Windows Live Mail

[Me2]

I use the program Windows Live Mail for email. All of a sudden my attachments are opening with outlook express instead of Windows Live Mail. I tried switching the program that is used to open email attachments back to Windows Live Mail but then when I click to open an attachment it just sits there and doesn't do anything. By email attachments I mean attachments with the .eml extension(I think extension is the proper term). I want to be able to open attachments using Windows Live Mail.

[Radioguy]

Odd. Someone here may have a better answer, but to me it sounds like something in the registry, or maybe something to do with associations on different user accounts. (are you using the same every time?)

I suppose that if you have backed up everything, including emails and accounts, and have imported them into Windows Live Mail, then it should be safe to uninstall OE altogether. Then maybe it will allow reassociation with live mail. (might need to reinstall live mail again too)

Speaking of Live Mail, I find it's still a little buggy when it comes to scrolling through the account pane on the left (doesn't always recognize the mouse or touchpad), and there really ought to be an easier way to organize them (like organizing bookmarks in FF).

[RealBlackStuff]

I use Mozilla Thunderbird.
I have one friend who, when he answers my email, has the previous email-parts also attached as .eml
Thunderbird opens them easily and correctly.
You can remove Outlook Express in Control Panel/Add-remove programs/Windows components.

[Radioguy]

Yup. The problem with Thunderbird though, is that it cannot handle Hotmail accounts. Live Mail can handle those and whatever else Thunderbird can handle.

[Harryc]

Actually Thunderbird can handle Hotmail accounts. You have to define the POP account and SSL, and you need a Windows Live ID.
The POP service requires that you use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) with the POP and SMTP connection and use SMTP authentication. This is to ensure that your email address and password are not subject to tampering. The settings are the following:

POP: pop3.live.com (port 995)
SMTP: smtp.live.com (port 25)
Note: make sure you check the box that indicates that your outgoing server requires authentication (in most mail clients this is not checked by default).
Username: your full email address
Password: your Windows Live ID password

[Me2]

My attachments were opening with Windows Live Mail. Is there a way to make Windows Live Mail open my attachments again?

[Harryc]

Since you mentioned Outlook Express, I'd have to assume that you are running XP. You need to make a file association between .eml file extensions and the WIndows Live Mail application. Here's a link for changing fie associations in XP -

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307859

[Me2]

Since you mentioned Outlook Express, I'd have to assume that you are running XP. You need to make a file association between .eml file extensions and the WIndows Live Mail application. Here's a link for changing fie associations in XP - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307859

I tried that. But Windows Live Mail will just not do anything then when I try to open the attachment.

[Radioguy]

Actually Thunderbird can handle Hotmail accounts. You have to define the POP account and SSL, and you need a Windows Live ID.
The POP service requires that you use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) with the POP and SMTP connection and use SMTP authentication. This is to ensure that your email address and password are not subject to tampering. The settings are the following:

POP: pop3.live.com (port 995)
SMTP: smtp.live.com (port 25)
Note: make sure you check the box that indicates that your outgoing server requires authentication (in most mail clients this is not checked by default).
Username: your full email address
Password: your Windows Live ID password

I had thought Hotmail was still not offering free POP access. This is great news.

[Mike Blake]

I had thought Hotmail was still not offering free POP access.
This is great news.

It's a fairly recent development. But it turns out they aren't really doing it so I can use Thunderbird on my Hotmail account but so people with web-enabled devices will use Microsoft as their email provider!

[Mike Blake]

I also meant to comment to the original poster:

Try right-clicking on an .eml attachment while holding down the
[shift]key and see if you get, in addition to the usual Open
option, one to Open with....

From there you may be able to choose Outlook Express, if
you so desire, and also check off "Always use this program".

You may need to know the path and executable for it, which is
usually (the path usually is, I mean, but YMMV as they say)...

"C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\msimn.exe"