Windows Mail

You did not say, but I assumed you also actually 'physically clicked through' all the make default buttons I asked for in screenshot 1 & 2. You don't need to answer but I will assume Yes that you did, and the point to do it was to see if it would reset anything of itself, so you have to try it.

-re-instating WinMail over the old one- did not help either.i think i will leave
situation as it is right now windows itself works fine.

Yes then I agree with you if that's what you want.

what program do you use for OS backup?

It's a combination of 1 of the top 7 imagers, but everyone has their own preference and ideas of what's the best imager for them, and everyone is right for their own personal opinions, different needs, beliefs and experiences :)
It's just like asking someone which car they like better, or motorcycle, or even religion - everyone has their own preferences, and one persons needs may not fit another's.

p.s- do you always make complete OS partition backups?

Yes I only ever use Full OS partition backups, and never make the add-on incrementals of them; I never use the built-in MS backup either.
My setups are unique with multiple primary OS partitions on SD's and corresponding 2 TB spinning HD's to complement them, x3.
I create single partition backups for the Primary OS's, but will also do a Full total 10 partition backup (combined into a one large image) of my whole tower setup, and then store those backup images on physical dedicated spinner HD's local and offsite. I have backups of everything I've done for the last 14 years, and all evolutions of every OS I've builded upon (which is most all of them) ..and can image right back to any dated evolution of them for testing or building further upon, quite easily.
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Hopefully your issue is something minor and simple that happened that set your default associations askew somehow, and that you can reverse it or set it aright. Interesting though that even though it said AnyDVD, or now Media Center - it still opens in WinMail, and so that says something.... well, I'll think on it.

-I did 'physically clicked through' all the make default buttons- no change
- The Best Backup Software of 2017 | PCMag.com
cheers!

Funny, I did some checking on the status of my own W.M. after reading these posts and was quite surprised. First though, I want to mention that I did go to Windows 10, but got so frustrated because it seemed like it was constantly running, taking up so many resources in doing whatever, so that I could not even type without waiting between letters. Probably updating. Whatever it was, it was a nuisance! I had the new version of Outlook Express running on that and liked it a lot.
Anyway, like I said, it was so frustrating always having to wait on Windows 10 to get done doing whatever it was doing so I could use the machine that I decided to go back to Windows 7 (Pro). I set up W.M. like I had before and believe me, I like Windows 7 a whole lot more than 10 because I can actually use it and have more control over it. I went over some of the remarks in these posts about W.M. being default etc., so I checked to see how mine was doing, even though I use it all the time. I do have MS Office 2007 on it so of course I have MS Outlook which I use more for business.
When I brought up the Control Panel so set the Default programs, W.M. was not even listed! And when I did a right click on my old .eml files, I had no option at all for W.M. So I did as was suggested by our Professor Endeavor and ran the 2015 version of WinMailEdit.reg. BINGO! W.M. was back in the Control Panel list for Default programs and once again I had the option of choosing it to use with my .eml files.
It sure seems good to have W.M. running again with no crazy upsets by Windows 10 and its updates! YEA for Windows Mail!
OH! BTW, I kept Windows 10 and put Windows 7 on a different hard drive. It only takes a few seconds to swap out the drives. I do want to keep up with 10 so I know a little about it, but most of my time I'm flying my plane with 7. I do have one machine, a desktop, with 2 hard drives, one with Vista on it (no kidding) and the other with 10. I also have an older Dell laptop with a dual boot setup, 1 hard drive, with XP Media Center on one partition and 7 Pro on the other. Not bad for an 80 year old geezer! Do I hear any "AMEN!"s out there???????? heh heh

I set up W.M. like I had before..

<smile> I remember well the way you set it up before but at first it wasn't like the Page 1 tutorial suggested, and it did not work right at first then either <smile> ...you had your own way of doing things <smile>

When I brought up the Control Panel so set the Default programs, W.M. was not
even listed! And when I did a right click on my old .eml files, I had no option
at all for W.M.

On a fresh install with no other email programs installed, if one uses the page 1 tutorial and follows exactly, then none of these problems you or previous posters mention will exist, because the files and process within the tutorial starts the reinstatement of WM and everything gets setup accordingly, tested/working/proven a thousand + times. And so in that order of events some things are first set default, but then when you first open WinMail you are also prompted to set WinMail as the default email client, shown at the end of this screenshot I made back in 2012 to show it, and the whole process. (sorry if the screenshot was made too big back then, so open full)
And so if someone ends up that they don't have this-or-that showing or working right (besides what's in the known errata bug list) then quite simply, they didn't follow the directions correctly, or used an older or alternate method.

I kept Windows 10 and put Windows 7 on a different hard drive. It only takes a
few seconds to swap out the drives.

Actually that's a great idea if someone does not want to get involved with or which boot-loaders to use and all the complication that 'may' come with that, and so swapping out drives is a great idea to keep the OS's separate and safe for your selected use, without the other OS interfering.
In a real sense my 3 primary OS partition setups are setup that same way, but, they are on the same HD. I do that by when booting out of one OS and into whichever of the three OS's there, it leaves the others behind set inactive and hidden: = results are that each one cannot see the other. This is OT to the WM thread though.

Yes I will give you that Amen, and congratulations for being so hip @ 80

Thank you for that "Amen", Lad. There will be an offering plate for donations back at the door for your donations. Have a great day, folks.

I've followed the instructions on reinstating Windows Mail in Windows 7 numerous times but I'm unable to get past the command prompt "system cannot find the path specified". The file is where it's supposed to be so not sure what the problem is - am I forgetting something?