Windows 7 Could not perform this operation because default mail client .....

[MajorDan]

Updated 2-1-09

Here is the situation:

I go to a website that has contact information. I click on the "e-mail me name" and instead of there e-mail address poping up I get the following error message: Could not perform this operation because the default mail client is not properly installed."

I have installed both the MSN messanger and Mail programs. Here is the link to site I'm having trouble with. Any idea's?

Link Removed due to 404 Error

MajorDan

 

[BlackWolf]

eeeh ... that's simply because windows 7 does not come with a mail client. you have to install windows live mail from the windows live essentials, that's it (or any other mail client, for that matter).

a mailto:-link will always launch your default mail client. by default, windows 7 does not have ANY mailclient and therefore no default mail client.
it has nothing to do with the websites "software" (whatever that's supposed to mean) ;-)

 

[MajorDan]

Hi BlackWolf,

I updated my orginal post to include information that should have been there in the first place. I do have the mail client installed so I'm still searching for a solution to this error message. Take care.

 

[BlackWolf]

works fine for me with windows live mail installed. are you sure you defined it as your default mail client?
I have the german version of windows, so the following is just roughly translated, but I hope you'll get what I mean. go to:
control panel -> programs -> default programs -> Assign file extension or protocol to program -> scroll down all the way -> look for "MAILTO" -> make sure it is set to "windows live mail"

I guess these translations are pretty wrong, but I hope you'll find it

 

[FooSchnickens]

I'm having the same sort of issue with Thunderbird. It's odd because I can go to set up the file/protocol association and it shows mailto to be linked with Thunderbird, and it also shows up when I look at the program access and defaults section. BUT if I go to EDIT the association via the method as listed by blackwolf it doesn't show up in the list at all and I am unable to add it from that dialog.

Any thoughts? I'm running 32bit and have tried uninstalling and reinstalling thunderbird bulitple times to solve the issue.

 

[jauburn]

Hi BlackWolf,

I updated my orginal post to include information that should have been there in the first place. I do have the mail client installed so I'm still searching for a solution to this error message. Take care.

I'm having the same problem and I have Outlook 2003 installed. Should work.

I see no mailto entry in the usual place in the registry.

 

[jauburn]

works fine for me with windows live mail installed. are you sure you defined it as your default mail client?
I have the german version of windows, so the following is just roughly translated, but I hope you'll get what I mean. go to:
control panel -> programs -> default programs -> Assign file extension or protocol to program -> scroll down all the way -> look for "MAILTO" -> make sure it is set to "windows live mail"

I guess these translations are pretty wrong, but I hope you'll find it

Having the same problem, and in this section for me there is not MAILTO entry. See attached.

 

[FooSchnickens]

Fixed my issue finally. Instead of going through the normal steps of assigning program permissions/associations I took a bit of a back door approach.

Go to Control Panel> Default Programs. Instead of clicking "Set Your Default Programs", click "Set Program Access and Computer Defaults." This will bring up a dialog box that works differently than the normal Win7 program defaults. Scroll down to the custom area and define the programs you wish to use for internet/e-mail/digital media.

As soon as I did that mailto links worked perfectly.