Live Mail ALWAYS Opens Maximized

[bilvihur]

Just got new laptop running Win 7 Home Premium 32-bit. Installed Live Mail. No matter what I try, I cannot get Live Mail to open in any mode but "maximized" (double box in upper right). I've checked Properties, restored down, minimized, maximized, and exited 3 different ways, and it still opens in full screen maximum! Win 7 has no problem remembering the size of the last Chrome window. Why is Live Mail different? Thanks.

 

[Kari]

Right click the Live Mail shortcut and select Properties from context menu. Check that Shortcut tab > Run is set to Normal window:



Kari

 

[bilvihur]

Kari: I've done that (multiple times, in fact). It just doesn't seem to have any effect.

 

[Brink]

Hello Bilivihur,

You might see if closing WLM, then resetting all folder views to default may help. The reset also affects window sizes, so hopefully it may also include it for WLM.

 

[bilvihur]

Just tried resetting folder views. Thanks, but no change. Live Mail still opens maximized.

 

[Kari]

Something worth to notice:

You can have several shortcuts pointing to the same application. For instance if you have a Windows Live Mail shortcut both in Start Menu and on Desktop, both can have different settings. In this image for instance I have changed the WLM shortcut in Start menu (left) so that WLM should be run in normal window, and the shortcut in Desktop so that WLM should be run maximized:



In situation like this, it's no difference if I make changes to shortcut in Start Menu if I then use the shortcut on Desktop to run WLM. To avoid this, do not copy shortcuts to another location. Instead, if you need a shortcut to an application in several loations, create a shortcut to original shortcut. This way all shortcuts take the settings from the original one. The original shortcut is the only one that's pointing to the application, other shortcuts are then pointing to this original shortcut and application is opened with same settings not depending on with which shortcut you launch it.

Kari

 

[bilvihur]

Thanks again, but I don't have a desktop shortcut for Live Mail. I usually start it from the Taskbar at the bottom of the screen. Otherwise from the Start Menu. They both show Properties -> Shortcut -> Run -> Normal Window.

 

[Kari]

The only other thing I can think of is that if you have set WLM to run in normal window, it means WLM is opened the same size it had when last time closed. If you close WLM when it's maximized, it also opens next time maximized even if the run in normal window is chosen.

Kari

 

[bilvihur]

But I always restore it DOWN to use it, and close it in the restored down size. Nevertheless, it always opens in the maximized size.

 

[appyface]

I have just upgraded Windows Live Mail from 2009 (wave 3) to the latest (July 2011) on four computers. I did not have this issue with WLMail 2009, it has only started with WLMail 2011. And only for two of the four computers.

Two computers are working as I'd expect: WLMail opens in a non-maximized window size of my choosing, as do all other windows it creates such as opening mail or newsgroup posts, repllies, forwards, etc. No problems here.

On the other two computers, WLMail always launches maximized, and opens every new window type maximized as well. These two computers are having no trouble with any other windows, it is just those from WLMail.

If I restore each window type down after WLMail opens them maximized, they are returned to sizes I have previously chosen. So, this is not an issue of remembering window sizes, but of 'remembering' not to launch them maximized.

Like other people facing this issue I have tried a half-dozen or more 'tricks' that will take care of this problem -- for any window other those originating from WLMail, apparently.

I have MS-Outlook on my work laptop, and occasionally it falls into this same behavior. Shutting Outlook fully down then deleting all FRAME keys in the registry for all Outlook versions solves this problem (HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\xx.0\Outlook\Office Explorer\Frame, where xx = version). I had hoped for but have not yet found a similar key that works for WLMail.

The only other possible clue I have found, is the idea this may somehow be tied to screen resolution, and WLMail program is forcing a maximized window state whenever its default size (not my chosen sizing) for the window type is nearly at or exceeds the screen size. Indeed, my two problem computers (one netbook, one VM) have non-standard screen resolutions. The only other resolution choice on these is 800x600 which is less than the normal resolutions. I tried it anyway with all the window size 'tricks' but it did not solve the issue.

I did find a partial workaround: Prepare a shortcut that launches WLMail with MINIMIZED for the Run Window type in the shortcut. WLMail launches but remains as a taskbar button that, when clicked, will open non-maximized and in the chosen window size. Unfortunately this trick does not extend to any new windows opened by WLMail, which will continue to open maximized.

It is looking more and more likely this is something for Microsoft to fix, not something we can affect. Very frustrating.

 

[DIMORF]

Try the following (it worked for me) :
(1). Just click the upright button with the 2 orthogones (the middle one between 'Minimize' button and 'Close' button), to have finally the ONE Orthogon set there.
(2). Then Drag the WLM window from the Capture bar (the blue one at the top of the window) towards down and left.
(3). Using your mouse at the right vertical edge of the window, adjust the window's size to make it smaller.
(4). Arrange the window's size as you like and exit WLM 2011.

Next time you will open a received or sent e-mail the size of the window will be the one that you have sized.

 

[redelephant]

I found a solution!

I know this is an old thread, but I had exactly this problem - until today.
Like appyface, I have a non-standard screen size/resolution, so that may be a factor.
Anyway, whilst messing around with Properties, I found a solution:

In the Compatibility tab, tick the box to run in compatibility mode, then set it for Windows 7.

No idea why this works, but it did for me.