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and many of the link pointers within have become mislinked over time, many of the files or information within them is outdated, incomplete, or superseded with more accurate information - and so be careful.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

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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

 

[kewl1]

I have used these wonderful tutorials for years now for 4 years, ever since I first installed Windows 7 and successfully gotten Windows Mail up and running on 5 windows 7 computers and even one Win 8 (I ended up removing Windows 8 as I can't stand it) . I cannot thank you guys enough.

However on my latest Thinkpad I am getting one strange quirk. Everything seems to work correctly except that when I hit send/receive it will only receive and not send. It will say to read the error message below but there is no message. But then when I exit Windows Mail it will tell me there are messages on the Outbox and ask if I would like to send them. I choose yes and they get sent as the program closes.

Does anyone know how to tweak this so it will work properly?

Thanks

 

[Slartybart]

Can you bring up the full send/recv dialog when attempting the transfer?

It's been so long since I went with WLMail, that I can't recall WinMail. Are there connect/authorizing msgs on the lower right? Click that and see if the full dialog pops up.

 

[endeavor]

Was it ever working right with your current install? If yes did you install any other email clients afterwards that may have wrote over or changed the Send/Receive routine?

As Slartybart said can you bring the Send/Receive up and just click on 'Send All' and does that work? Screenshot of that function below.

It seems something has changed some registry keys to affect that function, if re-running the *current* tutorial on top of what you have installed now does not rewrite it straight, slim chance, I'm not sure how complicated it would be to track what happened down, verses a reinstall.

 

[kewl1]

Not Perfect this time

I finally got it working on my newest laptop but one weird problem is that when I click on some emails the program crashes. Now I have also found that on another computer where it has always worked a similar thing happens although it's not a crash where the program goes grey and actually says appcrash but rather I click on a certain email and the program shuts down instantly. Boom! It just disappears. I wonder if MS is doing something funny perhaps with updates. Anybody know?

 

[RKelly5327]

I have the same problem with certain emails. They come from the District Superintendent's Office of the Church Of The Nazarene. Every email I get from them crashes W.M. I use Mail Washer and check my email with that first. It gets rid of the spam. Whenever I see an email from the Office I don't use W.M. because I know it'll crash. I get my mail in Outlook then. I have no idea why it crashes, but it does, and just like you say. BOOM! And W.M. is done. POOF!

 

[Slartybart]

There are a number of other members who report that WinMail crashes on certain Email msgs - not all, just certain ones, from certains sendeers. The inforamtion from those issues seemed to point to MSHTML, but endeavor tested in his "lab" and did not experience the issue, so.... it's something else that caused MSHTML to fail.

Re-instating Winmail was always iffy proposition. Now as newer core technologies are implemented it's probably a good time to re-evaluate using WinMail. Thre's just no way to incorporate things such as HTML5 without a developer patchng WinMail - and we know that's not going to happen.

A workaround is to view the msg in text - but that's a global setting... all msgs are viewed as text. It might be interesting to see what's in the msg(s).

Bill

 

[kewl1]

I may have found something

While I was not totally surprised that I was having these problems with the new install on the new laptop I was very surprised that the disappearing/shutdown mail problem had now appeared on the old laptop which was stable for years. I removed the last 3 Windows updates that had just been installed within the previous couple of days and now everything is back to normal. These updates have numbers ending with 230, 602 and 341. At first glance I actually did not see these in the new computer and I have to run to the airport but will look again as soon as I have time

 

[Slartybart]

While I was not totally surprised that I was having these problems with the new install on the new laptop I was very surprised that the disappearing/shutdown mail problem had now appeared on the old laptop which was stable for years. I removed the last 3 Windows updates that had just been installed within the previous couple of days and now everything is back to normal. These updates have numbers ending with 230, 602 and 341. At first glance I actually did not see these in the new computer and I have to run to the airport but will look again as soon as I have time

When you get the time, please provide the full KB # - they'll probably be offered again unless you hid them. If they're important or critical to your system, then you have to weigh WinMail against the entire system.

This is great information that might lead to a more permanent solution.... or put another nail in the WinMail coffin. I don't want to cripple Win7 for the sake of a mail client.

Thanks,

Bill
.

 

[endeavor]

@ RKelly5327 & kewl1, could you please let us know if you are you running a 32bit or 64bit version of windows please? It would be nice to know if this issue just affects one or both.

Even though there is no resolve yet, just a fwiw this similar issue was also discussed at this other thread too.

We should keep the topic in one place Here though if we can.

Also RKelly5327 (and kewl1) if you don't mind sending me one of the emails that crash you, I would appreciate it, we talk about how to do that on that other thread in post 17 and then post 23.
Also RKelly5327 type out the complete KB numbers if you have isolated any that causes you problems.
Thank you for your posts.

 

[RKelly5327]

Endeavor- I haven't gone into trying to solve the issue. I just avoid opening the emails from the District Office and open them with Outlook. I'll have to check your other post to see how to send it to you- if I can find it. This is a 64 bit machine. I have thought about trying it on my 32 bit, just to see what happens. This 64 bit job won't empty the Delete folder upon exit. It works on the 32 bit machine, though. Funny.

 

[RKelly5327]

Endeavor, I guess from what I read on post 23 that you mentioned, that I send you a PM and attach one of the offending emails. Right? Or, if you PM me, you can send me your email addy and I can forward it to you when I get one. I like that better, if it's all the same to you. Either way is fine.

 

[endeavor]

fwiw, it seems 'so far' we have 3 people who has confirmed that their 64 bit OS has this particular problem, and so far no one has confirmed this has happened to them on a 32 bit.

I have all 32 bit OS's installed and 'as of yet' anyway do not have this problem. I could fresh install as a 64 bit OS and then have to fully Windows Update it, but at this point in time that's a lot of effort/time (of which is important) just for this.

It would be nice to know if you can get your 32 bit to do it, and so please give it a go when you get a chance then. Also if you want please confirm the full KB numbers that caused a problem.

Within WinMail (just curious because of what you said) where do you see the option to delete the 'Deleted Items Box' when you close WinMail ? ...I just went to try that operation, but at first look don't see that option listed anywhere; I wouldn't use it if it was there anyway but that's just me.

Edit:
Okay I found that option:
Tools> Options> Advanced> Maintenance> Empty messages from the Deleted Items folder on exit

Mine was unchecked, and so I checkmarked it, and deleted items into the Deleted Folder, and closed WinMail, and they deleted just fine since when I open WinMail they are gone.
It could be with all of this, since WinMail is older and at that time compared to 32 bit, 64 bit applications were not given nearly as much developmental attention then, as they would now in todays world; not to mention when it comes to WinMail MS hasn't given it a thought for many years now anyway. Mine works fine though

 

[kewl1]

Hi Bill,

I found the updates that are now hidden after I uninstalled them. Unfortunately I removed them all at once so I didn't determine which one if any was the culprit. I also made a typo above in one but here are the complete names

• KB2913602
• KB2913431
• KB2862330

Hope this helps

 

[Slartybart]

Hi Bill,

I found the updates that are now hidden after I uninstalled them. Unfortunately I removed them all at once so I didn't determine which one if any was the culprit. I also made a typo above in one but here are the complete names

• KB2913602
• KB2913431
• KB2862330

Hope this helps

Thanks kewl1, I'll look them up and try to figure out why they affect WinMail.

 

[endeavor]

I see I had inadvertently typed RKelly5327 asking for the KB numbers mentioned but really meant to type kewl1, as it is though the KB numbers given so far are inconclusive.

Also kewl1 do you have a 64 bit OS?

Is there anyone else that is experiencing the problem that hasn't spoke up yet? ..and just curious is your OS 32 or 64 bit?

I've had another person outside this forum contact me, has 64 bit, and has given me a few of their malfunctioning *.eml files too, but they also open and work just fine on my WinMail client. To clarify the Only point for me to have them is that they will be most helpful to utilize troubleshooting when I re-create the condition, which as it appears that most likely when time permits I'll have to create/install a Win7 64 bit WinMail bench test OS, and follow out the time line of Windows Update KB installs till the target is met. (preliminary details indicate it's was back in Nov/Dec of 2013) In the end I imagine the resolve will be that a specific KB was installed that has surfaced this problem, and the resolve will be for those that 'choose to' will just uninstall (or not install) that specific KB. In the meantime for those that have the problem just don't use the HTML preview pane and/or just open offending emails in plain text, or don't open them at all, or, as many would like for us to move on to a supported email client.

 

[kewl1]

Sorry for what is probably a slow reply. I was away this week. Yes I have 64 bit Windows 7 and 7.1 Ultimate both with Windows mail working fine. One is on a rebuilt desktop i.e. an HP Blackbird (Windows 7 Ultimate, not 7.1) and the other (that experienced the problem for only a few days) a ThinkPad x300, 64 bit 7.1 Ultimate. The ThinkPad was fine for a couple of years and then had a problem for a few days until I removed those 3 Windows updates.

I also have a new ThinkPad X1 Carbon. It came with Windows 8 and I downloaded the update to 8.1. Windows Mail was a piece of cake to get working on this one simply by dragging and dropping the email files from the ThinkPad x300. I cannot recall if I did it under 8 or 8.1. However, I absolutely hate Windows 8. I played with it for months on my other machines (dual booting) and I really tried to like it but didn’t. On the new X1 Carbon I could not stand it. The machine would not let me install Windows 7 on a separate partition to dual boot (either that or I just didn’t have the right knowledge to do it properly. But I suspect this is a deliberate MS ploy to force you to use Windows 8) so I wiped the drive and installed 7.1 and downloaded all the Windows updates. This is the one where I just cannot seem to solve the problem. As others have stated it does not affect every email but just some. And they will cause the program to either crash or restart. Just highlighting or single clicking, not even double clicking can do it, making it almost impossible to delete the offending email.

I don’t know if it would mean anything at all but the two Windows 7.1 installations, a couple of years apart were from different DVD’s. Hope this helps a bit.

 

[Slartybart]

KB2913602 -> MS14-003: Vulnerability in Windows kernel-mode drivers could allow elevation of privilege
This one looks mostly to be the cuplrit.

KB2913431 -> Update fixes an issue that causes Windows to crash
This is a hotfix that address network issues in NetIO and TCP/IP. There is also a fix to fwpkclnt - which was reported to have a memory leak. The symptoms of Windows prior to applying the hotfix were BSODs.

KB2862330 -> MS13-081: Description of the security update for USB drivers
It is unlikely that this KB causes the issue as it applies to USB (it's actually an update to a previous rls of the KB that fixes known issues from the October rls)

Would you mind testing this a bit?

Reapply two of the three Windows Updates.... one at a time in the following order and test WinMail on a suspect msg.

1. KB2862330
   test WinMail on suspect msg. If WinMail crashes, back off this update and try the next
   resart might be req'd
2. KB2913431
   test WinMail on suspect msg. If WinMail crashes, back off this update and try the next
   resart might be req'd
3. KB2913602
   test WinMail on suspect msg. If WinMail crashes, back off this update and try the next
   resart might be req'd

I appreciate your taking time to test this.

Bill
.

 

[endeavor]

Thanks for the informative post kewl1.

Interesting story you have with what you have done.
So you have Three computers, all 64 bit Windows 7, and two of them work fine with WinMail not crashing, but the X1 Carbon is the one that has the problem with WM crashing. I assume each of them all fully updated and all are at the same level of fully update - except for the 3 KB's you mention? The only difference is that one is Ultimate and the others are regular? ...not that that should matter.

Bill's test on those three updates hopefully will yield the crash culprit, although reading again you did say that you removed many KB's at once not just those three, so you could not determine which one if any was the culprit.

btw, All of the crash prone emails I have that were sent in from from others open just fine on my Windows 8 WinMail client too, and do not crash it. They open just fine for me on Win8 just like they do on Win7.

 

[kewl1]

Thanks Endeavor. The "off topic" instructions are really interesting for me. For Windows 8 I actually did download some workarounds i.e. start button etc. but still couldn't stand it. Even the colours bug me. My X1 didn't come with a disk put rather a recovery partition that I deleted so I guess if I wanted to reinstall and try playing with it again I'd have to call Lenovo. I wonder if they would give me a Windows 7 downgrade. I suppose I'd have to pay for it. It’s interesting but not at all surprising to read in the media that business is shunning windows 8 and MS is extending the life of 7 for this reason.

Anyway back to Mail. One misunderstanding in your post. All three 7's are Ultimate. The difference in the desktop install was that it is 7.0 and not 7.1 like the other 2. All three by the way were installed from different DVD's over a period of years with the 7.0 installed as soon as 7 came out. I don't know if this means anything at all. I was not able to install the 7.1 update on that one. Actually that brings me to a question. If you cannot install the 7.1update but you still download all the updates for 7.0 do you miss anything at all or are they both the same in the end?

 

[Slartybart]

kewl1: When you say 7.1 do you mean Win7 SP1? That might be the key to the issue you're facing.

What casued SP1 to fail - please open a new thread for that issue....WinMail tutorial has enough off topic discussions. If solving the SP1 install solves your WinMail issue, it can be posted here without all of the troubleshootting SP1 will entail

Thanks.