how can i set up thunderbird portable as the default email program in xp.
I found an app that will set any browser to default including FFP
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/defaultbrowser.htm
it would be nice to have an APP for setting email programs just the same.
If you know of the program or any other solution can you help me.
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should do that, simply under options, system defaults..
Otherwise check the keys in registry for setting of the mailto and edit the command line there.
No special app is needed for that.
But: is this reasonable?
If this is done, there need to be an entry done to the registry, to at least define the mailto command. Then when you have not the stick , all other progs for mail have to be launched manually.
I think the portable apps are here to remain portable and not make any extra entries to registry etc.
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
I cant set up thunderbird in the usual way, as it is on my usb and not the system of my comp.
test the link out i posted above and see what sort of thing i want to find for email clients.
This is for my home computer to make things easier for me as i use nothing but my portable apps for everything now.
An Old Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
MickeyJ4J
this is not a particular problem. I dont know why there are special apps for it, but inside TB you just state it should be default ?
Otherwise you can edit the mailto key in the registry, then when you call up mail function, the TB from your stick will come up.
I can not understand why you can not setup your TB from your stick? Where is exactly the problem? Do you get any errors or similar?
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
delete the windows links to the defaults from the start menu and put your own shortcuts directly to the portable exes there and then change the mailto key and the key that says what exe to use for all websites in the registry??
changes simply the reg entry for the browser, so for the mail it must be the mailto key, I don't know if there is any other need for calling default mail client. So far I can remember now, it is only when you click on a mailto link for example, the default mail client will be opened and you can start with your mail.
Other question would be, if you want have it temporary only, as done with the util in the link. Not only it sets the new default, but it can delete it at the and as well, which is OK for multiuser PC.
Probably this would need simply record the original setting in registry, place the path for your TB in registry, at the end replace the original. OK, this might be useful somehow.
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
It isn't officially supported because it isn't portable. You´d have to manually adjust the registry for that.
My question is: Why don't you use the local version if you only want to use Thunderbird at home? You can even point the local profile to your drive and have it there. I mean thats what the local version are made for, so why not use them?
"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate
if i do that then i can't have all the downloaded emails on my home system when i go away for work sometimes i fly out for a week or two
can you please provide something that makes sense. portable firefox will not actually ask you to make it default when loaded so how can i do that.
An Old Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
MickeyJ4J
If you need it once in a while as a portable install, you cant use it locally
One thing you could do is have Thunderbird Portable on your drive and point the local profile to your drive.
Portable Firefox doesn't ask you to make it default cause it isnt designed to be default and it would break portability.
"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate
ok like how do i do that.
An Old Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
MickeyJ4J
Do you have Thunderbird Portable installed in the default location (x:/PortableApps/ThunderbirdPortable)?
Inside the folder:
C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\default.???\ you should find an ini file and a folder. could you post its content?
"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate
what is the aim here.
Should the portable installation act as default mail client when used at home and the mails stored on the stick the same way as when the TB is started just from the portable menu?
Or what exactly should happen?
Durinmg the time it is connected to the home PC write the profile to appsdata and when underway to the stick?
If it only should act as default mail client, then either it can be set so from TB or use regedit, then search for mailto and change the path there to your stick. Then when you call up mail, you will get the TB from the stick, when this is not found, probably some kind of error.
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
in TB tools, options, then check if default and tick the box email, then save all.
But again, this all is only to enable mailto links to call up the TB instead of outlook or similar.
If you point the registry key 'mailto' to your launcher on stick, ok it will use the portable version, but not the local one if this exist as well.
I am so far no sure if you can simply copy the local profile folder to the stick, or at least the mailbox data before leaving home, try, it might work this way as 'synching' mails to the stick.
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
you can just copy the local profile to the stick. Check the Thunderbird Portable support page for further instructions.
"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate
"If you point the registry key 'mailto' to your launcher on stick, ok it will use the portable version, but not the local one if this exist as well."
I don't have a local version at all.
How do I point the mailto key to my portable exe?
Did you read the whole post?
The portable version can´t act as the default client unless you´re willing to modify the registry, something I never tried and am reluctant to do. Thats why I look for other possibilities.
If set is as default the way you described, it will leave stuff behind on the PC and things will get messy
One other possibility I had was to install Thunderbird locally in addition to the one on my USB drive but tell the local version to look for the profile folder on the drive. That way you can have the local version set as default. The only thing you´d have to do is make sure the usb stick is plugged in before you launch Thunderbird.
"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate
to me. What should be local and what not.
If you take the portable TB, you can set it as default sure, but clearly this is a registry entry which will not be corrected after you remove the stick. But having it as default must do it via registry in any case.
The software introduced above for the portable browsers is doing exactly this. Only it does keep the original settings and writes them back when all is correctly shut down.
But this is for the browsers. Mail is other thing. What purpose has the setting 'default mail client'? I am not sure abt that, but the only one I know is to call up the mail client on a mailto tag. So far I could not remember other things where default mail client is needed. If there is an other need, pls let me know so I can better understand what this is all about.
Furthermore I can not understand why you mean it is not possible to make the TB portable default. Just tick the default box in TB and it is done. Where is the problem?
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
mail client -> >This is for my home computer to make things easier for me as i use nothing but my portable apps for everything now.
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
I always thought it was like this but I never checked it:
Yes you can just set Thunderbird Portable as default by checking the box but that will set thunderbird.exe as default and not ThunderbirdPortable.exe so you are then NOT using the launcher and all settings are stored on your hard drive and NOT on your USB drive. Thus it isn't portable and you can very well use the local version...
Do whatever you want. It isnt officially supported but it probably doesn't matter if you only use it on your own PC.
"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate
"One other possibility I had was to install Thunderbird locally in addition to the one on my USB drive but tell the local version to look for the profile folder on the drive. That way you can have the local version set as default. The only thing you´d have to do is make sure the usb stick is plugged in before you launch Thunderbird."
Stuff did get messy with me. If I install another local version and tell it to look for the profile in my portable folder, will it still save all my emails, bookmarks, add-ons and so in the local version's folders (C/Documents and Settings...) or in the portable version's folders?
What information does the profile hold and how do I tell the local version to look for the profile in the portable folder?
Do the local FF/TB and the portable FF/TB have to be the same version (like 3.0.7)?
If you use the local versions you have to manually find all the important stuff somewhere hidden under docs and settings folder and back them up constantly and when you have a complete meltdown (virus etc.) you will have to very laboriously copy them all back into your newly installed local versions. If you just use the portable versions you have it all there in one folder, your personal settings, account settings, emails, bookmarks and so on, all ready to use always.
@ Mickeyj4j
"If you know of the program or any other solution can you help me."
I've checked the site you provided the link to, and there, found a utility you are looking for:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/defaultmail.htm
Have you just missed that?
Thunderbird and Firefox Portable as the default mail and Internet clients on Windows XP (not on a USB stick)?
The reason for that would be that when I have my next laptop crash and have to install a new version of Windows, I can then just move the back-ups of my portable folders to the new windows and they will just work straight away, no copying mail or bookmarks etc.
I mean for me the question really is, why isn't everyone using TB and FF Portable as their local versions, much more convenient no?
I have posted here http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=1156955
and here https://portableapps.com/node/18663 about my problem.
EDIT: Look at arizona480's post from March 21, 2009 - 7:24am on this thread here
https://portableapps.com/node/11309 and you have your solution!
I have herd of people installing Portable TB and FF on there laptops to save space, this space a good idea. After installing to set as default
For FF use Default Browser
http://defaultbrowser.en.softonic.com/
For TB use Default Mail
http://defaultbrowser.en.softonic.com/
This also works if you want to leave them on your flash drive. (you will need to plug your flash drive in before you boot comp for this option to work).
An Old Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
MickeyJ4J