Hello, I'm having quite a time trying to find a post for this, it seems like a pretty complicated combination of default-stealing programs. Any ideas would surely be appreciated!!    -Thanks


I have the latest versions of everything...
MSN Messenger, Messenger Plus, Outlook 03, MSN (explorer), and IE of course.

MSN Messenger's email links always opens the MSN software. MSN is by no means the default in the interestingly missing program options in the defaults panel.

Any ideas on how to get Outlook 2003 to be the default news reader in MSN Messenger with the MSN explorer software installed?


-Tim

Stuffplug can be used to open links in the default browser



http://www.stuffplug.com

And to reset Outlook to be default, just open it and it should ask. If it doesn't, then it'll be somewhere in the Options (I don't use it so I don't know for sure). If another program attempts to override this, tell it not to

Outlook is the default EMAIL reader (not news like mentioned earlier) and everything else is set to off.

I have found StuffPlugin and it works great! But all links just use Internet Explorer to browse...that's great. But all the EMAIL buttons in the actual Messenger GUI... it will always load up MSN software if it is installed... If MSN is uninstalled, the Email buttons will load up in Internet Explorer.   

Does ANYBODY use Outlook with MSN Messenger?

I do, but I just use it to read my mails, and if you click on the mail button IE opens and if you click the Plus icon and then the mail account the progam you said as mail client for that account opens. In my case Outlook Express

By a process of elimination, I have discovered that this is actually against the rules. Just for the record, if you have MSN (explorer) installed, the main MSN Messenger GUI's Email indicators will always open MSN explorer no matter what you set as E-mail default. This does not apply to the MSN Today interface, which just uses hotmail.com in a customized IE window.

"Way to go Microsoft, but I'm on to your little schemes."

Is there a way to officially report this to Microsoft? Anybody else who has the same configuration and would like to concur would be most appreciated and interesting.

Coincidently MSN Messenger uses Internet Explorer settings.

If you change your Mail/News reader program in Internet Explorer MSN Messenger will follow suit.



Also this isn't related to MSN Messenger or Messenger Plus! so it technically should be in Tech Talk not MsgPlus! Help and Support.

Matty,

The method you described works if you do not have MSN 9 installed. But in the case that MSN 9 (Premium in my case w/Outlook Connector) is installed, there is no way to get the Email button to open up Outlook 2003. Unless someone else can prove me wrong...

Also, notice the weird behavior of the Email icon after you uninstall MSN 9 software. It opens up an IE page "...Local Settings\Temp\spng_redir.html" with an SP2 blocked content toolbar with a webpage displaying only the following:

You will now be redirected to the site you desired. If this is not the case please click [HERE].

Allowed block content and HERE button go to msn.com.


UGH! I thought I understood Windows inside out...

That's because you enabled the stuffplug function to open your mailbox and stuff in you default browser, because IE is your default it opens that website on your hdd, that redirects you to the desired website.

I was directed towards the StuffPlugin for resolve of the issue. But my point being, StuffPlug does not correct the issue. I am convinced Microsoft's MSN software is designed to control functionality of MSN Messenger's Email links if both are installed simultaneously.

Thanks for the help friends.

I thought patchou removed the feature to let that E-mail button open outlook and that's why he added the plus icon with the different mail adresses.

Edit: Stuffplug opens Firefox with me if I press that button, and stuffplug redirects me, so I was right, patchou removed the feature because of some incompatibility issues and added that icon. If you press that icon you see a list of mail adresses you set, and if you press that one it will open outlook (but only if you set outlook to open that address when you added it in the plus preferences.)

Oh okay Ezra, I see now. But I'm referring to the email icon on the left of the gui (immediately right of buddy icon, assuming default theme) as being tied to MSN9. I appreciate Patchou's fix, but maybe if he could tie his email feature to his notification feature, that'd be nice so that I could turn MSN Messenger's off!