Cannot configure the default email client using Group Policy

  • Article
  • 4 minutes to read
  • Applies to:
    Microsoft Outlook

Note

Office 365 ProPlus is beingness renamed to Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. For more information about this change, read this web log mail service.

Symptoms

When you lot use Group Policy to administer the default email customer, yous cannot locate a setting to make this configuration.

Cause

The default Group Policy templates for Microsoft Outlook do not include a setting to configure the default email client.

Resolution

Annotation

Follow the steps in this department carefully. Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Earlier y'all modify it, back up the registry for restoration in instance issues occur.

To set the default email client, follow the instructions for your version of Windows.

Windows 10 and Windows 8

Both Windows 10 and Windows viii protect the part of the registry that stores the default application settings. You must use an XML-based policy in Group Policy to define the gear up of default apps. Follow these steps to create the policy and deploy it.

Step 1. Create an app associations XML file

  1. In Windows, type Default apps (or open Default apps in Settings).

  2. Select Cull default apps by protocol.

  3. Scroll to locate MAILTO in the list, and so set Outlook equally the default app.

    Screenshot shows steps to set Outlook as the default app.

  4. After the default is prepare, employ DISM to consign these values to XML.

    Annotation

    Make a note of the file name and location of the file that you create.

  5. At an elevated command prompt, blazon the following command.

                      Dism /Online /Consign-DefaultAppAssociations:"F:\AppAssociations.xml"

    Notation

    • The XML file will exist based on the defaults that are set for the user business relationship that is used to run DISM.
    • To verify that Outlook is set as the default app for opening MailTo links, expect for a line that is returned in the XML that resembles the post-obit:
                      <Association Identifier="mailto" ProgId="Outlook.URL.mailto.15" ApplicationName="Outlook 2016" />

Step 2. Deploy your app associations XML file through GPO

  1. In Windows, type gpedit.msc to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

  2. Open Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer.

  3. Double-click the Prepare a default associations configuration file policy, and fix information technology to Enabled.

  4. Specify the path to the app associations XML file that you created earlier.

    Notation

    This tin can be a local path or a network location that all clients can access.

This policy should create the following cardinal in the registry:

Subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System

String value: DefaultAssociationsConfiguration

Value information: \ServerPath\AppAssociations.xml

Note

This policy works but for domain-joined clients.

After this policy is set up, the default application associations volition exist applied after the user signs in again. MailTo links volition at present open up an Outlook email message.

Windows seven

To configure the default e-mail customer by using Grouping Policy, create a custom .adm template. Then, add together this template to the Local Grouping Policy Editor so that you can configure the policy setting. To exercise this, follow these steps:

  1. Create a text file in Notepad.

  2. Copy and paste the following text into the text file:

                      Grade MACHINE CATEGORY !!Default_E-mail_Client  POLICY !!Default_Client  KEYNAME "SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail service"  EXPLAIN !!Explain_Default_Client   PART !!labeltext_Default_Client EDITTEXT    VALUENAME ""  DEFAULT "Microsoft Outlook"    END Function   END POLICY END CATEGORY  [strings] Default_E-mail_Client="Default email client policy" Default_Client="Default e-mail client" Explain_Default_Client="This policy configures Outlook as the default electronic mail customer" labeltext_Default_Client="Default E-mail Client:" Microsoft_Outlook="Microsoft Outlook"

  3. Save the file as DefaultEmailClient.adm.

  4. Close the file.

  5. Add the file to the Local Group Policy Editor.

    Note The steps to add the DefaultEmailClient.adm file in the Local Group Policy Editor vary. For more than information, consult your Windows documentation.

  6. Under Computer Configuration, expand Administrative Templates.

  7. In the policy tree, select the Default email customer policy node.

  8. In the details pane, double-click the Default east-post customer setting.

    Note If you do not see the Default due east-mail client policy setting in the details pane of the Local Group Policy Editor, make sure your Group Policy editor filtering settings are not hiding unmanaged policies. For example, in Windows Server 2003, select Filtering on the View card. And so, clear the Only show policy settings that can exist fully managed check box.

  9. Select Enabled.

  10. Specify the default email client to be configured past this policy. (The default pick is Microsoft Outlook.)

    Notation If you are unsure almost which email clients are registered on a workstation, examine the keys under the following subkey in the registry.

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail

    The proper name of each central is the name of an installed email client on the workstation.

  11. Select OK.

More information

  • In Windows 10 and Windows viii, users can manually gear up this pick in Windows Settings > Choose a default app for each protocol.
  • In Windows 7, the default email client is typically configured on the Programs tab in the Cyberspace Backdrop dialog box. Withal, if y'all are not a fellow member of the local administrators group, you lot may not have the advisable permission to brand this change. This is because the setting is stored in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE subtree in the registry.