How to Switch Your Default Mail Client from Outlook (Registry Tweak Instructions)
For registry tweak “Switch Your Default Mail Client from Outlook,” here’s what you need to do. Before I go into specific registry edits you’ll make, here’s an overview of how to tweak your registry.
- Backup your system — all the important junk — before editing your registry. Disclaimer: if you eff up your registry, you can ruin your whole computer. And as much as I like taking credit for things, if that happens, it’s on you. Sorry, I don’t want to end up on Judge Judy.
- Done with the backup? Great. Go ahead and open up your registry with the Registry Editor (REGEDIT.exe). With the Registry Editor you can see and edit data within the your PC’s registry. The best way to launch the Registry Editor is to click the “Start” menu button, select “Run,” and type “regedit” in the “Open” box.
- On the left-hand side of the Registry Editor you’ll see a tree of folders, and on the right side you’ll see the contents – or the “values” – of the folder you’ve selected.
- Like with Internet Explorer, when you want to open up a branch of your registry’s folder tree and see its structure, just double-click the folder or click the plus sign (+) once. Want to see the contents of a key/folder? Click the key and the values’ll list in the right-hand side of the window.
- To add a value or key, right-click the “Edit” menu, and pick “New.” To rename almost any key or value, just right-click the registry key and select “Rename,” or click the registry key twice. You can delete a registry key or value by selecting it and pressing “Delete.”
Got it? Below are the particulars you need for the registry tweak “Switch Your Default Mail Client from Outlook”.
Under system key [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto\shell\open\command], find or create a new String value named (Default). Set it to launch the mail application of your choice.
That simple.