Windows Mail


  1. endeavor
    Posts : 313
    Vista/Win7/8/10/11 (x86/x64)
    Thread Starter
       New #1670

    andjayik said:
    it worked now just used my original win 7 mail folder.
    ..and that's what the instructions said to do, right

    Good Job andjayik!
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  3. ansionnach
    Posts : 2
    Windows 7 Pro x64
       New #1671

    Fix for offline crash


    I've identified the problem with offline mode causing windows mail to crash in windows 7. Perhaps for many it isn't an issue but it means that you cannot use windows mail without an internet connection when you have IMAP accounts set up. No internet connection and you're stuck with a modal dialogue box prompting to connect or go offline (and crash). The crash is caused when the Vista msoe.dll tries to call the function SetShellOfflineState in shdocvw.dll. There are a few solutions to this:

    1. Copying the shdocvw.dll into your windows mail directory from vista.

    2. Patch the vista msoe.dll to not call SetShellOfflineStat. To do this, open it with a hex editor and...
    x64:
    Change the five bytes at hex address 4E159 as follows:
    E8 4D 21 17 00 -> 90 90 90 90 90
    x86:
    Change the five bytes at hex address 41525 as follows:
    E8 1A 8B 0E 00 -> 90 90 90 90 90

    In each case, what we're doing is replacing the five bytes making the call to SetShellOfflineStat with five no operation instructions (do nothing).

    3. A third possible solution would be to patch the msoe.dll that comes with windows 7. I've done a bit of work on this, using the vista one for comparison, and it seems that there are loads of places where the binary has been modified to exit and do nothing - probably why windows mail doesn't start. It's probably more trouble than it's worth, but this is a newer version of the dll, without any call to SetShellOfflineStat. Would be very interesting to see how it runs if anyone was to fully patch it to work. Might fix the annoying problem with both of the other fixes whereby selecting a new IMAP folder prompts you to connect or go offline (again).
    Last edited by ansionnach; 16 Sep 2015 at 13:13. Reason: proofing
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  4. endeavor
    Posts : 313
    Vista/Win7/8/10/11 (x86/x64)
    Thread Starter
       New #1672

    ansionnach said:
    I've identified the problem with offline mode causing windows mail to crash in windows 7. Perhaps for many it isn't an issue but it means that you cannot use windows mail without an internet connection when you have IMAP accounts set up. No internet connection and you're stuck with a modal dialogue box prompting to connect or go offline (and crash). The crash is caused when the Vista msoe.dll tries to call the function SetShellOfflineState in shdocvw.dll. There are a few solutions to this:

    1. Copying the shdocvw.dll into your windows mail directory from vista.
    Good stuff ansionnach, and I've just proved that out too by copying the shdocvw.dll from my Vista System32 folder and placing it in my Win7 WinMail programs folder, and it does Not crash now when clicking 'working offline' where it does crash otherwise - you are correct.
    I think #1 is by far is the no-fuss quickest/easiest method of the three mentioned for the public at large.
    Nice job on #2 though! ..and for #3 unless you can think of a reason for yourself to do that one, I think #1 fits the overall model for here.

    You're right not many people using WinMail have IMAP accounts setup and so this won't affect very many users, but going forward I myself will always now have shdocvw placed even though I've never needed to work offline so just never use/used that function, but I like if I did accidentally or on purpose click it - that it would not crash...
    ...and so credits to you for this. Did you come by this on your own, or was there other influences that helped you?

    I do not know 'yet' if placing the dll will cause any other side-effects of my so-called normal operation of WM, but I doubt it, but we still have to leave it on the table for reference.

    In a few days when I get a chance to test this on Windows 8 and Windows 10 WinMail operations, then I will edit my WinMail BugList post to write-in this Working Offline fix you have come up with.

    edit: ..added line-out, because later testings shows this workaround is not functional on Win8 & Win10
    Last edited by endeavor; 18 Sep 2015 at 14:52. Reason: ...added line-out, because it's not functional on Win8 & Win10, sorry
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  5. ansionnach
    Posts : 2
    Windows 7 Pro x64
       New #1673

    Thanks, you're very welcome. I analysed the dll as I had a feeling that this was exactly what was happening. Guessed that the crash may have been something to do with some difference in how vista and 7 handle putting the shell into offline mode. Not sure windows 7 even has such a mode - selecting offline in mail seems to behave exactly the same when you've got the call switched off completely.

    I agree that the first solution is simpler - that way people can source their own file and be confident it hasn't been tampered with. The second option might suit anyone who can't source a vista shdocvw.dll. After making many changes to the original windows 7 dll (without success), I'd suspect that if it ever did work, so much would have changed that there'd be massive scope for bugs. Even if we could get it back to the exact state MS had it in before they disabled it, we don't know if they even had it fully tested and working.

    You're probably aware that the 32-bit shdocvw.dll is in system32 of 32-bit vista and syswow64 of 64-bit vista. The 64-bit dll is in system32 of 64-bit vista.
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  7. endeavor
    Posts : 313
    Vista/Win7/8/10/11 (x86/x64)
    Thread Starter
       New #1674

    I agree with what you've said.

    Also fwiw on shdocvw, next week after I have a chance to test this on Win8 & Win10, I will supply (attach) the Vista 32 & 64 bit versions of the shdocvw.dll onto that WinMail BugList post for people to download.

    I now do full program attachments of WinMail files over on the Eight forums, but just like here on Seven with this particular shdocvw I'm just going to always point to the WinMail BugList post for reference.

    Also to note I realize MS keeps changing different WinMail file versions around (not so much on 7 it's just that one msoe....dll) but mostly I see them do it in Windows 8 and more extensively Windows 10 too (and some of them even work...) however most of those changes are for other OS function interactions, and so in order to keep all WinMail operations on Windows 7 original to Vista where it was finalized and known - newer is not better. So whether one is using them in WinMail for Win7, Win8, or Win10 - I always keep the program files in the last Vista (intermingled 7) known sets as originally intended - and when I see a later OS's change any of them - I simply revert them them back to being an original set and this has proven to be effective across the board.

    edit: ..added line-out, because later testings shows this workaround is not functional on Win8 & Win10
    Last edited by endeavor; 18 Sep 2015 at 14:53. Reason: ...added line-out, because it's not functional on Win8 & Win10, sorry
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  8. NoMatterWho
    Posts : 31
    Windows 7 Professional
       New #1675

    ansionnach said:
    I've identified the problem with offline mode causing windows mail to crash in windows 7. Perhaps for many it isn't an issue but it means that you cannot use windows mail without an internet connection when you have IMAP accounts set up. No internet connection and you're stuck with a modal dialogue box prompting to connect or go offline (and crash). The crash is caused when the Vista msoe.dll tries to call the function SetShellOfflineState in shdocvw.dll. There are a few solutions to this:

    1. Copying the shdocvw.dll into your windows mail directory from vista.

    2...

    3...
    Hello, ansionnach!
    Thanks for Your very interesting post, just a couple of notes for solution No.1 I tested on Win7 x64:

    1. I could fall into "working offline" mode but I couldn't switch back to "working online". The only way to revert back to online mode is restart program. And checkmark on "working offline" doesn't set up in "File" menu too. Have You any idea how to improve that?
    2. Please keep in mind, shdocvw.dll is localized file, so I believe, it isn't enough to copy this one only, but You need also copy shdocvw.dll.mui from appropriate Vista System32 local folder.

    Actually I haven't access to my Vista VMs until the end of month, so I can't test how shdocvw.dll.mui impacts if any for WinMail behaviour, so maybe You'll can investigate it
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  9. endeavor
    Posts : 313
    Vista/Win7/8/10/11 (x86/x64)
    Thread Starter
       New #1676

    NoMatterWho said:

    1. I could fall into "working offline" mode but I couldn't switch back to "working online". The only way to revert back to online mode is restart program. And checkmark on "working offline" doesn't set up in "File" menu too. Have You any idea how to improve that?
    Yes same here, tested on both Windows 7 x86 AND x64 OS's ...it does the same thing mentioned; at least it's better than it was though.

    2. Please keep in mind, shdocvw.dll is localized file, so I believe, it isn't enough to copy this one only, but You need also copy shdocvw.dll.mui from appropriate Vista System32 local folder.
    Just tested copying shdocvw.dll.mui too, but it does not change or affect offline/online operation one way or the other. Nice try though.

    ~~~~~

    Testing it now, I see when I'm on Windows Vista I can click Offline/Online from both the bottom of the WinMail GUI or from the File menu, and it works properly - meaning I can toggle it going back and forth from Online > Offline as many times as I want and it works.
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  11. NoMatterWho
    Posts : 31
    Windows 7 Professional
       New #1677

    I'm afraid, everything isn't so bright. After shdocvw.dll replace self-unpacking rar-archives stopped working for me. They won't open. After original shdocvw.dll restore they backed to business. I don't know why it happens: because of wrong shdocvw.dll.mui file or because of Vista shdocvw.dll won't be supported by Win 7. It will be great if You'll test it: I haven't acces to right mui file until October as I said before
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  12. endeavor
    Posts : 313
    Vista/Win7/8/10/11 (x86/x64)
    Thread Starter
       New #1678

    ansionnach said:
    ......
    @ ansionnach, upon further testing this morning this workaround unfortunately does not work for WinMail on OS's Win8 or Win10 users - it still crashes there, but as mentioned partially works in Win7 WinMail and so it's better than it was for sure, especially for those that really need it like yourself or other IMAP accounts users.

    I was going to outline and attach the x86 & x64 shdocvw.dll files for download on my WM Bug List post, but now is not advisable since it only would help a few Win7 users.

    @nomatterwho
    Mine works fine on WinMail Win7 x86 & x64, and all variations of rar files work fine too, besides I don't see how adding an unrelated dll to the WinMail "Programs" folder would affect that anyway (I trust you did not change out the System32 folder shdocvw.dll because that was not the instructions)
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  13. NoMatterWho
    Posts : 31
    Windows 7 Professional
       New #1679

    Oh, quiet stupid mistake: I did exactly what You trust I didn't. That bleeping localization completely confused me, so I skipped into System32 folder and stayed there
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