Windows Mail

How to Reinstate Windows Mail in Windows 7​

   Warning

Microsoft no longer supports Windows Mail, aka WinMail. It's recommended you use another well known supported email client. This Tutorial is for Advanced users who importantly have the Technical Ability to make the changes, have backups of everything including your OS, and to be your own tech support for WinMail going forward. If you decide to complete this tutorial you accept the fact that you are using WinMail as-is. It might be necessary to uninstall other email clients to resolve any WinMail conflicts in some environments. Understand it's likely that new OS updates from Microsoft will break WinMail's operation, and to fix make it necessary to rerun the tutorial again to reinstate it. With those things in mind, this tutorial was written so that you can rerun it without affecting WinMail user data.
Please see this Errata (Bug List) post before you install, to be aware of the current information about known issues using WinMail within Windows 7, these issues are programmatic and in most cases cannot be resolved by this tutorial, and will never be fixed.

Having said all of that disclaimer, if you have the technical ability, and can put up with the annoying minor byproduct bugs, then like so many of us still enjoy using WinMail on Windows 7 ...ymmv!

   Tip

As of January, 2025, the instructions given here supersede all other instructions given in forthcoming older posts. Realize some of the posts that follow are over 16 years old, and many of the link pointers within have become mislinked over time, many of the files or information within them is outdated, incomplete, or superseded with more accurate information - and so be careful. However you can always be sure that the latest info from all research is incorporated into this tutorial post, and its downloads are the latest available. This post is continuously kept up-to-date, and so..
...Always refer to this Tutorial post for the very latest updated information

This is the 4th iteration of the Windows 7, WinMail tutorial.

The process of this tutorial Will Not work to reinstate WinMail on Windows 8/10 !
Windows 8/10 users please go Here

Start here

1. Download tutorial package TutReWinMail.zip
   
   Download
   
   
2. Extract the TutReWinMail.zip into your user Downloads folder
   • Note: Be sure once extracted this is the address of the ''TutReWinMail'' folder:
   • C:\Users\username\Downloads\TutReWinMail... ... (if it's not there please put it there)
3. Navigate to your user Downloads\TutReWinMail folder to be sure the above is correct.
   • (..if you need more verbose install instructions to follow, download this WinMail Local Tutorial.zip)
   • Advanced Users can proceed below:

     ---

     (..log in for Full Access, being able to get support, remove ads, like, and even to post, etc..)

Advanced Users: ..use this easy excellent overview of the steps in the local tutorial:

• Open an Administrator Command Prompt. (screenshot showing in Administrator mode)
• copy/paste this line into the command prompt: cd %USERPROFILE%\Downloads\TutReWinMail\
• Your command prompt must now be showing you are at That Same Folder Address ..which contains the tutorial files that the batch file in the next step executes programs and copies files specifically from that folder address - if it's not there the batch file will fail since it cannot find what it needs!
• Next type in either winmail32 or win64mail <matching OS bit, to interactively process These Next Steps
• If you've finished to the bottom as shown in last screenshot, restart your machine (sets registry)
• Create a shortcut from WinMail.exe to your Desktop
• Open WinMail - it may prompt you one (or both) of These Two Notices ..click yes, and okay.
• They now should be already set, but you can manually check/set at any time These Default Settings
• That's pretty much all there is to it, and from here you setup the rest of the Windows Mail client (aka: WinMail) as normal within its various tab menus for Accounts, Options, Layout, etc, etc, to suit your individual needs.
• Lastly, but should be the First thing you do, is to Create A WinMail Backup (new version) ..Go to this next link and when you get there scroll down to the heading: Backup/Restore Procedures for further instructions.

   Information

See How to open an elevated Administrator Command Prompt
Important: The exact text provided by the tutorial must be entered into the Administrator Command Prompt.
Hint: to avoid typos, copy/paste the entire line containing the command into the Command Prompt window.
Also see: How to Enable Copy to Clipboard from the Windows 7 Command Prompt

---

Every effort has been made to make this a step-by-step process, however, it is beyond the scope of a single tutorial to provide information on every command or concept. Search the Main Tutorial Section if you need greater detail on a concept or command presented in this tutorial.

Good luck, and long live WinMail

   Note

Made possible by members:
Mark (aka Mr GRiM) - provided the original tutorial
Poppa Bear - continued Mark's work within the 2nd version
endeavor - provided continuous feedback, changes, invaluable testing instrumental to tutorial operations
EKManitis - propose the batch code that made operations easier
Slartybart - updated, tested, and consolidated all of the above into the 3rd version
endeavor - reviewed, updated, tested, and incorporated all of the above into this 4th version
...and also a special thanks to All the other members who presented discovery for this project

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Backup/Restore Messages in Windows Mail (Vista version)
  
• Windows Calendar - Import into Windows 7
• Vista Windows Sidebar - Reinstate on Windows 7
• Windows Live Mail - Import Windows Mail Messages
• Windows Live Mail - Import Windows 7 and Vista Contacts

 

[poppa bear]

I just found that on my desktop Windows Mail is no longer working. It was fine last night. I can open it and write an email and put it in the outbox but when I go to send it will tell me I am working "off line" and ask if I want to go online. When I choose to go on line the program grays out and needs to restart.

If I click on file, "work off line" is always checked. When I try to remove the check mark, the same thing happens ie the program grays out and restarts. It always asks if I want to notify MS and of course I just close that box. I hope I haven't done something to ruin the whole thing.

So far I haven't had this problem come up with anyone using WinMail after doing the tutorial. It sounds like the program may have somehow become corrupted. It's not the KB update, because that would kill it totally.

Just a couple of questions.

1. Are you running 32 or 64bit Windows 7? And if it's 64bit installation, I assume you only replaced the msoe.dll file in normal 64bit Program files, and NOT Program files(x86). There are two Windows Mail folders, one in 64bit program files, and one in 32bit (x86) program files?

2. I presume you have re-booted since this problem occurred?

I have attached a small program named WMUtil which repairs the data base of Windows Mail. Download it by clicking the link under "Attached files" at the bottom of this post, and save to your desktop. Click it to open, then click: Repair Data Base.

If this doesn't fix it, it may be necessary to restore a virgin copy of the original files in Windows Mail folder, and run the tutorial again from the top. Let me know if you need to do this.

As a test I opened my WinMail and went to: File --> Clicked: Work offline. It grayed out the window and came up with the message: Windows Mail has stopped working. So I'm getting the same result when I try to go offline! Very strange.

Cheers PB

 

[kewl1]

Thanks very much poppa bear. After I left that posting I worked on it for quite a while. Finally as a last resort I thought of doing a system restore and then another one going back yet another day. It then started working. Although it has left me with folders that are somewhere between where I started sorting and importing and where I left off. The stranger thing is that one folder has all of the headers but when you click on each email it can not find the actual mail. It's only one folder out of very many but as luck would have it it's my WORK email folder!!!! This could only happen to me.

I am running the 64 bit version and using the correct Program Files folder. I also redid all the steps prior to doing the restore. The problem is only on one of two computers.

Thanks very much for this latest file. I wonder if it will connect the headers with the actual emails wherever they may be. It's 1:40 am here in Canada and I better wait until morning to try. I don’t want my wife complaining about me being on two computers at the same time in the middle of the night. They just don’t understand the importance of these things.

 

[poppa bear]

Thanks very much poppa bear. After I left that posting I worked on it for quite a while. Finally as a last resort I thought of doing a system restore and then another one going back yet another day. It then started working. Although it has left me with folders that are somewhere between where I started sorting and importing and where I left off. The stranger thing is that one folder has all of the headers but when you click on each email it can not find the actual mail. It's only one folder out of very many but as luck would have it it's my WORK email folder!!!! This could only happen to me.

I am running the 64 bit version and using the correct Program Files folder. I also redid all the steps prior to doing the restore. The problem is only on one of two computers.

Thanks very much for this latest file. I wonder if it will connect the headers with the actual emails wherever they may be. It's 1:40 am here in Canada and I better wait until morning to try. I don’t want my wife complaining about me being on two computers at the same time in the middle of the night. They just don’t understand the importance of these things.

Had to laugh.... yes wives can be very lacking in tolerance when it comes to the really critical things in life... LOL!

If system restore has brought it back to life it's a fairly sure bet it was something you downloaded, (eg update or program installed), that conflicted and borked WinMail. Maybe you can think back to what you've downloaded/installed in the past few days. The other possibility is some form of malware. Might pay to run a cleaning process using Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware and Anti-Malware; and then a safe registry cleaner.

For these jobs I use Avast anti-virus, Malwarebytes, and SuperAntispyware; and for registry cleaning, free program Glary Utilities and/or EasyCleaner by ToniArts.

Re importing your mail across, if you're bringing it from WinMail in Vista, the easiest method I found is as shown in this post here. As long as you've got your original emails in their current locations in Vista, I'd suggest:

1. In Windows 7: Save all emails to desktop for safety.

2. Delete the entire contents of Local Folders found at:

Start orb --> User Name --> AppData --> Local --> Microsoft --> Windows Mail --> Local Folders

3. In Vista: Open Local Fodlers, (found via the same pathway in Step 2) --> Copy ALL folders, including accounts and personal folders you've created.

4. Paste these into the equivalent Local Folders in Windows 7.

This method imports all your accounts, folders and emails in one hit. All you have to put in is your ISP user name and password when you first send/receive emails.

Then if you have to import the rest from Outlook, even though it will create a Recovered Folders folder, as a sub-folder of Local Folders in the main interface of WinMail, at least all your other folders will be set up to move those other eamils to. Once they're all in place, delete the Recovered Folders folder entirely.

Cheers PB

 

[roncerr]

...If system restore has brought it back to life it's a fairly sure bet it was something you downloaded, (eg update or program installed), that conflicted and borked WinMail....

I'm confused. In a previous post you said "As a test I opened my WinMail and went to: File --> Clicked: Work offline. It grayed out the window and came up with the message: Windows Mail has stopped working. So I'm getting the same result when I try to go offline! Very strange."

So if you both have the same problem going offline in WM, perhaps everyone who is currently using WM in Win7 also has that problem; they just haven't yet tried to go offline in WM.

 

[poppa bear]

I'm confused. In a previous post you said "As a test I opened my WinMail and went to: File --> Clicked: Work offline. It grayed out the window and came up with the message: Windows Mail has stopped working. So I'm getting the same result when I try to go offline! Very strange."

So if you both have the same problem going offline in WM, perhaps everyone who is currently using WM in Win7 also has that problem; they just haven't yet tried to go offline in WM.

Yes, I think you have raised a valid point. We're both getting the same result when going to: File --> Work offline/Work online.

The only difference is we're coming from different directions. He's offline but can't get online. I'm online but can't switch to offline. Which strongly tends to suggest there's a glitch in the On/Off line switch.

It makes me wonder if there is another file from the Windows Mail folder in Vista that needs to be imported ove? I'll try a few experiments to test this.

Hopefully other users of WinMail in Windows 7 can try clicking: File --> Work offline... and see if they get similar results. Doesn't bode well for long term use of WinMail as a stable mail client.

 

[kewl1]

...If system restore has brought it back to life it's a fairly sure bet it was something you downloaded, (eg update or program installed), that conflicted and borked WinMail....

I'm confused. In a previous post you said "As a test I opened my WinMail and went to: File --> Clicked: Work offline. It grayed out the window and came up with the message: Windows Mail has stopped working. So I'm getting the same result when I try to go offline! Very strange."

So if you both have the same problem going offline in WM, perhaps everyone who is currently using WM in Win7 also has that problem; they just haven't yet tried to go offline in WM.

Yes I can confirm that with my second computer ie my Thinkpad where I have also enabled Windows mail but without problem, after reading Poppa Bears post if I go and deliberately check "work offline" the program will stop working.

 

[kewl1]

Thanks very much poppa bear. After I left that posting I worked on it for quite a while. Finally as a last resort I thought of doing a system restore and then another one going back yet another day. It then started working. Although it has left me with folders that are somewhere between where I started sorting and importing and where I left off. The stranger thing is that one folder has all of the headers but when you click on each email it can not find the actual mail. It's only one folder out of very many but as luck would have it it's my WORK email folder!!!! This could only happen to me.

I am running the 64 bit version and using the correct Program Files folder. I also redid all the steps prior to doing the restore. The problem is only on one of two computers.

Thanks very much for this latest file. I wonder if it will connect the headers with the actual emails wherever they may be. It's 1:40 am here in Canada and I better wait until morning to try. I don’t want my wife complaining about me being on two computers at the same time in the middle of the night. They just don’t understand the importance of these things.

Had to laugh.... yes wives can be very lacking in tolerance when it comes to the really critical things in life... LOL!

If system restore has brought it back to life it's a fairly sure bet it was something you downloaded, (eg update or program installed), that conflicted and borked WinMail. Maybe you can think back to what you've downloaded/installed in the past few days. The other possibility is some form of malware. Might pay to run a cleaning process using Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware and Anti-Malware; and then a safe registry cleaner.

For these jobs I use Avast anti-virus, Malwarebytes, and SuperAntispyware; and for registry cleaning, free program Glary Utilities and/or EasyCleaner by ToniArts.

Re importing your mail across, if you're bringing it from WinMail in Vista, the easiest method I found is as shown in this post here. As long as you've got your original emails in their current locations in Vista, I'd suggest:

1. In Windows 7: Save all emails to desktop for safety.

2. Delete the entire contents of Local Folders found at:

Start orb --> User Name --> AppData --> Local --> Microsoft --> Windows Mail --> Local Folders

3. In Vista: Open Local Fodlers, (found via the same pathway in Step 2) --> Copy ALL folders, including accounts and personal folders you've created.

4. Paste these into the equivalent Local Folders in Windows 7.

This method imports all your accounts, folders and emails in one hit. All you have to put in is your ISP user name and password when you first send/receive emails.

Then if you have to import the rest from Outlook, even though it will create a Recovered Folders folder, as a sub-folder of Local Folders in the main interface of WinMail, at least all your other folders will be set up to move those other eamils to. Once they're all in place, delete the Recovered Folders folder entirely.

Cheers PB

I did download a couple of Windows updates and can't remember anything else. I'll check for malware too. I'm not coming from Vista. I got rid of it a long time ago. When I got my HP Blackbird it came with Vista and there was no option to get XP. I had so many problems with this expensive computer that it was unbelieveable. I even had to send it back 3 times and it weighs 88 pounds. I can't count how many times I had to reinstall Vista and start from scratch.

7 came out when I finally had everything working well after a year and a half. As a result, when 7 came out I was so gun shy that I left Vista on and dual booted for about six months just to be safe. Then I finally got rid of Vista. I really see Windows 7 as the Service pack that should have fixed Vista. It's what Vista should have been and it should have been a free fix in my opinion.

 

[mathewgx]

Does anybody know how to minimise winmail to quick forder instead of the taskbar ?

I think that it was possible in vista.

 

[mick823]

So if you both have the same problem going offline in WM, perhaps everyone who is currently using WM in Windows 7 also has that problem; they just haven't yet tried to go offline in WM.....

roncerr,

I think you may be right about the online/offline issue being present from the beginning. I checked all 3 of my PC's and the FILE>WORK OFFLINE returns a grayed out screen and then an automatic restart of the WM program.

 

[poppa bear]

I did download a couple of Windows updates and can't remember anything else.

I really see Windows 7 as the Service pack that should have fixed Vista. It's what Vista should have been and it should have been a free fix in my opinion.

You could run Windows update machine, but only load available updates one at a time, noting the KB number, and test WinMail after each one is installed. It's a bit tedious but probably the only way to isolate the one causing the problem

Re Windows 7 being a SP... my sentiments exactly! When Windows 7 was still being tested in the beta stage, I likened it to Win98 2nd Ed, which was free, and corrected the 20,000 plus errors in the original Win98. Their marketing philosophy is "get it on the market and correct the errors later... and keep our fingers crossed they don't exceed 50% of the available functions." The problem is they now charge Joe Public for the privilege of correcting their errors.

Re WinMail graying out on clicking Work offline/online, I have systematically replaced each sub-folder of WinMail, one by one, with the folders in WinMail Vista, to try and isolate the one that controls that switch. However, after exhausting all possibilities, it still would not work, which means it is probably a registry issue. My guess would be that one of the reg keys for WinMail in Vista is missing. Anyone feel like trying to track it down?

Could also just be that WinMail in Windows 7 as an operational application is a hybrid program, and hence there may be some functions that will never work.

Cheers PB

 

[poppa bear]

Does anybody know how to minimise winmail to quick forder instead of the taskbar ?

I think that it was possible in vista.

Do you mean in the Notification area in the right side of the bottom taskbar, or Quick launch in the left side?

If you mean Quick launch, create a desktop shortcut for WinMail from either the Start Menu or WinMail file in Windows Mail folder in Program files. Drag/drop the shortcut icon of Windows Mail from the desktop to a blank spot of the bottom taskbar. The shortcut on the desktop still remains. To remove, right click the icon, and click: Unpin this program from the taskbar.

If you're referring to the having it in the Notification Area, normally you would: Right click blank space in bottom task bar --> Properties --> Taskbar tab --> Sub-heading: Notification area --> Customize --> Choose options.

Even though it shows Windows Mail as an option to show in the Notification area, sorry, but it doesn't work, no matter what boxes or drop down menu items you choose. Or more accurately I should say it doesn't work in my operating system of Windows 7.

 

[Greg S]

Didn't read all of this but here's the error for Offline Crash:

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: WinMail.exe
Application Version: 6.1.7600.16385
Application Timestamp: 4a5bc658
Fault Module Name: StackHash_0a9e
Fault Module Version: 0.0.0.0
Fault Module Timestamp: 00000000
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 00000000
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.48
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 0a9e
Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Additional Information 3: 0a9e
Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789

My guess is that it has something to do with security. Here's what takes place when going offline with IE8

"E:\Windows\system32\rundll32.exe" "E:\Windows\system32\WININET.dll",DispatchAPICall 1

 

[mathewgx]

Does anybody know how to minimise winmail to quick forder instead of the taskbar ?

I think that it was possible in vista.

Do you mean in the Notification area in the right side of the bottom taskbar, or Quick launch in the left side?

If you mean Quick launch, create a desktop shortcut for WinMail from either the Start Menu or WinMail file in Windows Mail folder in Program files. Drag/drop the shortcut icon of Windows Mail from the desktop to a blank spot of the bottom taskbar. The shortcut on the desktop still remains. To remove, right click the icon, and click: Unpin this program from the taskbar.

If you're referring to the having it in the Notification Area, normally you would: Right click blank space in bottom task bar --> Properties --> Taskbar tab --> Sub-heading: Notification area --> Customize --> Choose options.

Even though it shows Windows Mail as an option to show in the Notification area, sorry, but it doesn't work, no matter what boxes or drop down menu items you choose. Or more accurately I should say it doesn't work in my operating system of Windows 7.

I want it to minimize into the quick launch. I have the shortcut icon at the quick launch but winmail minimizes into the taskbar.
If i remember correctly , in vista it minimized to quick launch , so there was enough free space at the taskbar.

 

[roncerr]

...If i remember correctly , in vista it minimized to quick launch , so there was enough free space at the taskbar.

I'm still using WM in Vista. When the program is open and running it's in the task bar like any other program. If you use the minimize button in the upper right corner of the window, it stays in the same place on the task bar. If a new email comes in, you get a notification icon as well in the system tray (right side near clock). If you close the window with the "x" in the upper right corner both the task bar item and the notification icon disappear. As far as the startup icon goes, you can put that anywhere else...quick launch (left end of task bar), on the desktop, in the start menu, etc. like any other program.

 

[kewl1]

I did download a couple of Windows updates and can't remember anything else.

You could run Windows update machine, but only load available updates one at a time, noting the KB number, and test WinMail after each one is installed. It's a bit tedious but probably the only way to isolate the one causing the problem

I'll do that. Here's another strange thing that happens but it doesn't seem to be all the time. And again it's just on the one computer. When I push Send Receive or just the Send All button. It will not function at all. However then when I go to close the program it will tell me that I have mail in the outbox and it will send it as I shut down the program. Weird.

 

[Greg S]

...If i remember correctly , in vista it minimized to quick launch , so there was enough free space at the taskbar.

I'm still using WM in Vista. When the program is open and running it's in the task bar like any other program. If you use the minimize button in the upper right corner of the window, it stays in the same place on the task bar. If a new email comes in, you get a notification icon as well in the system tray (right side near clock). If you close the window with the "x" in the upper right corner both the task bar item and the notification icon disappear. As far as the startup icon goes, you can put that anywhere else...quick launch (left end of task bar), on the desktop, in the start menu, etc. like any other program.

One other option, if you want to minimize it to the system tray (right side near clock), you could use RBTray

It appears that it works to minimize most all open windows to the systray.

 

[silat]

Hi

OK I successfully followed the directions some time ago. It was great.
Now I am using Outlook. But I want to get rid of Win mail. What are the directions to reverse what I did?

thanks

 

[poppa bear]

Hi

OK I successfully followed the directions some time ago. It was great.
Now I am using Outlook. But I want to get rid of Win mail. What are the directions to reverse what I did?

thanks

You don't really need to undo anything. Simply delete the Windows Mail shortcut off your desktop. And when you've got Outlook up and running, set it as default mail client. When you first run Outlook it should ask if you want it set as default, but if it doesn't you can go to either:

1. Start orb --> Program files --> Default Programs --> Set your program defaults.

2. Outlook --> Tools --> Options --> General tab --> Set as default.

WinMail will still be an active program, but won't interfere with Outlook. If you want to deactivae it simply replace the mose.dll file with the original Windows 7 msoe.dll. Both the 32 & 64bit original Windows 7 msoe.dll files are attached to this post.

Or better still, delete Microsoft update KB978542, reboot, and then run the Windows Update machine and it will re-install it, thus giving you an updated Windows 7 msoe.fll file as if you had never done the import. This will not only stop Windows Mail acting as an active application, but will also give you the added advantage of the security issues covered by that update for the latest msoe.dll.

Cheers PB

 

[silat]

Thanks Poppa.
The reason for my wanting to get rid of it is:
My mail backup program keeps finding WinMail and backing up the folder.
I am assuming that doing what you have suggested will fix that issue.

 

[poppa bear]

Thanks Poppa.
The reason for my wanting to get rid of it is:
My mail backup program keeps finding WinMail and backing up the folder.
I am assuming that doing what you have suggested will fix that issue.

It should do, but let us know how it goes either way for the benefit of others who may have the same problem.

Cheers PB