Email Links Won't Work - Help!

If you can't click on email links in web pages, to open your favorite email program, it is because your Windows system has no mail program associated with email links. Once the correct link is set up, you will be able to compose a message directly from an email link. These solutions apply to Windows XP.

Internet Explorer (most common web browser)

1. Go to the Tools menu, and select Internet Options (or select it in the Control Panel).
2. When the Internet Options window opens, select the Programs tab and choose your preferred mail editor from the drop-down list. (Programs listed by default: Outlook, Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird, MSN Explorer, Windows Live Mail)
3. Click OK to save your choice and close the window.

Yahoo Mail

1. Download Yahoo Instant Messenger (messenger.yahoo.com).
2. During the installation, select custom install - check browser services (and other options if you want).
3. In Internet Explorer, go to the Tools menu, and select Internet Options (or select it in the Control Panel).
4. When the Internet Options window opens, select the Programs tab and choose Yahoo Mail from the drop-down list.
5. Click OK to save your choice and close the window.

Gmail

Gmail canot be added to the Internet Options program choices, so you have to use another method.

1. Install Gmail Notifier (toolbar.google.com/gmail-helper/notifier_windows.html).
2. During installation, select the option to use for outgoing mail. This sets Gmail as your default mail program.
3. Email links in any browser should now honour your choice.
4. A little Gmail notifier envelope appears at the bottom right of your screen - click it to reset this setting if another program clears it! If you want to stop using Gmail as the default mail, uninstall the program.

Firefox (next most common web browser)

If your mail program is Thunderbird (Mozilla's mate to Firefox), run Thunderbird and make it the default mail program (other mail programs should also have a similar option). From the Thunderbird Tools menu, select Options. In the General tab, the system defaults have a check now button that will allow you to check and select Thunderbird as the default mail program. Email links in all web browsers should now open a Thunderbird mail editor window.

In Firefox version 2.* (not v3) try this: Edit (or create) the file called user.js located in your profile folder and add the following line (replace MAIL_PROGRAM_NAME with the name of your program):
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.app.mailto", "MAIL_PROGRAM_NAME");

There's great help in the Firefox Support forum at http://forums.mozillazine.org/

General Solution

Try using the Windows Set Program Access & Defaults dialog to set Thunderbird (or whatever) as the default mail program.

1. Click the Start button, (click on Settings in some setups), click on Control Panel to open the Windows Control Panel.
2. Click Add or Remove Programs to open the Add or Remove Programs window.
3. On the left side of the Window click on Set Program Access and Defaults.
4. In the Access and Defaults window, click on the Custom radio button to expand the Custom category.
5. Underneath Choose a default e-mail program, click the radio button next to Mozilla Thunderbird, Outlook, etc.
6. Click OK and exit.