Setting the default email client on a computer is done via your computer 'Control Panel' > 'Default Programs'.

Toad-Hall said

Setting the default email client on a computer is done via your computer 'Control Panel' > 'Default Programs'.

Thanks! But my question was how to "remove" all it's defaults (see the red circle in the attached)? Unsetting the default, if I may say?

By setting an alternative email client as the default.

Zenos said

By setting an alternative email client as the default.

LOL, true, but that's going to leave me with the same question, but this time it will be with email client #2.

I currently have no other and don't want another, ever.

So if it's the only email client, it's the default, yes?

If you're asking, I'm not sure. Surely a PC can function as intended without one defined. Do I have to uninstall Thunderbird to remove it as the default?

The default anything program is a feature of the operating system. If the forum is to be believed, that is windows 7 in your case. I just took a look in my defaults for windows and it does not offer a "Nothing" or "blank" option.

There is a Windows defaults, but that just sets the defaults to outlook and windows live mail. SO I think that no Windows can not cope with no default, but your best bet is ask Microsoft as it is their software.

WHat is the issue your actually trying to address, questions of this nature usually stem from a problem unrelated to the question

Are you, in essence, saying I can't uninstall Thunderbird due to features of Windows 7?

I selected Thunderbird as the default, I should be able to deselect it.

Don't get me wrong, I love Thunderbird.

Don't get me wrong either. Windows offers no interface. I am sure there is some registry hack that could be used, but it would serve no purpose I can see to set it to nothing.

This article looks at the registry entries. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3940358/how-and-where-exactly-does-the-default-email-client-gets-set-in-the-registry

I assume deleting HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Clients\Mail will remove it, but it truly is a windows issue

Happy New Year!

Well, I'd rather not revert to registry hacking to accomplish this. Thanks for all the help.

I think we're still puzzling over what it is you want to accomplish. The one and only installed email client is by definition your default email client. What's to be achieved by it not being so?

Under what circumstances would Thunderbird responding to a click on a mailto: link be unwelcome? I can't think right now of any other action that's relevant to there being a nominated default email handler.

Well, I installed Thunderbird about 10 years ago but mainly to provide a means to maintain a backup of Gmail, I already had Firefox handle mailto links directly with gmail deeming the actual use of TB unnecessary. I ended up not taking advantage of offline use either.

What drew me to this inquiry was the unexpected, but duly, action from clicking Send Snip while using the windows Snipping tool, it opened Thunderbird, a program I hadn't seen for what seems like a couple years now, especially with the heavy use of smartphones too.

Thanks again.

I think your options are to try the registry hack (but we don't know if or how it will work when the preference is removed) or to see if your browser can be made to be the default email app. I'm not sure how that works, since it needs to know a webpage too. Maybe you can add that in as a command line argument when setting the default mail app. Sheesh, it has to work something like that simply for all those out there who only ever use gmail via the Chrome browser.

After that, the concern may be that if Thunderbird can't see a legitimate email app to compete with, it will assert itself, and if so, it would be very disappointing if we can't get Thunderbird to stop checking if it is the default app. And this takes us back to the mysterious checkbox that won't stay clear.

You could uninstall Thunderbird just to see what happens in the absence of an email client (though I'd be surprised if Windows Live Mail or similar wasn't waiting in the wings for its moment of glory) - maybe then the Windows Default Application setting would invite a browser-based email handler.

Note that uninstalling Thunderbird leaves its profile intact, so if you need or want to reinstall Thunderbird, the current profile should be picked up and used automatically.

I use a smartphone, and a tablet and I still use Thunderbird when I can. I also use the general email app on my tablet and phone, not the built-in gmail app. Why? Because:

a) I hate and detest the gmail UI in a web browser b) gmail let you log in to only one account at a time, so it's tedious to service multiple gmail accounts. Even on the gmail app in the android tablet, it maintains separation between my accounts so each has to be worked with independently. c) an email client provides a single unified consistent interface to all of my email accounts, allowing me to work with all of them in one place. Using webmail would require multiple windows/tabs and a unique UX in each site visited, and no easy way to move messages from one account to another. Looking at outlook.com, gmail, yahoo, bt.com, my own ISP and my own webhost, each of these six has a unique and idiosyncratic webmail interface. It would be crazy to have to learn and memorize the six different ways of doing any simple mail-related action.

Yeah, I hear you, I feel the same way, why bother with new beasts when the trained one is doing great.

Well, with that registry key undefined, the OS simply says there's no email program associated to the action. Tried a couple strings in there, it appears to entail more than I'm willing to bother with. Perhaps Win 8 is a bit more friendly.

Thanks for the help.

If I understand thing, there is a gmail notifier application that when installed makes itself the default email application and handles the pass off to the browser.

Unfortunately, it only comes into play from within the browser.

It's alright guys, not a big deal, I can copy/paste from the snipping tool into email, good enough.

Personally I would use Thunderbird and let it send via your gmail SMTP server. Gmail will automatically add the outgoing mail to your sent folder there and if you set Thunderbird not to keep a copy then there will be nothing stored on your computer. Best of both worlds really. You can even delete any POP or IMAP accounts. All that is needed is the SMTP server entry in account settings.

Thanks! You guys are the best. Life is good.