Problem with clickin on email links

I've serched this site, and googled it, and have found other people with this same problem. The difference is that the remedy they offered worked for the other people, but did not work for me.

When I click on an email link, I get an error message that says something similar to this: [SIZE= "2"] "Could not perform this opperation because the defalt mail client is not propperly installed "[/SIZE] I've read some resolutions that people have written which instructed me to change the registry dealing with outlook express, but it wouldn't let me chane the registry because I did not have permission. Then I read instructions how to change permission settings, I followed these intructions how to do this, and no matter what I do (And this is my comp) I still can't get permission to edit the registry. Then I read this post where this guy said to try this

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Try this with Internet Explorer and Outlook Express closed.

Click Start > Run > type in the following. Including quotation marks. Or copy/paste.

"C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\msimn.exe" /reg

You may have to check the path, but that is most common.

Click OK. When the registration completes, reboot.

Go back and set your e-mail defaults in both Internet Explorer and Outlook Express.
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Kevin

So I'm pretty lost as what to do. Any help would be appreciated

thanx
Steve

 

I must add this: I just installed windows live mail and set it as default in internet explorer thinking that may fix the problem, but no luck there either.

Please help wah wah wah (tearing my hair out lol)

 

Hi again, Steve.

I don't know where you found those instructions so I can't offer any opinions about the accuracy/reliability of the instructions.

Is the C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\msimn.exe file in that location in your computer?


I performed a Microsoft Knowledge Base search for Could not perform this operation because the default mail client is not properly installed and got over 200 hits.

One of those hits in the first page of results deals specifically with Outlook Express.

• Microsoft KB182985: OLEXP: Err Msg: Could Not Perform the Operation Because...
  

Does this look like it applies to your problem or do you get the error for any mailto: link?

It seems strange to me that one would have an email address more than 456 characters long. Makes me a little suspicious about the link you clicked on (but I tend to be a little paranoid about malware and such).

 

Thanx for the response mailman, but no, I have this problem with any mailto link I click on. You know, you get to doing stuff on the comp without ever really running into any problems, so you don't really think about it very hard, so I could very well be forgetting something, but if my memory serves me correctly, the only thing I've altered on my comp with in the last few days, is adding a wireless router to my system, and installed it's software on this desktop, that I'm having the problem with. I don't see how that could have anything to do with the problem though.
I've looked on a few different forums, and found people that posted the identical problem, and in each case some one responded to them with a remedy. Then the original poster responded back with someting to the affect of. Thanx so and so for the help, that worked great. lol, but none of them worked for me.

 

Thanks for your additional details.

Still looking for an answer to the following question.

In Windows Explorer, please navigate to the C:\Program Files\ folder and look for an "Outlook Express" folder. If it exists, then open the Outlook Express folder and see if msimn.exe is located in it.



If I'm reading between the lines of your most recent post correctly, this problem just started within the last few days. If this is the case, then perhaps you can use System Restore to resolve the error issue by restoring your system to a date/time before you started getting the error.

To access System Restore,
click Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore

NOTE: Using System Restore to revert your computer to an earlier state may require you to reinstall any software that was installed since the date/time you restore to.

If you are required to reinstall any software, I suggest installing one application at a time and testing to see if you might be able to determine a conflict.

 

Ok now I found this supposed solution to my problem. I'll explain why this didn't work after I paste this suggested solution I found on microsofts site.

Could not perform this operation because the default mail client is not properly installed.
Back to the top

CAUSE
This issue occurs because of a Microsoft Windows file association issue with the URL:Mailto file type.
Back to the top

RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue, follow these steps:1. On the Start menu, point to All Programs or Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer.
2. In Windows Explorer, edit the file type. To do this, follow these steps, as appropriate for the version of Windows that you are running: • For Microsoft Windows XP or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, follow these steps: a. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options.
b. On the File Types tab, click URL:MailTo Protocol, and then click Advanced.
c. Under Actions, click Open, and then click Edit.
d. If you are running Microsoft Outlook 2002 or Microsoft Office Outlook 2003, type the following text under Application used to perform action:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\OUTLOOK.EXE" -c IPM.Note /m "%1 "
If you are running Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, type the following text under Application used to perform action:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\OUTLOOK.EXE" -c IPM.Note /m "%1"
e. Click OK two times.

• For Microsoft Windows 98, follow these steps: a. On the View menu, click Folder Options.
b. On the File Types tab, click URL:MailTo Protocol, and then click Edit.
c. Under Actions, click Open, and then click Edit.
d. If you are running Outlook 2002 or Outlook 2003, type the following text under Application used to perform action:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\OUTLOOK.EXE" -c IPM.Note /m "%1 "
If you are running Outlook 2007, type the following text under Application used to perform action:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\OUTLOOK.EXE" -c IPM.Note /m "%1"
e. Click OK two times.


3. In Internet Explorer, verify the e-mail program. To do this, follow these steps: a. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
b. On the Programs tab, change the default mail program to Outlook Express in the E-mail box, and then click Apply.
c. In the E-mail box, change the default mail program back to Outlook, and then click Apply.
d. Close the Internet Options dialog box.
e. Click Start, click Run, type mailto:, and then click OK.


when I try this I run in to this problem: URL:MailTo Protocol is not in the list, so I can't continue after this point.

Oh I'm sorry, yes that file is in that location.

 

Ok mailman, I also followed all the instructions in this link from the microsoft websit, but my problem still remains.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306098/en-us?spid=2578&sid=global

 

OK Thanks. I think that rules out the "fix" you posted in your first post anyway since you said you already tried it.

Looks like you did some good research. However, I'm not sure how you should proceed so I guess we'll have to wait for someone else to jump into the discussion.


BTW, did you try System Restore?

 

Ok thanx to everyone for all the help.

Since the time I last posted here, I have done alot more research, and never did find a step by step procedure to manually fix this problem. I did end up taking care of it though. As I was googling this problem and reading through forum after forum, I read a post from some lady that responded to another guy's post with the same problem. She said that she had the same problem and downloaded a program called "defaultmail "
and provided a link. I downloaded the program in about .5 seconds, started it in about .2 seconds, and it showed a short list of possible mail clients to use. I then clicked on outlook express, and in about .000001 seconds it said "finished" and the problem was filxed, my problem is no longer Although I'm extremley happy this problem is resolved, it still kind of irritates me to think I spent countless hours reading many different resolutions, researching many different forums, and trying many diffent procedures to fix the problem, only to have the problem still remain after I was finished, and then to have this small simple program fix it in a fraction of a second lol. But anyway the problem is now fixed, and I would suggest this program to anyone else who has this problem.

Thanx again for the help.

 

Thanks for your follow-up, Steve!

I expect you downloaded "DefaultMail" from the following link.

• MVPS.org (Ramesh's Site): [DefaultMail] Set the default email client on a per-user basis:
  

Thanks again for your helpful follow-up!