Cannot use email links to get to Outlook

I have used Outlook 2003 (& its predecessors) for years without this problem (with Win98 & XP). Now I've done a clean upgrade to Win7 (Hm Prem, Public Release), re-installed Outlook03 and here's my problem: Email address links ("mailto:") on web pages, in emails, in Office documents, on PDF docs, etc. -- none of them work.

They either do nothing or I get the error "Could not perform this operation because the default mail client is not properly installed" in a dialogue box entitled "Mail client not found." Sometimes the attempt actually puts the focus on Outlook but still displays the error message and fails to launch a new message template.

The lame "Set your Default Programs" doesn't even show Outlook. The "Set Program Access and Computer Defaults" just shows "E-mail program: Use my current e-mail program" and allows no change to this inane statement. In the Control Panel, if I click on "Mail," it gives me the options within Outlook to adjust, so it must "think" this is my default mail client.

Any ideas on how to fix this annoyance other than copy-pasting email addresses like I've been doing for months now?

Try, in Default Programs, "Associate a File Type...", near the bottom there is a list of protocols, including "MAILTO". If you click "Change Program" at the top right, perhaps Outlook will appear there. If not, I'd try a reinstall of Outlook since the error message mentions "not properly installed".

I thought I had tried that (going to the Associate a file type or protocol ...) but I tried again and there is no MAILTO protocol. Among the extensions is .mapimail and it does point to Outlook but that is used by the SendTo context menu item as far as I can tell.

As for re-installing Outlook, I have no desire to have to rebuild years of email and contact files just to remove a slight annoyance.

But thanks, roncerr, for trying to help me.

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NashvilleKit said:

As for re-installing Outlook, I have no desire to have to rebuild years of email and contact files just to remove a slight annoyance.

Hi, NashvilleKit, welcome to the Seven Forums! :)

A reinstall will not get rid of your emails and contacts. I've uninstalled 2003 (and re-installed a number of times), installed 2007, uninstalled 2007, installed 2010 and never lost an email, contact or calendar. As a safeguard, be sure to back up your *.pst files.

Are you CERTAIN that there is no MAILTO protocol listed?

Scroll to the very bottom (a section headed Protocols).

If it is not there, your problem is not limited to Outlook. Please check even if you have already checked. We will fix this within the hour.

Here is my screencap of the same thing on my PC:

See, no MAILTO protocol. Could it be that I need to repair some part of the Windows 7 installation? Where would I start, if so?

See Registering an Application to a URL Protocol

You need to add the missing protocol. Then, Default Programs - Associate a File Type or Protocol

You can use the Mail applet in control panel, among other ways. See Data Files.

Because the PST files are so important to me, I re-map them from here anyway on install.