Windows 7: Microsoft Outlook Desktop Shortcut - Create

Brink · 27 Jan 2014

Hello Khalil, and welcome to Seven Forums.

This Outlook desktop icon doesn't appear to work for Outlook 2013.

robduggan · 23 Dec 2014

I had the same issue with the old NameSpace entry just creating a no-named folder on the desktop.

Root Cause:
The 32-bit version of office creates a HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT entry but since it is a 32-bit application, it puts it in the registry under Wow6432Node which the X64 Windows desktop does not have.

Search for this value {00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046} under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
Export that key to a .reg file
Open that .reg file with notepad
Remove the extra Wow6432Node\ in each line
save the file
Double click to import

Voilla, pretty Outlook icon on your desktop.

Just noticed that right clicking and going to properties doesn't give you the accounts menu. I could figure that out, but I don't care that much for that. Double Clicking opens outlook.

coldy · 10 Mar 2015

does this launch outlook express or do I have to install outlook first?

Brink · 10 Mar 2015

Hello Coldy,

Yeah, you'll need to have Outlook installed.

coldy · 11 Mar 2015

Quote: Originally Posted by Brink

Hello Coldy,

Yeah, you'll need to have Outlook installed.

thanks Brink

Brink · 11 Mar 2015

You're welcome.

coldy · 11 Mar 2015

Quote: Originally Posted by Brink

You're welcome.

I have tried the both versions and I just get a blank folder and I'm running windows 7 ultimate
plus service pack one... So somewhere there is problem on this..

I followed the steps for the all users. double click the reg file and allowed it in the register refresh
the desktop and got a blank yellow folder I even reboot and no change.
so I use the uninstall reg to take it out.

I then did the single user reg and did the the same thing and got the same result.

so I took it out

Brink · 11 Mar 2015

What version of Outlook do you have installed?

TexasRed · 21 May 2015

For what it's worth, here is what we use here at work to put the Outlook icon on the desktop (our machines run Windows 7/8.1 x64 but 32 bit Office):

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=dword:00000072

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@="Microsoft Office Outlook"
"InfoTip"="Displays e-mail, calendar, contacts, and other important personal information."

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft Office\\Office15\\OUTLOOK.EXE,7"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\InprocServer32]
@="C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft Office\\Office15\\MLSHEXT.DLL"
"ThreadingModel"="Apartment"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\Shell]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\Shell\Open]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\Shell\Open\Command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft Office\\Office15\\OUTLOOK.EXE\""

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\Shell\Properties\command]
@="rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL \"C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft Office\\Office15\\MLCFG32.CPL\""

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\shellex]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@=""

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=hex:72,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]

We used the exact same for Office 2010, the only difference was bumping the Office14 to Office15 in the path where used. For example:

Code:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\Shell\Open\Command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft Office\\Office15\\OUTLOOK.EXE\""

is

Code:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\Shell\Open\Command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft Office\\Office14\\OUTLOOK.EXE\""

in our old Office 2010 reg files.

Hope folks find this helpful.

jpickerell · 07 Dec 2015

TexasRed, wanted to thank you for the correct needed entries. Much appreciated! I've tested on Windows 10 64-bit with 32-bit Office and still works fine.

I modified your registry entries to say "Microsoft Outlook" instead of "Microsoft Office Outlook" for a 2-line fully visible name and updated for Outlook 2016 (Office16 instead of Office15) and it worked great! For anyone interested in reg files for 32-bit 2013 or 2016 versions of Outlook on either Windows 32-bit or 64-bit, I've attached ones that you can use to just click to import or look at for an example for future updated versions of Outlook. (The 32bit on Win32 entry would also work if running a 64-bit version of Office on Windows 64-bit I believe as 64 on 64 registry entries should be the same as 32 on 32 if I am not mistaken) These are exactly as TexasRed's except for the name change on the icon and also including a version for Outlook 2016 (Office16).