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and many of the link pointers within have become mislinked over time, many of the files or information within them is outdated, incomplete, or superseded with more accurate information - and so be careful.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

 

[wing23]

yeah, on 1 PC the old link didn't work anyone
but here, even if I start winmail directly in the program folder, it's still listed as written above

 

[josephg45]

I made the win mail hack right after installation (clean) of Win x64 professional back last August. All has been well until SP1 update in late Feb. The error message search *80004005 lead to this thread among others.

After reading thru this thread and digesting the info and trying several things, I finally got the SP installed. Here is what worked for me:

1. Rename Winmail folder in Program Files folder to Winmail vista.
2. Copied original folder (complete) from my original install DVD (using 7ZIP to do the work) directly to the Program Files directory. Then reboot cold from complete power off. (Another thread on this forum tells how to use 7Zip for this).
3. Uninstall update KB978542, Reboot from Power off.
4. Ran SFC /scannow from an Administrator privilege command prompt window. Reboot from power off.
5. Install SP1 from regular update screen - took about 30 Min but completed normally.

I have now installed Thunderbird 3.1.9 and have it configured to mimic Winmail which it does fairly well. I am done with the hacks.

Thanks to all the contributers on this thread for the inspiration!

 

[bobkupferer]

installing win mail

Thank everybody for your help, I am a 69 year old computer "Whacker!",
it is very difficult for me to understand all the different messages that I receive from you folks but I deeply appreciate your taking time to help "old folks" like me;
Again Many Thanks;
bobk

 

[bobkupferer]

Thank you to all who have helped me. bobk

 

[Grammaxsix]

Reverting back to Windows Mail that was included in Vista

Good Morning All,
I have read so much on this subject and am so confused, as you can tell by my user name, I am no young duck and get confused very easily when it comes to the computer world.
Right now I have a HP Compac Laptop that is running Windows Vista but am (very soon) going to upgrade only because I need a faster one butttt I am petrified that I will lose my Windows Mail program that I currently use in Vista. I went as far as to call some computer places to see if I can get one that has Windows Vista with no luck. So here I am, I have read all of the instructions, all the corrections and am now totally convinced, I am computer illiterate. Is there somewhere I can go to get all the "current" instructions (with all the fixes) already included?

At this point I do not have my new laptop with Windows 7 (not sure now if I want to) but is there something I can do prior to the upgrade to prepare myself to make the revert back to Windows Mail from Windows Live Mail alot less confusing for this old girl?
Once I purchase, might even be tomorrow or the next day, I will need all current instructions in one place or I am doomed.

Thanking you in advance for any help you good people can provide.. (pretty please)

Grammaxsix

 

[tangentjohn]

Vista windows mail

Really it is true, you cannot buy a NEW computer at a typical store which has Vista. However, you will find no difficulty in finding a new or refurbished computer on line which does. AND save yourself considerable money in the process. If you go with Windows 7 You'll not only lose windows mail, you'll also find there are a lot of other processes you will have to relearn. Dell even has an official resale store where they sell fatory warranted vista machines. Find a computer guru that you trust and have him do the online research for you. I think you'll be pleased with the results. I like windows 7 better than I did Vista, but only marginally and that's because I did know enough to allow me to reactivate windows mail and make some othe "vista look alike" mods. At present I'm debating whether or not I want to do sevice pack 1 for Windows 7 or not, simply because I have made so many mods and would have to do it all over again. When someone warns you that Vista was a piece of junk....? Well it simply is not so. Vista was just fine. Its just that Windows 7 is marginally better and is what Vista should have been in the first place. Good Luck

 

[tangentjohn]

Really it is true, you cannot buy a NEW computer at a typical store which has Vista. However, you will find no difficulty in finding a new or refurbished computer on line which does. AND save yourself considerable money in the process. If you go with Windows 7 You'll not only lose windows mail, you'll also find there are a lot of other processes you will have to relearn. Dell even has an official resale store where they sell fatory warranted vista machines. Find a computer guru that you trust and have him do the online research for you. I think you'll be pleased with the results. I like windows 7 better than I did Vista, but only marginally and that's because I did know enough to allow me to reactivate windows mail and make some othe "vista look alike" mods. At present I'm debating whether or not I want to do sevice pack 1 for Windows 7 or not, simply because I have made so many mods and would have to do it all over again. When someone warns you that Vista was a piece of junk....? Well it simply is not so. Vista was just fine. Its just that Windows 7 is marginally better and is what Vista should have been in the first place. Good Luck

 

[Grammaxsix]

Thanks for your reply.. I never thought of refurbished.... I will check into that :huh:

 

[poppa bear]

Good Morning All,
I have read so much on this subject and am so confused, as you can tell by my user name, I am no young duck and get confused very easily when it comes to the computer world.
Right now I have a HP Compac Laptop that is running Windows Vista but am (very soon) going to upgrade only because I need a faster one butttt I am petrified that I will lose my Windows Mail program that I currently use in Vista. I went as far as to call some computer places to see if I can get one that has Windows Vista with no luck. So here I am, I have read all of the instructions, all the corrections and am now totally convinced, I am computer illiterate. Is there somewhere I can go to get all the "current" instructions (with all the fixes) already included?

At this point I do not have my new laptop with Windows 7 (not sure now if I want to) but is there something I can do prior to the upgrade to prepare myself to make the revert back to Windows Mail from Windows Live Mail alot less confusing for this old girl?
Once I purchase, might even be tomorrow or the next day, I will need all current instructions in one place or I am doomed.

Thanking you in advance for any help you good people can provide.. (pretty please)

Grammaxsix

If you eventually choose to have a computer with Windows 7 as an operating system, and want Windows Mail to function in this system, I would suggest doing the following steps before trying to activate Windows Mail.

1. Assuming Windows 7 is pre-installed and up and running, install all your desired third party programs such as Nero, Zone Alarm, Skype, etec, etec.

2. Now Open: Start Menu --> All Programs --> Windows Update --> Check for updates.

3. Once all updates are installed, re-run Windows Update again, as it often picks up more updates on a 2nd run. You should now have Service Pack 1 installed, which will include critical update KB978542.

4. Now follow the steps exactly as shown on Page 1 of this Tutorial.

As a test run, I did fresh installations of Windows 7 Ultimate 64 and 32bit, and executed the above steps in the order shown, and Windows Mail ran fine.

Unfortunately there is always the possibility that at some future point Service Pack 2 or some other update will be released which could cause problems for Windows Mail. For this reason my personal preference in the end was to go with Windows Live Mail, which is a known compatible mail server program. I don't consider it as a good a program as Windows Mail, but runs a fairly close second.

Hope this helps.

 

[pete39]

Other email clients

Like ‘Grammaxsix' and ‘bobkupferer’ I too am past my best, 72 next month.
I like Windows Mail and had it on my Windows 7 laptop for quite a while. I installed it by using the excellent information on this site. I also put it on my sister in laws laptop as well and it’s still going strong, after a couple of scares though!
However I was worried by the potential threat of Windows Mail ceasing to work again because of future updates and the nuisance of sorting it….again!
This led me to look at 37 other email clients. I tested 25 and got them down to a short list of 9 and gave them a good test. However over time shortcomings appeared.
At the beginning of this test I was totally against using Thunderbird as my initial inspection was not good but over time and with the latest version and the various addons it is now very good. I use it all the time and I have now installed it on my sister in laws laptop as well. It can be made to mimic Outlook Express and WindowsMail quite well.
It’s not to difficult to change over from Windows Mail to Thunderbird, you can still run Windows Mail while you get Thunderbird sorted.

 

[Grammaxsix]

Poppa Bear...

Thank-you so very much for the additional information.. it will definately help. I actually picked up my new Acer Aspire Z5710 All in One with Windows 7, 23" Touch Monitor Intel Core i3 processor 550 and it is SWEET, (now I am bragging, hehehehe) I love it. I am actually having a fellow come over this PM who knows alot more about computers, then this OLD girl and he is going to install Windows Mail for me..


But Hey any extra instructions are soooooo Welcome.. your a dear!!

 

[Grammaxsix]

Thank-you Pete39.. Gee I love this Forum, everyone is soooo helpfulll ---- into my favs it goes....

Thank-you, Thank-you Thank-you

 

[tangentjohn]

@Pete39 Thanks for you research and input. Getting ready to download Thunderbird now to check it out. I'm tired of the fight with Windows Mail (do NOT understand why Microsoft dropped it. stupid STUPID!!). If it works out I'll clean up my install and do Windows 7 service SP1

 

[tangentjohn]

@Pete39 Well, that pretty much brought me to a screeching halt. There is no import function to get my addresses or emails into Thunderbird from Windows Mail. I transferred the address by sending them via e-mail, but re-sending all my drafts, sent mail and contents of all the personal folders is out of the question! Unless I find a solution for that problem, Thunderbird is a no go.

 

[Grammaxsix]

I give up, but I have a question for you kind people...I need to find MY folders that I had in Windows mail that I assume were transferred over when I transferred with the easy transfer Cable.... or better yet, can you provide me with the link so I can learn HOW to use Windows LIVE Mail.. been playing with it a little bit this morning and I am so use to using the tool bar for Windows Vista mail and its gone .... the main one I used was Select All then delete.. Now, I do not even know how to select numerous messages to delete... Pretty bad eh? But I am willing to learn if I HAVE to .... Please can you help me and provide me with a GOOD Link for Dummies who want to use Windows Live Mail ....

Thanks so much

I so need to find the folders that I had in Vista Mail....

 

[pete39]

Yes, getting your Windows Mail messages over to Thunderbird is a pain, very poor.
Thunderbird definitely needs updating to include many more email options in their import wizard, I can’t understand why they haven’t done that bye now.
I had to bite the bullet and pay for the Fookes Aid4Mail software, it can transfer messages to and from loads of different email clients. http://www.aid4mail.com/
It works well but I did have to contact support, which was excellent.

However it is possible to export your addresses from Windows Mail to Thunderbird.
In Windows Mail go to - File, Export, Windows Contacts, choose CSV, then choose where to save them, I put them on my desktop.
Next open Thunderbird and go to Tools, Import, choose address books, choose Text file, if you’ve saved the Text file on your desktop carry on from there.

The best email client that I have found for the greatest amount of email clients in it’s import wizard is eM Client www.emclient.com
It can import Windows Mail and Windows Live Mail. Have look and see what you think.
It’s a fairly new email client and they have said they want to make it the best email client in the world. If it had a built in back up and the learning Bayesian spam filter it could be the best, even if you have to pay for those extra accounts. The free version only allows one account!

 

[tangentjohn]

Import funtion from Windows Mail

OK I found an add-on that allowed me to import my mail from windows mail.
It is here. https://nic-nac-project.org/~kaosmos/mboximport-en.html They make it look really complicated but you really only need to read the first quarter of the page, down to "- restart Thunderbird." Then you do need to know where Windows Mail's store folder is cause you have to find it to import from it. I had moved mine from its default location so it was easy to find.

SO FAR SO GOOD

 

[Grammaxsix]

tangentjohn
Looks like your busy doing alot of research, thanks for all the GREAT info.......... Its appreciated. I finally transferred everything over from Windows Vista Mail to Windows 7 Live mail, FORCED myself to use it. and it is not so bad but there are alot of quirks they need to fix up, like sending emails to certain contacts and stuff... That is a big problem I think.. Yes you can set up categories and add certain contacts however if you send to that certain category, you can't pick from certain categories to send the email to. When you have alot of contacts this is a big problem. Just another thing to research and try to do a work around...

Thanks again for all the research your doing

 

[josephg45]

For those who wish to use Thunderbird for their email client and emulate Winmail, you can do so with a little work. I used Winmail as a POP3 client with my messages saved to various folders on the local computer. TB out of the box will try to install itself as a IMAP client which basicly maps the server email folders to the local machine - the messages still reside on the server. If you create folders, they to reside on the server unless you specifically create them as local folders. To do TB with POP3 you need to install manually. As soon as you start the install, you will be asked for your user name/email address and the "wizard" will automatically contact the server and establish a IMAP account. You have to stop the wizard before it can get finished. As soon as it starts click the "stop" button. Then click the manual setup button and go into the tabs and manually set the program for POP3, and giving your email server address, etc. You need to set the SMTP server as well for the outgoing mail. The data is same as for the WINmail accounts tab.

After you get connected (be sure to select the option to let you manually ask to get your mail instead of the default of getting mail automatically when TB starts so you can import all the locally saved old messages first) you can import the contact/address book from winmail. You need to save it from winmail in the comma delimlted form first in a folder where you can find it again or to the desktop.

Then download and install the import/export addon tool for TB here:
ImportExportTools

This tool will allow you to import all your folders and saved emails from the Winmail folder under your users directory.

I got all my saved emails complete with attachments back under TB without any problems but they are saved under the Inbox folder which you have to expand in order to see them.

Good luck!

 

[Raymond2512]

windows mail identities

Thanks to Poppa Bear I got Windows Mail for Windows 7 Pro.
My question now is this: Is there any way to add the "identities", that used to be in Outlook Express and disapperared in Windows Mail.
If someone knows how to intalled, please, let me know.