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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
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
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
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
People: make sure you scroll down the page and look at the higher rated answers. THEY ARE CORRECT AND WORK!
I myself have edited the Registry Key in both Windows Vista and now under Windows 7 -- it works BEAUTIFULLY and works with whatever browser is your poison (Internet Explorer, Chrome, FireFox, Safari, etc.). GMail will open up a new window/tab in the browser you specify and allow you to compose an e-mail using the GMail interface.
The following instructions work for Internet Explorer 8 (under Windows 7 64 bit) or for Google Chrome. You can easily modify them for other browsers and other versions of Windows (XP/Vista/7 32 bit/64 bit).
It was pioneered with Chrome but I just modified it to work with IE 8 by replacing the path to Chrome (which installs in a user's account) to the path that points to Internet Explorer (which installs into Program Files (x86)).
Note: I'm running Windows 7 64 bit version. You may need to replace \Program Files (x86)\ with \Program Files\ if you are running a 32 bit version of Windows and would like to use Internet Explorer.
#1 Open Regedit from the Start Menu (search for regedit)
#2 Open it by right-clicking on it in the Start Menu and running as administrator (if you are not already in an administrator account)
#3 Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\mailto\shell\open\command\
#4 Modify the DEFAULT entry.
If you want to use Internet Explorer set DEFAULT to:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe "https://mail.google.com/mail?extsrc=mailto&url=%1"
Alternately, if you use Google Chrome use this string for DEFAULT. Make sure you replace *myusername* with yourownusername:
C:\Users\*myusername*\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe "https://mail.google.com/mail?extsrc=mailto&url=%1"
PS Make sure the quotation marks are not replaced by fancy ones. They have to be ordinary quotation marks.
#5 Click OK
Now I would click on an e-mail link in your browser and see what pops up. You don't need to reload web pages or anything like that. The registry key edit takes effect immediately once you click ok.
I don't care which email program is the default as long as I can click on the email links on web pages and reply to them. My problem is my Windows Live email program doesn't work so when I click on a link either nothing happens or I get errors. I am searching for help on what to do to be able to click on those links and it work. Please help.
If you mean you wish to use Yahoo webmail as the default email program, I'm
not sure you can.
They used to have a way to do it via the Yahoo Messenger, but I don't know
if that still works.
http://www.pchell.com/support/yahoomail.shtml
If you wish to use a desktop email program, like Windows Live Mail, then you
can access Yahoo (if you have the Plus account) or Gmail.
For Yahoo Plus account, then you can access their POP3 server...
see http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/mail/original/mailplus/pop/pop-14.html
--
Dave N.
MS-MVP (Mail)
Windows 7 Ultimate
http://download.live.com/wlmail
"Caveman" wrote in message news:3a7268f7-4bed-4454-bb27-110b65e687e3...
> I am so lost. All I want to be able to do is click on email links on web
> pages and send emails utilizing those links. I have Windows Live Mail and
> I must have it configured wrong because it doesn't work. I don't want to
> use pop mail as my wife also uses this computer and she needs to be able
> to click on those email links as well. We both use different email
> programs. I use Yahoo and she uses Hotmail. I use to be able to click on
> an email link on any webpage and I could send an email directly using that
> link. Now I can't send anything. I have to copy down or copy the email
> link, go to my email program, open up a new email, paste in the email link
> , enter my questions or converstation and send it. There has to be an
> easier way. Can anybody help me? I understand some about computers but I
> am not an expert. I have Windows7 Home Premium 64. I use Internet
> Explorer 8 as my browser. Please, help me if you can or are willing to.
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
>
>
Windows 7 Ultimate 64
