• Windows “E-mail this” option doesn’t work with web-based email

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    #498403

    Have been reading a little about Windows 10 and its new features. This prompted memories of a missing or, rather, a limited feature of past versions of Windows. It’s been so long since i tried to use it that i’ve forgotten exactly how it works. Anyway, it was an option where if you were doing something or writing something in Windows you could click on “E-mail this” (or similar words) and Microsoft Outlook (the Outlook that’s part of Microsoft Office) would open. However, if you don’t use Outlook or other installed/internal email program then you get a message saying something to the effect of “no email client found” or “no email client installed”, etc. Hopefully, some of you here will be familiar with what i’m describing.

    The reason for posting this is that web-based email has become the norm for many more people than it was in the past, and i wonder if Windows 10 will somehow integrate that into the new OS so you can choose “email this” and Windows will open Hotmail (OK, now it’s called Outlook.com). Does anyone know if this might happen with Win 10?

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    • #1487025

      If you right click on a file one option is ‘send to’ and one option on that is ‘Mail recipient’. On mine it opens Outlook (2003 – I haven’t removed it yet!). What it does sans outlook I don’t know. But you could always suggest it!

      BTW I’m on Win 8.1 – it rocks!

      Eliminate spare time: start programming PowerShell

      • #1487091

        If you right click on a file one option is ‘send to’ and one option on that is ‘Mail recipient’. On mine it opens Outlook (2003 – I haven’t removed it yet!). What it does sans outlook I don’t know. But you could always suggest it!

        BTW I’m on Win 8.1 – it rocks!

        Yes, that’s the feature i was thinking of. Thanks for jogging my memory. There’s a website for Windows feature suggestions and i just posted the suggestion to make that Send to / Mail recipient compatible with web-based mail. I see no reason why they can’t allow us to copy/paste our email website address which would then automatically open on the screen ….

    • #1487137

      Except that all webmail is different so the recipient and subject are likely to get lost in the process.

      cheers, Paul

      • #1487337

        Except that all webmail is different so the recipient and subject are likely to get lost in the process.

        cheers, Paul

        Ahh, good point. Maybe Microsoft could at least make that feature work with their own web-based Hotmail/Outlook.com which would be nice for their 150 million or so users! 😀

    • #1487138

      Except that all webmail is different so the recipient and subject are likely to get lost in the process.

      cheers, Paul

    • #1487344

      Looking in IE’s Tools, Internet Options or Control Panel, Internet Options and the Programs tab’s Set programs, I don’t see any way to set Web-base E-Mail, only installed E-Mail Clients.

      Before you wonder "Am I doing things right," ask "Am I doing the right things?"
      • #1488306

        I tried that too and got the same result.

        Too bad you can’t set your browser as the default program for the MailTo protocol. The way I imagine that working is that you’d append a URL to the browser name and the browser would go directly to the mail provider site. You’d still have to log in and I doubt you could get the e-mail address to pass through automatically, into a new e-mail message. But maybe there’s a way.

        It’s hardly a new problem, or rare. I’ll bet someone is working on this, somewhere.

    • #1487363

      Is it possible to add an installed client like Thunderbird to the send to menu? A quick Google doesn’t reveal anything useful…

      Eliminate spare time: start programming PowerShell

      • #1487365

        Is it possible to add an installed client like Thunderbird to the send to menu? A quick Google doesn’t reveal anything useful…

        If you right-click a file and left-click “Send toMail recipient” your default email program will open a new message window with the file attached. If nothing happens, or the wrong program’s message window opens then you need to go to “Control PanelDefault ProgramsSet your default programs”, click on the email program you want as default, then click “Set this program as default”.

      • #1489221

        Yes, when I right click on a file and choose “Send To”
        that opens a small submenu with choices that include
        “Bluetooth, Desktop, Documents, Fax Recipient, Mail Recipient, Skype, DVD RW Drive”

        If I choose Mail Recipient, a Thunderbird Write Message window opens with the selected file already attached.
        Its been working this way for years, and I don’t think I did anything except to make Thunderbird my default mail client.

        • #1490492

          If I choose Mail Recipient, a Thunderbird Write Message window opens with the selected file already attached.
          Its been working this way for years

          Yes, that’s how most [all?] local email clients work. The problem being discussed here is webmail–ie no local client like Thunderbird installed.

          Lugh.
          ~
          Alienware Aurora R6; Win10 Home x64 1803; Office 365 x32
          i7-7700; GeForce GTX 1060; 16GB DDR4 2400; 1TB SSD, 256GB SSD, 4TB HD

    • #1487368

      Magic – I should have thought of default programs!

      So the answer for starvinmarvin is to use an email client (e.g. T’bird) and set it as default. I have all my web based emails set up in Thunderbird.

      Eliminate spare time: start programming PowerShell

    • #1487375

      But the OP was talking about those who don’t want to use an email client. It may be possible in the future, but I don’t think it is at the moment.

      Unless anyone knows different…

    • #1487395

      I didn’t read it as he didn’t want to use an installed client but that he wasn’t using one.
      I can’t see the problem in using Thunderbird or any other client. As I said, I can open my web based emails in T’bird – it’s quicker and easier than through a browser. However if starvinmarvin doesn’t want to use an installed client then he will probably be disappointed as they don’t have a separate window when ‘write/compose’ is pressed, unlike T’bird et al.

      Eliminate spare time: start programming PowerShell

      • #1487409

        I didn’t read it as he didn’t want to use an installed client but that he wasn’t using one.
        I can’t see the problem in using Thunderbird or any other client. As I said, I can open my web based emails in T’bird – it’s quicker and easier than through a browser. However if starvinmarvin doesn’t want to use an installed client then he will probably be disappointed as they don’t have a separate window when ‘write/compose’ is pressed, unlike T’bird et al.

        LOL – guess i should have been clearer. i prefer web-based email and don’t want any email downloaded to or residing on my computer. This preference works OK except for that occasional moment when it would be handy to right-click on a file and choose Send to/Mail recipient. It’s almost as easy to open Hotmail and create an email using the Attach feature. As Microsoft is fine-tuning Windows 10 and working on a brand new internet browser it struck me that this is an opportune moment for them to integrate the right-click/Send to feature with web-based email so i made the suggestion on their website.

    • #1487400

      they don’t have a separate window when ‘write/compose’ is pressed

      My Domain Host uses a program called SmarterMail on their server for my account which does open a new window for Compose and Reply but my ISP uses uses MagicMail which does not open a new window for Compose or Reply. Hotmail.com does not open a new window but Gmail opens a small window on top of the message list.

      Before you wonder "Am I doing things right," ask "Am I doing the right things?"
    • #1487414

      Currently, you can make webmail default in browsers, but not system-wide as far as I know:

      How to make webmail your default email in Chrome, Firefox, and Opera (even IE, if Gmail)

      Bruce

    • #1487461

      Yes, the Mailto extension for Chrome browser can be useful, but i use a more direct method. When i open Chrome it’s set to open a set of 4 or 5 pages i use a lot including Hotmail. To do that you open the pages you want as “Start pages” in Chrome, then go to Settings in Chrome / On Startup and click on “Open specific page or set of pages” and select “Use current pages”. Now, each time you open the browser it will immediately load those pages/tabs in the same left to right order.

    • #1488364

      I found that a program called GmailDefault Maker worked for me, also works with all other web based emails. Link for download: http://gmaildefault.codeplex.com/releases/view/55413

    • #1488376

      Outstanding suggestions, guys! A combination of two or more would probably handle everything well. Will give them a try while waiting to see if MSFT decides to integrate Hotmail/Outlook.com into the Send to menu in Explorer !

    • #1488875

      Affixa is great. The paid version even allows you to select from which webmailer you want to send. But the free one does the magic for me already (with gmail). No local Outlook or any other email client installed. It runs as a service in the background (will need to run at startup) – but so far it has never been eating lots of resources.

    • #1490500

      Agreed. When one looks in Control Panel, Internet Options, Programs tab one can set an installed program as default to work with a file type it can handle. The problem is that Webmail/Online E-Mail is not a program in itself, runs as a web page inside of the browser which is the program. Most of my older clients are accepting that Hotmail, Outlook.com, Gmail, Yahoo, etc., are online and use accordingly but a couple still wanted Windows Live Mail, free is good. [Had to be out this evening or would have added this earlier.]

      Before you wonder "Am I doing things right," ask "Am I doing the right things?"
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