Windows 7: Opens Windows Mail, not the message

I have two laptops Gateway M6880 Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 @2.20GHz Windows 7 with service pack 1
4 GB memory 64-bit OS 300 GB Hard drive
Toshiba A665 Intel Core i7-2630M CPU @2.00GHz Windows 7 with service pack 1 8 GB memory 64 -bit OS 600 GB Hard drive

I use Windows Mail on both. on the Gateway I store email messages in my Documents folder under emails, they are stored as a email message .eml. When you click on it, it opens the message. if you right click on it and hit properties it list type of file as ( Windows Mail E-Mail Message (eml)

On the Toshiba it doesn't put the file extension in the heading and when you right click on it and hit properties it EML File (eml) and only opens Windows Mail, not the message. can someone help with this? Bob

1) What do you mean by "put file extension in the heading"? I would expect to see an extension at the end of the file name in Windows Explorer, but only if the view options have been changed to uncheck "hide extensions for known file types". If you look at the properties the filename should show the extension if it has one. If not, how do you even know it's an email file? If you change the view option does it show up as an eml file in Explorer? Perhaps there is no email program installed in Windows 7.

2) Did you or someone install the Vista email program "Windows Mail" on your Windows 7 PCs or did you mean to say "Windows Live Mail" which would have been part of the suite of programs called "Windows Live Essentials". Either way, Windows 7 did not come with an email program so one would have to have been installed separately in order to open email (.eml) files.

I installed Windows Mail on both. on the Gateway I store email messages in my Documents folder under emails, they are stored as a email message .eml. When you click on it, IT OPENS THE MESSAGE. if you right click on it and hit properties it list type of file as ( Windows Mail E-Mail Message (eml)
On the Toshiba it doesn't put the file extension in the heading and when you right click on it and hit properties it shows just ( EML File (eml)) and only opens Windows Mail, NOT THE MESSAGE. How do get the Toshiba to open to the message. Thanks Bob

I'm also confused about:

   Quote: Originally Posted by alastek

On the Toshiba it doesn't put the file extension in the heading

Check out post #400 from the Reinstate Windows Mail tutorial: Windows Mail