Windows

Change The Default Email Program In Internet Explorer

Posted by on May 4, 2006 | 14 Comments

You can change the default email program that is used by Internet Explorer. When you click an email link on a web page, this is the email client that Internet Explorer will automatically open. For example, you can configure Internet Explorer to automatically open Hotmail each time.

To change the current email program:

  1. Open Internet Explorer

  2. Click the Tools menu and click Internet Options.
  3. From the Internet Options dialog box, click the Programs tab.
  4. Use the drop down arrow beside the E-mail to select the program you want Internet Explorer to use.
  5. Click OK.

[tags]microsoft,hotmail,internet explorer,diana huggins,default email[/tags]

  • http://tatesoftware.com John Tate

    I want to make comcast.net my IE default email system. I see no way to do it. Comcast.net is not on the dropdown list.

  • http://192.168.0.104 VIC SMITH

    I have to keep resetting my email in my internet options. Why does it keep changing and how can i fix it?

  • Ron Bellman

    This little trick doesn’t work in IE6…Used to use IE& but it crashed so much that I had to revert to IE6. Still would like to know how to change the default email from MS choices to my OWN!

    Thanks

    Ron

  • Dave Colley

    Here is a registry change to make blueyonder your internet explorer 6 default mail program.

    I guess it should work for any webmail
    just change the URL, copy this into notepad, save it with a .reg extension and then run it

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Webmail]
    @=”Webmail”

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Webmail\shell]

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Webmail\shell\open]

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Webmail\shell\open\command]
    @=”iexplore https://webmail.blueyonder.co.uk/”

    Open internet explorer and go to options, programs, mail and select webmail

  • Conrad

    In responce to Dave Colley

    I tried that option but it keeps saying that OE is not the default mail client then it opens up anout 60 IE windows.

    Any ideas please?

  • Bill Beck

    Can anyone help me, I am trying to use yahoo mail as my default internet mail. It works ok on my old computer with ie6 but with ie7 on my new computer it is not a choice in the intenet options program pull down, I downloaded yahoo messenger like some people have suggested and no help. This shouldnt be that hard, I called yahoo all they told me to do was download yahoo messenger.

    Thanks

  • Bill Beck

    I found the answer thanks, the way to get yahoo mail on your internet mail default list is to install yahoo messenger, but not the express install, the custom version and ensure you select browser services.

  • rosanne kuntz

    Dear Diana,
    I followed your instructions for internet exploer to reset default email. But it required login and password. i have no idea what it is. how can i reset this?
    Your help is much appreciated!!
    Thanks,
    Rosanne

  • David Heatherly

    I am trying to finish setting up a new computer for my father-in-law and I have installed his copy of Office Basic on his new vista home premium Dell laptop. Everything is working except that neither ie or firefox will recognize Outlook as the email program when trying to send a link from inside the browser. I have tried the settings changes above and tried repairing Office to no avail. Any further suggestions?

  • wendy

    I want to make comcast.net or even yahoo my IE default email system. I see no way to do it. I only have hotmail and outlook express in my dropdown list. so how can i do it? i don’t want to use hotmail or outlook express.

  • chris

    I want to list gmail as my email defuault but when I go into the Tools
    menu it is not listed. How do I get it listed.

  • http://www.dlrdiag.com Robert Schnell

    trying logging in as “Administrator” then see if you can make the change to what you want.

    Robert

  • Joe

    How do I change my email default from Yahoo to iGoogle?

  • scott

    you can change your default email to yahoo very easy even if it isIf you don’t have Yahoo! Toolbar v.7.2 or newer for Internet Explorer installed, you need to download it first. When you install it, make sure you select the Install the Yahoo! Mail Plug-in and make Yahoo! Mail my default Mail provider checkbox. not one of your choices found in internet options.