Windows Mail

The 'supported' way to uninstall IE on your computer is to go to: Program & Features> Turn Windows Features On or Off, and uncheck the IE listed in the list, and reboot, but WinMail will still work irregardless since as you all already know IE is not really uninstalled, it's only disabled from our view or web access use. WinMail of course is tied into Internet Explorer, but even if you disable IE and can't use it, yes it is still there and WinMail with IE11 will still crash if you open 'one of those problematic HTML emails' whereas IE8, IE9 & IE10 will not crash. 'If IE is disabled though' you can still see what version you have 'present' by going to: Default Programs> Programs and Features> Turn Windows Features On or Off> ...it's usually the third entry down (alternately you can just search your iexplore.exe properties)

@ Ron to your post, yes if you disable IE via the Programs and Features tab, the Internet Options GUI is still there in Control Panel, and looking at it's slightly modified in that when you open it the General tab looks a bit different (tested). Concerning Windows Update in this disabled IE instance, and you go to Windows Update with it disabled yes you are Still being offered security updates to IE but Only to the current version you have installed/disabled at the moment, however when you re-enable it, then when you go to WU you now will additionally be offered any newer versions of IE available (tested). also btw official Win7 SP1 comes with IE8.

@ Ex-Brit - I see my 64 bit WM works with 99.9 % of all emails too, it's just those few that others have received from specific sources and sent me for testing, that if I open them in mine, will crash it. If they gave me permission I would send you the same .eml files too and you only need to doubleclick the .eml files to open, and pretty positive it would crash your WinMail.exe too; you just haven't received any problematic ones yet and it's not that widespread.
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Again I was hoping it was just a single small KB install replacing a file or two that was the culprit causing the HTML WinMail crash, but it's not. The 64 bit (even 32 bit) IE11 finished install is nearly 100 MB and also replaces a thousand files, I can see every single file/registry change it made. I'm not going to mess with the 64 bit IE install unless it's turns out to be just a simple, logical change with no other consequence.
You can only imagine though as each successive IE that comes out it will probably even limit WinMail operation even more, so get used to it. At the moment with IE11, Win7 32 bit OS WinMail users, are in luck.
(fwiw, I've already tried different versions of the mshtml.dll mentioned previously, hoping for success - but it was everything but. I even had the "Programs Folder (x86)" WinMail 32bit and got it working on Win7 64 bit, but that does not solve the problem either. I tried a lot of different things, afterall the test bed being indestructible and being powered by an i7 and SSD, one can partition image back to a fresh install in 45 seconds flat, which makes testing it all so much easier. Also being a disposable test bed setup lets you be more empowered to test Anything without consequence)

If any of you techs want me to try a theory or two, feel free to PM me, that way we don't clutter up this thread with unnecessary test talk posts. Bill wants his tutorial thread neat and only WinMail related, and I support that.

Hi Ex_Brit,

Please remember as mentioned at the end of my previous post, please use PM for any little tid-bit testing ideas like that. We have seen in the past where the little back-n-forth testing talks really confused newcomers, too many unrelated posts mounted up, and we had to delete so many really neat, but extra unnecessary posts.
Perhaps we can delete our posts later, but for now as to your first security question you were kidding me asking me that one right - I hope so. As for the second one same answer really, actually I keep the built in firewall turned off but that's OT. It's none of these issues anyway. Have you read all the posts in the other thread spoken of earlier, of which I link post 17 of it earlier but you'd want to start from it's post 1.

As to your IE 32 vrs 64 bit question, actually I keep both the 32 & 64 ie shortcuts in my QuickLaunch for usage, but if you think about your question you will realize that iexplore.exe does not even need to be started for WinMail to work. As you know that 32 bit iexplore.exe is used similar for website compatibility issues but not used for WinMail operation in that sense. And so while within the 64 bit OS for WinMail I would have to get the 'Programs Folder (x86)' files of WinMail.exe which currently if you look all the calls in the registry are to open the 64bit folder WinMail.exe, and then the same would be for the 'Programs Folder (x86)' for iexplore.exe.. here though they do not have a 32 bit version mshtml.dll and the whole gamut of what that goes along with, and then where the problem in 64 bit seems like and error prompts that it's arising from, all in relation to let WinMail display its HTML emails and use it's embedded links to external websites for pictures, etc, rendered in the email.
I think it's a good thought in theory though Ex_Brit and I understand where you were going, it's a bit though to implement with many unknowns. Nothing is ever off the table though.

Again though going forward to any techs lets please use PM's for the testings back and forth conversations as Bill has previously hinted and requested a number of times to do, unless he indicates different I will follow his wishes.

Thank you