Windows Mail for Windows 7

[asuh]

Windows Mail (otherwise known as Outlook Express 7.0) works just fine for what I need, however, I don't have a copy of it on Windows 7, obviously.

I don't know where to get the files for x64 Vista's Windows Mail folder in Program Files. I know this method works b/c it was successfully installed on my computer for a while but suddenly stopped working. Now I can't find the files I need!

 

[Dahak]

Windows 7 does not come with any email program. it has links to go download the Windows Live Essentials which has windows live mail.

but if you want windows mail and have access to windows vista the instruction are here

For x64 Vista the files should be in the Program Files (x86) folder


*edit* ... got to wake up, need more coffee, didn't fully read the whole thing. I'll leave it as is for other people in case they search

 

[corkyg]

I'm with you. WinMail is all I need, and WLM gives MS too many hooks into my system. Here's how I did it.

What happends with an upgrade from Vista, is that all the proper files get copied into C:\Program Files\Windows Mail, but are emasculated to as to be non-functional in Windows 7. The fix was really easy, and it works perfectly. So, here's the drill.

It is easy to find the Windows Mail folder and the files therein, but Windows 7 has placed a denial of access on them That fix is easy - I just right click on the Windows Mail folder and run TAKE OWNERSHIP. That opens it to me. Oh yeah - you have to download and install the T.O. utility. I've had that for a couple of years now - very useful in Vista and Windows 7.

Once that is done, I created a copy of the Wndows Mail folder in my external data drive \Backup folder. That makes the folder in Windows 7 now empty!!! Yea!

Next step - go to a good Vista system, and I went to my T60, because Windows Mail is all up to date there. I copied all those files to a thumb drive and ported them over to Windows 7 in the Windows Mail folder. Now you start to see the logic. These are all active and not castrated by Windows 7!

In a Vista system, WindowsMail is located in C:\Program Filess\Windows Mail

I created a shortcut from Windows Mail.exe and put it on the desktop. Voila! It works beautifully, and since I had already designated Eudora Pro as my default email handler, it did not bat an eye.

Of course, this was all done after a direct upgrade from Vista to Win 7. It worked, and WinMail lives!

 

[asuh]

I don't have a copy of the x64 files from Vista. If only I could find them, I would replace the Windows 7 files that are still lingering there. The link to the zip file in the Dahak's post doesn't work, either.

 

[corkyg]

That link to download Windows Mail files works for me. Try this:

WM

I downloaded the zip file - 4.99 MB. You have to select the free download, and then wait. Watch the timer. When it runs out, you can download and save the file.

 

[asuh]

Corkyg, those files are backed up from an x86 version of Windows Mail. If you use them on Win7 x64, it won't work correctly.

 

[corkyg]

I don't think so. Windows Mail is the same AKAIK. Just 'cause the OS is 64bit doesn't mean all the apps have to be. Try it and see. It can't hurt anything.

 

[asuh]

I did! I successfully replaced all the files in the directory, merged the registry files. When I try to start Windows Mail, the executable starts duplicating itself infinitely, which then causes my RAM and system resources to max out and my computer just about crashes. I look at the Processes tab in Task Manager and there are literally hundreds to thousands of Windows Mail processes running.

I assumed this was because of the incompatibility.

 

[techs]

I posted a thread on how to do this. It works fine.
I will try and find the thread.

 

[techs]

Ok, here is the thread I posted on how to do this:
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2332784&enterthread=y

Originally posted by: techs
How to install Windows Mail on Windows 7 and make it the default mail handler:

First download and install TakeOwnerShip from the bottom of this page.
TakeOwnership
Then in Windows 7 go to Program Files-Windows Mail and right click and choose Take Ownership.

Cut Windows Mail and paste it someplace just in case.

Go to a Windows Vista machine and copy the same folder Program Files-Windows Mail and put it in the Windows 7 Program files. (maybe someone has a link to download these files off the web?)

Now the WinMail.exe file will work in Windows 7. However, it will not be the default mail handler and will continue to prompt you to make it the default, but it won?t stay.

So then do this:
Download ?unzip and install registry file from here:
WindowsMail zip

Then download and install registry file from here:
Windows Mail zip2

After this you will see Windows Mail under Default Programs under both the Set Your Default Programs and Set Program Access and Computer Defaults as well as appearing under the file type options in Associate a file type.
BTW as near as I can tell the anti-spam filter no longer works, but I am not absolutely sure. Have to wait til I get some spam...

Note that if you have already installed another add in email program like Thunderbird, than you don't have to do the steps mentioned to make Windows Mail the default handler. Once you have installed another email program than Windows Mail suddenly becomes visible as a choice for your default mail handler.

 

[corkyg]

Thanks, Techs! It was your original message that I followed. Since I had already installed Eudora Pro as defasult, and Thunderbird as secondary, Windows Mail had no problems. I got rid of T-Bird and made WinMail secodnary.

As for 64 bit - it should not cause the multiple iterations. That wooujld suggest to me aloop somehow got into the WinMail files. Very few software packages have different versikons for X86 and 64bit. AFAIK, WinMail is not one of them.

 

[asuh]

Those are great instructions, but they only apply to the 32bit versions of Windows 7. Do you need to overwrite the Windows Mail files in both Program Files directories? Because there is a Windows Mail folder in both the x64 and x86 Program Files directories in 64 bit Windows 7 versions. It also doesn't say which version of WinMail.exe should be run, from either directory.

I don't know why there was a loop but I will have to try everything all over again and see if I result in success.

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: asuh
Those are great instructions, but they only apply to the 32bit versions of Windows 7. Do you need to overwrite the Windows Mail files in both Program Files directories? Because there is a Windows Mail folder in both the x64 and x86 Program Files directories in 64 bit Windows 7 versions. It also doesn't say which version of WinMail.exe should be run, from either directory.

I don't know why there was a loop but I will have to try everything all over again and see if I result in success.

I don't know.

I would just guess that you should first try and do it in the 32 bit folder, as that is what the directions are for. Rinning it in 32 bit mode certainly wouldn't be a drawback, would it?

 

[asuh]

Originally posted by: techs
I don't know.

I would just guess that you should first try and do it in the 32 bit folder, as that is what the directions are for. Rinning it in 32 bit mode certainly wouldn't be a drawback, would it?

I followed the instructions to the T and it still gave me problems! When I try to run WinMail.exe from the Program Files x86 directory, it does as it did the previous times. It starts infinitely opens WinMail.exe *32 for at least 3-5 minutes. Then, after a climax of between 4000-5000 WinMail.exe *32 processes, it retreats and slowly starts shutting down all the processes.

I tried to quit the process tree but then a small window pops up and say that it's an invalid process to quit.

After a normal reboot (and after waiting for several minutes for my processes to go back down to normal and all the WinMail.exe processes to shut off), I tried it again and the same thing happens.

I also get the same exact reaction from the 64bit WinMail.exe file in the regular Windows Mail folder.

I right-clicked on one of the processes and it produced a dump file called WinMail.DMP that's 37MB big!!

This is nuts.

EDIT: I found another copy of Windows 7, copied the Windows Mail directory and completely overwrote both x86 and x64 directories with these other files. So I now do not have any Windows Mail files from Vista. I still get the same problem with both directories trying to execute WinMail.exe. I'm baffled.

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: asuh

Originally posted by: techs
I don't know.

I would just guess that you should first try and do it in the 32 bit folder, as that is what the directions are for. Rinning it in 32 bit mode certainly wouldn't be a drawback, would it?

I followed the instructions to the T and it still gave me problems! When I try to run WinMail.exe from the Program Files x86 directory, it does as it did the previous times. It starts infinitely opens WinMail.exe *32 for at least 3-5 minutes. Then, after a climax of between 4000-5000 WinMail.exe *32 processes, it retreats and slowly starts shutting down all the processes.

I tried to quit the process tree but then a small window pops up and say that it's an invalid process to quit.

After a normal reboot (and after waiting for several minutes for my processes to go back down to normal and all the WinMail.exe processes to shut off), I tried it again and the same thing happens.

I also get the same exact reaction from the 64bit WinMail.exe file in the regular Windows Mail folder.

I right-clicked on one of the processes and it produced a dump file called WinMail.DMP that's 37MB big!!

This is nuts.

EDIT: I found another copy of Windows 7, copied the Windows Mail directory and completely overwrote both x86 and x64 directories with these other files. So I now do not have any Windows Mail files from Vista. I still get the same problem with both directories trying to execute WinMail.exe. I'm baffled.

Try this thread.

http://www.sevenforums.com/bro...-windows-7-mail-2.html

 

[asuh]

techs, that is basically the same information. Can't find anyone else having my problem either. Nothing seems to be working so far!

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: asuh
techs, that is basically the same information. Can't find anyone else having my problem either. Nothing seems to be working so far!

I figured since that's where I got my info, and those guys were pretty good, you could try posting in that thread.

 

[asuh]

For anyone interested, I've continued the conversation over at sevenforums, hoping that someone will respond! I'm feeling like this might be a lost cause already.

http://www.sevenforums.com/bro...-mail-windows-7-a.html

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: asuh
For anyone interested, I've continued the conversation over at sevenforums, hoping that someone will respond! I'm feeling like this might be a lost cause already.

http://www.sevenforums.com/bro...-mail-windows-7-a.html

I looked over there, and I am surprised that people are picking it up as a question of WLM.
I find that forum usually has people who will try and help you with your problem, rather than nef on why you want to do what you want to do.

 

[asuh]

Yeah, I'm quite disappointed in the response, and I've gotten no help from anyone. Sounds like I'm kinda stuck until/unless someone can provide me with copies of the x64 Windows Mail directories.

 

[asuh]

Here's my successful follow up!

I got lucky!

After finally tracking down some Vista x64 Windows Mail folders and files, I installed them over my previous ones and this fixed the problem! I now have Windows Mail again!

So, somehow when I had it running successfully the first time, it got corrupted after a while. So, the solution was to just delete both versions, the x86 and x64 Windows Mail directories, and copy the new versions which came from an x64 Windows install. Then, I ran the x64 WinMail.exe file and it fired up like normal!

 

[M0RPH]

I don't know why you'd go through all that trouble when WLM is almost identical, having all the same features as far as I can tell. Also the Outlook-like default layout (with 2-line message entries) is great for widescreen monitors. You cannot get the 2-line message view in WM.

 

[corkyg]

WLM is AOK if you don't mind being linked to MS. Sometimes freedom is worth the hassle.