Thank you! Turns out that this solution also works on Windows Vista, where
apparently, assigning Thunderbird can confuse the system as far as mailto is
concerned...

Sharon

"PA Bear" wrote:

Give this one a whirl, then:

DefaultMail v2.1
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/defaultmail.htm
--
~PA Bear

VA Dave wrote:
Thanks for the help, but nothing worked.

In the first web page: http://windowsxp.mvps.org/MailtoProtocol.htm, it
says to create a new string value named URL Protocol. However, I cannot
create the string under the mailto key. I am getting the error: "Cannot
open mailto: Error while opening key".

I checked on my wife's user account (not the administrator) and the mailto
key is working fine and has three strings in the right pane. Everything is
working fine on her account for setting the default email program.

I wish I could delete my mailto key and import her mailto key, but the
Registry editor won't let me delete the mailto key.

"PA Bear" wrote:

Multiple browser windows open when you click on a mailto: link:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/MailtoProtocol.htm

1. http://www.oehelp.com/oedef.aspx; then...

2a. http://www.oehelp.com/oelnk.aspx

2b. (WinXP) [Control Panel Add/Remove Programs ] Set Program Access
and Defaults Email ...

If still no joy, see:

Installing OL updates changes the default mail handler from OE to OL
http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#13

SendTo and E-mail Links Do Not Work Using Outlook Express as Default
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=306098
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE, Shell/User, Security), Aumha.org VSOP, DTS-L.org

VA Dave wrote:
I am having problems in making OE6 my default email program. Also, I
am having the problem of multiple IE windows (55 to be exact) popping
up when I click on an email link in IE6.

I have tried the following suggestions but nothing has worked:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/.../oerepair.mspx

http://www.oehelp.com/oedef.aspx

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=306098

When I click on the "Make default" button in OE6 under Tools/Options,
the setting is not saved then next time I back into Tools/Options.

Finally, I believe that the mailto key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT is
corrupted because when I click on it, I get the following message
"Cannot open mailto: Error while opening key". I cannot delete the
mailto key either.

I would appreciate your help for fixing this problem. Thanks.