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and many of the link pointers within have become mislinked over time, many of the files or information within them is outdated, incomplete, or superseded with more accurate information - and so be careful.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

 

[Ex_Brit]

I have tried this twice now to the letter and cant get it to work, I have copied it all over etc, set the shortcut but when i try and open it it just takes forever and looks the computer up - please any ideas - as i love windows mail and dont want to go any other way!

Thank you in advance.

*** update - could it be that my vista is 32 bit and w7 64 bit?

Id really like to use w7 but this is putting me off, if it is that I need a 64 vista win mail file, please can anyone share one with me. Thank you

Mad Mavis,

I use Win 7 x64 and got it to work OK. Did you miss out step 1 by any chance: take ownership of folders?

I remember having some difficulty on one of my Win 7 partitions (I have 2) and it turned out that I had not, in fact, followed every step exactly as shown.
Once I did it properly then it worked.

 

[myzr7]

If you are following the tutorial at the first of the post. Then take ownership of your current WM folder then delete it. Replace it with the vista folder you just downloaded and open the exe file.

 

[jonesnewton]

Hi
I tried to install windows mail into Win 7 but after all when I open new window mail there is no winmail.exe file?
Can you help?
Thanks.
Neil

 

[jonesnewton]

I have just realised that there are 2 program files on here, one with x86 and one without??
I am using the same one as shown, but not able to do anything?
When I retry it I cannot even get the Take Ownership to work??

OK NOW SORTED

I did it for a third time I believe the same way and it worked, so thanks all for your time and patience..

 

[jonesnewton]

Does anyone have the problem when you create a mail in WM and save it, it ends up being sent from WLM? I tried to change it in properties but that did not work.
Also, the saved shortcut for the that saved mail in WM, when you click on it it opens the WM and not the email saved?

Should I un install WLM?

 

[keeners]

I have a couple of questions about the tutorial, specifically the following steps:

3. Make a copy of the folder in case something goes wrong.


4. Go to the same folder in Vista and copy it.

5. Now Delete the original folder and replace with the Vista ones.

Sorry, but I am a little confused. Is this what I should do?
3- ok, copy the file to an external HDD AFTER taking ownership?
4 - are you using vista and 7 dual boot? How can I go into the Vista folder after 7 is installed?
5- is this after the win7 installation?

 

[myzr7]

keeners welcome to SevenForums.
Yes copy your vista folder to a external. Usb thumb drives a very cheap and work great. #4 Yes you will need to do this before installing 7 if you are installing over the top of vista. You may however find them in Windows old folder if during the install 7 created this folder for you. #5 yes . good luck to you

 

[keeners]

keeners welcome to SevenForums.
Yes copy your vista folder to a external. Usb thumb drives a very cheap and work great. #4 Yes you will need to do this before installing 7 if you are installing over the top of vista. You may however find them in Windows old folder if during the install 7 created this folder for you. #5 yes . good luck to you

Thank you for clarifying this.

One more question: Can you use 64-bit Windows Mail in a 32-bit computer?

 

[jonesnewton]

Does anyone have the problem when you create a mail in WM and save it, it ends up being sent from WLM? I tried to change it in properties but that did not work.
Also, the saved shortcut for the that saved mail in WM, when you click on it it opens the WM and not the email saved?

Should I un install WLM?

Does anyone else have this problem after installing WM? Or is it just me?
But they seem to work together, I create a message in WM, save it as, but when you open it, it opens in WLM and gets sent from there as well.

What happens if I remove WLM??

Thanks.

Hi again,
did anyone have this same problem?
I can open a saved email, it opens in WLM, send it, saves a sent copy to WLM and also have a copy in the sent mail in Gmail, but if I need to alter the saved mail I have to create a completely new one.
I would just like to use just one mails service.

Thanks..

 

[Zidane24]

Does anyone have the problem when you create a mail in WM and save it, it ends up being sent from WLM? I tried to change it in properties but that did not work.
Also, the saved shortcut for the that saved mail in WM, when you click on it it opens the WM and not the email saved?

Should I un install WLM?

Does anyone else have this problem after installing WM? Or is it just me?
But they seem to work together, I create a message in WM, save it as, but when you open it, it opens in WLM and gets sent from there as well.

What happens if I remove WLM??

Thanks.

Hi again,
did anyone have this same problem?
I can open a saved email, it opens in WLM, send it, saves a sent copy to WLM and also have a copy in the sent mail in Gmail, but if I need to alter the saved mail I have to create a completely new one.
I would just like to use just one mails service.

Thanks..

It is because Windows Live Mail was set as the default mail handler which means that it is the default program associated with the emails...

Use these tutorials:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2630-default-programs-set-programs-default-associations.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/12196-open-change-default-program.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9154-default-programs-associate-file-type-protocol.html

 

[Rapalla]

Errors opening Windows Mail in Win 7 Pro

Copied Vista 32 bit and Vista 64 bit folders to relevant Program files and had followed the instructions in this tutorial. I get the following messages "Windows mail could not be started. The application was unable to open the message store. Your computer may be out of memory or your disk is full 0x800700C1,193" and it also flags up "Windows Mail could not be started because MSOE.dll could not be initialised"
The system has more than enough resources available so it doesnt make sense to me. Would appreciate a pointer in the right direction.

 

[explorer39]

It is impossible to install manual security updates for windows mail in windows 7. It will give serious security problems in windows 7?

 

[dnr53]

I just copied the Windows Mail folder from a Vista machine to my Windows 7 machine and it opened up and found my Live email and loaded it up. Works great. I did not use Windows Mail on that Vista machine so I have a question. I want to do this for someone else and they do use Windows Mail. I save the Windows Mail folder before the Windows 7 install. Then complete these instructions and replace the existing Windows Mail folder with the copied folder.
Will this copy over all of their emails, contacts, etc?
Thank you
Doug

 

[jonesnewton]

]

Does anyone else have this problem after installing WM? Or is it just me?
But they seem to work together, I create a message in WM, save it as, but when you open it, it opens in WLM and gets sent from there as well.

What happens if I remove WLM??

Thanks.

Hi again,
did anyone have this same problem?
I can open a saved email, it opens in WLM, send it, saves a sent copy to WLM and also have a copy in the sent mail in Gmail, but if I need to alter the saved mail I have to create a completely new one.
I would just like to use just one mails service.

Thanks..

It is because Windows Live Mail was set as the default mail handler which means that it is the default program associated with the emails...

Use these tutorials:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2630-default-programs-set-programs-default-associations.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/12196-open-change-default-program.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9154-default-programs-associate-file-type-protocol.html

Hi Zidane24,
thanks, but I think there is something else not set up or installed on here??

I do not have WM listed anywhere on here except on my toolbar and a shortcut, see attachments.

IF, I open properties on the saved mail, which was created and saved in WM and change it there, when I click on it then it opens the main page of WLM!

I dont even have a WM icon in programs and teatures, so I cannot even uninstall it!!

The funny thing is I have sort of got used to it, as I can send mails that I created, but I have to remember that they get sent via WLM. I not keen on WLM, made a mistake the other day of deleting the messages from there, but did not realise it delted them from Gmail as well -opps!!

Any ideas or help with this.

Thanks
Neil

 

[jake66]

Can you set Windows Mail as defult mail handler? I can do it in the options, but then if I click OK and go back into the options, it still says it is not??? Any way to get round this

 

[kaj]

Windows Mail as default

Can you set Windows Mail as defult mail handler? I can do it in the options, but then if I click OK and go back into the options, it still says it is not??? Any way to get round this

I have got Windows Mail set up thanks to the help I got on here, but have the same problem as jake. You can't set it as the default mail handler in Set Default Programs - there's no option to add to the list or browse to it. And in Internet Explorer it allows you to set file associations. I've associated .eml files with WM. I notice I now don't have the option to send emails from IE - Send page (or link) by email are greyed out. Can do without that - but it's an annoyance!

 

[myzr7]

Can you set Windows Mail as defult mail handler? I can do it in the options, but then if I click OK and go back into the options, it still says it is not??? Any way to get round this

I have got Windows Mail set up thanks to the help I got on here, but have the same problem as jake. You can't set it as the default mail handler in Set Default Programs - there's no option to add to the list or browse to it. And in Internet Explorer it allows you to set file associations. I've associated .eml files with WM. I notice I now don't have the option to send emails from IE - Send page (or link) by email are greyed out. Can do without that - but it's an annoyance!

try this tutorial to restore wm to the default list. then use the default list to make it default. good luck to you.
Windows Mail - Restore or Remove from Default Programs - Vista Forums

 

[kaj]

Windows Mail - add to default list

Can you set Windows Mail as defult mail handler? I can do it in the options, but then if I click OK and go back into the options, it still says it is not??? Any way to get round this

I have got Windows Mail set up thanks to the help I got on here, but have the same problem as jake. You can't set it as the default mail handler in Set Default Programs - there's no option to add to the list or browse to it. And in Internet Explorer it allows you to set file associations. I've associated .eml files with WM. I notice I now don't have the option to send emails from IE - Send page (or link) by email are greyed out. Can do without that - but it's an annoyance!

try this tutorial to restore wm to the default list. then use the default list to make it default. good luck to you. Windows Mail - Restore or Remove from Default Programs - Vista Forums

Thanks. Interestingly at first I didn't think either the Registry fix nor the manual method had worked for Windows 7. It certainly didn't add Windows Mail to the Default Programs list in W7. BUT I can now send a link or a page by email (ie not greyed out) - and it chooses Windows Mail!
However if I click on an email address on a web page I get:
Could not perform this operation because the default mail client is not properly configured.
Frustration. Have just found what looks like a fix here. However can't successfully down load the reg fix.

Did find a link to this download from which I successfully dl'd the reg file. However it did not work. I still cannot email from a web page (Cannot perform this operation because the default email program is not properly installed) and Windows Mail does not appear in the Default programs option list.

 

[keeners]

I've merged the reg hack in order to take ownership of the WM folder, but, when trying to delete the folder, I receive an error message stating that I require permissions from myself(current user w/admin privileges), in order to make changes to this folder.
Conversely, if I open the WM folder, highlight everything, right click and choose take ownership, the process runs and appears to complete successfully, however when I highlight again and choose 'delete', I receive another error stating that 'I require permission from TrustedInstaller to make changes to this file(every file in the folder).
I've tried to find a way around this , but, so far, I've had no luck. And essentially the same error on multiple machines.
Not sure what to do here.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated..

Thanks in advance.

The easy way around that is to rename the whole folder and then just add the new folder from Vista and leave the other one as a backup.

I just came in to ask the same question as ksims and found Mr.Grims answer on the first search. Thank you so much for the time you take to answer all our questions.

 

[bjproc]

ok, i'm using outlook, but i'd like to get WM working, TBH, i prefer it to outlook, i'm a simple kind of guy

ok, i'k got my hands on the x64 msoe.dll and a reg file.

i've backed up the windows mail folder, saved to my documents.

now, what do i have to do with this .dll & reg files.

thanks

Bj

EDIT

now got it working, thanks, you know who you are