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When you click the Read Mail button in the Command Bar in Internet Explorer, nothing may happen. The Read Mail button is supposed to launch the default mail client, and this problem occurs if the default mail client is not correctly set. Follow these steps to resolve the problem.
Instructions for Windows XP
Step I
1. Right-click on the Taskbar and click Properties
2. Select the Start Menu tab
3. Select the Start menu option, and click Customize…
4. Click the E-mail drop down box and select your mail client.
Important: If your mail client is already showing up as the default option, you still need to click the drop down menu and select the item. Otherwise the setting will not be saved correctly!
5. Click OK.
Step II
Note: You need to login as Administrator or equivalent to perform the following steps.
1. Open Internet Explorer
2. Click the Tools menu and choose Internet Options
3. Click Programs tab
4. Select your mail client from the drop down box.
5. Click OK to close the dialog.
Instructions for Windows Vista
1. Click Start, select Default Programs
2. Click Set your default programs
3. Select your mail client from the list
4. Click Set this program as default, and click OK.
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Thanks so much working fine with IE8 ! Good simple easy well explained fix. Worked perfect first time! Been trying everything even reinstalling IE 7& 8. Nothing worked. My system is XP Home SP 3.
Thank you for this fix…love having use of that button….
To CHUCK FLINK,
this tip here adds Windows Live Hotmail to the list of default programs in Vista … not sure if it will work in Windows 7?
When I click the mail icon in IE8 it loads the login page to live.com as you requested.
when I click a link that would load your default email program it again loads my hotmail live login page and it will also make the mail icon on a keyboard load the correct email program.
Hope it works for you;
http://www.winhelponline.com/articles/224/1/Register-Windows-Live-Hotmail-with-the-Default-Programs-tool-in-Windows-Vista.html
Thanks a bunch. This fix did in fact work perfectly the first time after many others did not. Thanks again
How about Windows 7? There is not “Mail” program setup in the W7 Start properties. When I go to default programs, I see Windows Live Mail as the default, but NOT Windows Hotmail (i.e. Web Mail as I see in my XP system as an option for the default mail handler.)
I can’t use Windows Live Mail with my primary Live ID because I have MANY messages and folders out on the Hotmail server. It takes too long (and takes too much space) to sync copies of all that on every PC I use.
So when I click on the mail button under IE8, I would like to have a tab load mail.live.com …how do I do that?
Many thanks! After looking at a ton of cryptic suggestion on other sites, this clear, step-by-step procedure was just the ticket for a none too savy “Computer for Dummies” user. Worked first try.
Thanks for the tip. It worked great!
Thanks. Solved this problem on my computer (Win XP) after installation of IE 8. Microsoft support was not able to solve this problem for me. Big is not always beautiful!!
Thank you! Solved the problem for me. Key is to ‘RE-SAVE’ OE under the start menu, as said, even if it is already the default.
Thanks. Worked perfect after I followed your instructions!!