I'm trying configure my PC so that when I click on an email address in
a Website, that email address is automatically populated in an Outlook
email. I have already set Outlook as my default mail client in
Internet Explorer, but when I click on an email address, it launches
another instance of Outlook, pauses on the Inbox, then gives me an
error message, saying that I have not configured the default mail
client properly. I'm using Outlook 2000 and IE6.

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Request for Question Clarification by theta-ga on 15 Nov 2002 10:07 PST

Here is how you can get Outlook 2000 to prompt you to set it as the
default client.
 - Click start>run
 - Type 
       outlook.exe /checkclient
   and press enter.If Windows is unable to find Outlook.exe file, then
you will have to provide the full path to the exe, enclosed within
quotes.For eg :
      "c:\program files\microsoft office\office\outlook.exe"
/checkclient
 - Outlook will now start up and ask you whether you want to set it as
your default manager for Mail and News.
 - Select Yes.
 - Outlook will now be setup as your default email manager.
 - You will now have to provide it with information regarding your
email account, so that it can use it to send mail messages.
 For more information, please read :
       John Savill's Windows/NT FAQ : Outlook as default Mail client
       ( http://www.windows2000faq.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=13694)

For instructions on hoe you can setup your email account for use with
Outlook :
  - If you use Hotmail :
       - Slipstick Systems : Configuring Hotmail Support in Outlook
2000
        ( http://www.slipstick.com/config/ol2000hotmail.htm )
  - If you use a POP3 or IMAP account:
      The following articles provide illustrated guides to configuring
Outlook with your mail account.Just replace the POP3/IMAP/SMTP server
addresses given in the articles with the server addresses of your
email account provider.
       - York Univ : Install and Configure MS Outlook 2000 for IMAP &
LDAP
         ( www.cns.yorku.ca/computing/apps/outlook/config_outlook2000.html
)

       - Venue Communications - Configure Outlook 2000
         ( http://www.venuecom.com/Design/IllustratedHelp/Outlook2000.htm
)
        Just replace the POP3 and SMTP server addresses given in the
article with the server addresses of your email account provider.

Please tell me whether this helped or not. If not, we could try
something else.
If you need any clarifications, just ask!
:)

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Clarification of Question by billf-ga on 15 Nov 2002 18:01 PST

theta, 
 
Thanks for your effort. Unfortunately, it didn't solve the problem. My
computer recognizes that Outlook is the default mail client, but when
I click on an email link, it does nothing more than launch another
instance of Outlook. If I'm not mistaken, it should launch a blank
email and populate the "To" field with the email address I clicked on
the webpage.

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Request for Question Clarification by endo-ga on 15 Nov 2002 18:46 PST

Hi,
I hope the following will solve your problem. I assume you are
familiar with regedit, if you are not, don't hesitate to request a
clarification.
Navigate to the following branch in the registry:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto\shell\open\command
Is it similar to this one?
"%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office\outlook.exe"
i.e. it just has the program path and nothing else?
If this is the case, I'll post what I believe to be the solution to
your problem.
Could you please also tell me what you have in that branch in the
registry? Thanks.

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Clarification of Question by billf-ga on 16 Nov 2002 10:03 PST

Endo,

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with regedit.
So clarification would be appreciated.

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Clarification of Question by billf-ga on 16 Nov 2002 11:00 PST

Lighthousej,

Thank you very much -- your suggestion fixed my problem!

Seems u have not done the initial outlook setups first

Try double clicking on outlook and answer the questions it ask

Doesn't ask me any questions when I double click on the Outlook icon.
Just launches Outlook, which I've been using for email for years.

theta,

Thanks for your effort. Unfortunately, it didn't solve the problem. My
computer recognizes that Outlook is the default mail client, but when
I click on an email link, it does nothing more than launch another
instance of Outlook. If I'm not mistaken, it should launch a blank
email and populate the "To" field with the email address I clicked on
the webpage.

Open "Windows Explorer" and go to "View" and click "Folder Options".
You will see a tab that says "File Types" click it. Double click the
word "open" in the box and you should see statements for the following
information:

Action:
open

Application used to perform this action:
rundll32.exe shdocvw.dll,OpenURL %l

NOTE* Next the is an option with a box that you may check or uncheck.
MAKE SURE IT IS CHECKED!!!

o Use DDE:

DDE Message:
(THIS FIELD SHOULD REMAIN BLANK)

Application:
shdocvw

DDE Application not running:
(THIS FIELD SHOULD REMAIN BLANK)

Topic:
System


Now you should click "Ok" until you are back at "Windows Explorer".
Test the change. You may want to restart but should not be necessary.
But try it without and then again after you have restarted.

Regards.

pk5633,

Thanks for trying to help. You suggested that I double-click the word
"open" in the box, but unfortunately, I don't see the word "open"
anywhere that point. I do see it, however, if I select a item from the
file types list. But I'm not sure which one to select. For example,
there is one called "Outlook Item" and another called "Outlook Item
Template". But neither of them had the file/string you mentioned this
associated with them (rundll32.exe shdocvw.dll,OpenURL %l). Instead,
the former had this string: "c:\Program Files\Microsoft
Office\Office\OUTLOOK.EXE" /f "%1". And the latter had this one:
"c:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\OUTLOOK.EXE" /t "%1". Can
you please clarify? Thanks very much.

Try going to your internet properties, click on the programs tab.  Set
your default Email client to something else, like MSN Hotmail or
Outlook Express and click "Apply", then change it back to "Microsoft
Outlook".