default email?

Once again, you can *not* get an e-mail *service* such as gmail as

your default. Your default has to be a *program*.

> Anyone have clear instructions on how to do this? Thank you.

See above.

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003


Ken Blake

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-05-09T13:54:16+00:00

    And for Zimbra Web Mail:

    set zimbra as default email client for outbound email (so clicking on an email address brings up Zimbra!)

    1. Open regedit.exe
    2. Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto\shell\open\command

    explorer "https://DOMAINHERE/zimbra/?view=compose&to=%1"

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