Moved TB installation, mailto: broke and wont let me change

[hmp3]

Hi, I moved my TB installation but mailto in windows 7 still believes the old location of TB is the default mailto client.
In TB I tried setting it as default email client but as soon as I check Default mail client in options and save, I click check now and it's no long the default!
In Default Programs, and click on Thunderbird>Choose defaults for this program, the options are greyed out and mailto = unknown application.
On Windows explorer, send to mail recipient shows error: "There is no email program associated".
In Set Associations, I click to change mailto program and it's already selected.

How can I get TB to stay as the default email client and resolve the right click send to mail recipient error?

[tanstaafl]

What version of Thunderbird are you using? I'm using 68.1.2.

If I double click on a *.eml file in windows explorer it calls Thunderbird to display the message. However, if I right click on it and choose send to -> mail recipient it calls Outlook, which hangs. This despite Settings saying Thunderbird is configured as the default email client, and a search for Outlook in Settings returning nothing.

I have Firefox configured in tools -> options -> applications to use Thunderbird for mailto: links. That works. I've also tried it with it set to other email clients such as "em client" and that works too, despite whatever mailto: settings Windows established.

See if http://kb.mozillazine.org/Default_mail_client helps. Sometimes you need to try multiple ways to set the default email client. I'd also check whether you are running any other applications that might be trying to set the default email client too.

I'm using Windows 10 Home, build 1903. Most of the instructions I can find on the web are outdated, they only work for earlier builds of Windows 10. For example I tried following the instructions in https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/win ... 1404c71552 to set the default mail program from within the control panel, as a workaround. The problem is that used to be a independent mechanism, but it now calls Settings. https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing ... ociations/ explains how to change file associations (such as *.eml).

I checked "default apps by protocol" in the control panel sets Thunderbird for MAILTO. "Set defaults by app" in Settings lists .eml and mailto for Thunderbird but MS-Unistore-Email and OutlookMail are set to the Mail store applet. It won't let me change MS-Unistore-Email to anything that is not in the Windows store. I suspect send to -> mail recipient is actually using the MS-Unistore-Email setting.

For windows 7, see if https://www.sevenforums.com/browsers-ma ... ing-2.html helps.

I found https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1339554 ((mapi) Windows 7 32bit right-click send to mail recipient doesn't open new compose window) which was closed, but the last comment claims it broke when updating to 60.5.2. https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1530820 is also related.

[hmp3]

On Thunderbird 60.90 Portable.
I can't remember how I registered mailto to launch Thunderbird Portable, but I did it ages ago and now I've moved the folder to a different location but Default Programs and Set file associations don't show the new option or windows live mail/outlook (I don't have either of those installed). They show the old option which doesn't load and cannot be changed.
I set .eml to launch the new portable location. It's working fine. Firefox is configured to new location. working fine.
I found that the registry keys posted in the 8th post on https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1530820 on my pc contain the old thunderbird portable location.
What should I do with them? Or how do I unregister old Thunderbird Portable (I still have a backup of old location setup) or reset all the mailto options ?

[tanstaafl]

There is no problem asking for help with Thunderbird Portable in these forums. But I'm confused how you could move your Thunderbird installation and then say you are using Portable Thunderbird? The whole idea of Portable Thunderbird is to avoid installing on a desktop/laptop (or modifying the registry contents) since its designed for roving users.

https://portableapps.com/node/57052

[hmp3]

Please forgive me, I use the word installation to mean the Portable directory & file structure.
I chose to use a portable email client, so that I can move it later with ease. Thought that I'll be able to unregister the associations with default programs and file extensions after moving, either within TB's system integration settings, or through Windows. But neither are working out. So I thought that if there is a registry entry for my old portable TB location, then maybe that's what's preventing my new one from integrating with system and that I need to either clear those entries or replace them with my new TB location.

[tanstaafl]

I suggest you install the normal version of Thunderbird and copy the contents of the portable versions profile over the stub of a profile that is automatically created when you first run Thunderbird. Abort the new account wizard and use help -> troubleshooting information -> open folder to open windows explorer at the profile stub. Then copy the contents of the data\profile directory over the contents of the profile stub (abook.mab over abook.mab, prefs.js over prefs.js etc.), exit Thunderbird, and restart.

When you eventually want to go back to portable thunderbird see http://kb.mozillazine.org/Move_a_profil ... hunderbird

[hmp3]

Thanks for your suggestion and support! But I think I'll stick with portable, it's a lot easier for me to use, even if I can't solve mailto.