Make Thunderbird Portable default email program on Windows 7 ???

Basically, what you ask is impossible by design: because no data is written in the registry, it is impossible for Windows to register that you have Thunderbird Portable and to use it. However, there are two workarounds :

1. Install Thunderbird "non-portable" on your computers and set it as your default program. That way, e-mail links in other programs (Firefox Portable or non-portable, Word, PDF...) will be made toward Thunderbird rather than Outlook.
And here is the catch: if Thunderbird Portable is already open when you click on a link, your computer won't try to open the non-portable version but will rather send the e-mail link to Thunderbird Portable. That's basically the way I work.

2. I think there is a beta version of a program that does software association. Maybe someone could point you to it.

I suppose you're using dropbox because you want to keep your thunderbird in sync in different computers... my suggestion is...

Install Thunderbird, the regular way... set you profile (run thunderbird -profilemanager) inside your Dropbox folder, now you are syncronizing your profile only not the entire thunderbird.

Regards.-

Hi,
send to mail recipient (context menu option) works for me and starts the portable thunderbird as well as opening a mail window within thunderbird with the file added as attachment. Mailo links only work with Thunderbird already started.
1. I installed Thunderbird NON Portable 3.1.9
2. changed registry entrys HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Thunderbird.Url.mailto + HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto from Thunderbird.exe to ThunderbirdPortable.exe (maybe more entries changed during my tests:-))
3. changed dll paths of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{6EDCD38E-8861-11D5-A3DD-00B0D0F3BAA7}\InProcServer32 to ...\ThunderbirdPortable\App\Thunderbird\MapiProxy_InUse.dll
4. changed HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{29F458BE-8866-11D5-A3DD-00B0D0F3BAA7}\LocalServer32 to ".../ThunderbirdPortable\ThunderbirdPortable.exe" /MAPIStartup
5. copied the MapiProxy_InUse.dll from the non portable version to \ThunderbirdPortable\App\Thunderbird.

Good luck
Armin

My interest was in making Thunderbird Portable the default email program when running Firefox Portable ie when clicking mailto: links.
That was easy! Tools > Options > Applications > mailto > Use other... > Browse...

The answer is much simpler than what other have posted here.

All you have to do is just click on Tools > Options then the Advanced Tab

Under the "System Integration" section there is a checkbox for setting Thunderbird as your default email client. To the right of that is a button labeled "Check Now". Click that button and a window will popup asking you what you want to set Thunderbird as default program for. Click the "email" checkbox and then the "Set as Default" button at the bottom of the window.

Your portable Thunderbird will now be the default mail program. Note that the drive letter you are currently using Thunderbird on will also be saved so you want to use a permanent drive letter for your Thunderbird drive.

" RE: Make Thunderbird Portable default email program on Windows 7

The answer is much simpler than what other have posted here.

All you have to do is just click on Tools > Options then the Advanced Tab

Under the "System Integration" section there is a checkbox for setting Thunderbird as your default email client. To the right of that is a button labeled "Check Now". Click that button and a window will popup asking you what you want to set Thunderbird as default program for. Click the "email" checkbox and then the "Set as Default" button at the bottom of the window.

Your portable Thunderbird will now be the default mail program. Note that the drive letter you are currently using Thunderbird on will also be saved so you want to use a permanent drive letter for your Thunderbird drive."

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Thanks for posting, just what I needed.
I know this is an older thread, but a good one I found when googling the issue.

I have 3 installs of TB portable on my local/os HD, one for private emails, one for work, one for public old email addresses.
And Windows wants to keep using Outlook, and via the normal windows management, no way to get the TB portable as the default for mailto.

once this is done as noted above, doesn't matter which TB portable I'm in, the mailto no opens a fresh email from that opened TB portable.
Never thought to try those options for some reason.... thanks for posting.

"Under the "System Integration" section there is a checkbox for setting Thunderbird as your default email client. To the right of that is a button labeled "Check Now". Click that button and a window will popup asking you what you want to set Thunderbird as default program for. Click the "email" checkbox and then the "Set as Default" button at the bottom of the window."

I tried that but still nothing. It doesn't accept the check box entry. Whehn I go back the email entry is still unchecked.
Under Win 7 'Set Associations', the 'MailTo' entry shows 'Thunderbird URL as the description, but the 'Current Default' entry is still blank. The pop-up box is empty also.

https://k2s.cc/file/dae7c52ed9962/Set_Associations%20TB.png
https://k2s.cc/file/29b0a2148155d/Tools-Options-Advanced-General-Sys_Int...

You have to look here: https://portableapps.com/node/61944