Use GMail For Default Email Program in XP, Vista, or OS X

Contributed by MickeyMouse  
Tagged: Internet  

• Tweet

Browse to next tech-recipes article

Web-based email clients can be a little painful because they are not closely integrated into the OS. Google has made it easy to integrate gmail into windows and apple systems.

XP/Vista:

First, install the Windows gmail notifier

The later installations of the notifier actually allow the user to setup gmail as the default email client from the installation. Just click the Use for outgoing email box.

If you already have gmail notifier installed, you can right click on the notifier icon in the system tray, select Options, and check Use Gmail for internet mailto: links.

Registry hacks to avoid using the gmail notifier are available as well.

OS X:

For OSX, the user should also install the gmail notifier.

1. Click the Mail icon on the Menu bar
2. Go to Preferences
3. Select Settings
4. Select Gmail in the Default Email Program dropbox

You may also like -

IE: Page by E-Mail / Link by E-Mail DisabledOS X - Triple booting XP, Vista, and OSX86 (vista bootloader and chain0 method)Essential iPhone and iPad TutorialsBackup Gmail Offline to Mac Mail or Windows OutlookGmail: View PDF Files Without Additional SoftwareiPhone: How to Bulk Delete EmailsLeopard Mail: Data DetectorsAutomatically Forward Important Emails to SMS

 

12 Comments -

1. Derek said on December 31, 2008

   The notifier will not work as the default mail program in Vista

2. AurariaMJ said on January 30, 2009

   Thanks for this. It made life a lot easier for me. I hated that every time I clicked an email link, my machine would open up Apple Mail, and I would then have to copy and paste the email address into Gmail.

3. Poland Joe said on February 24, 2009

   Sorry, this does not make it happen. Still cant make GMAIL the default…Outlook seems locked in. VISTA

4. GErry said on July 6, 2009

   This doesn’t work. Itopens my gmail but I still have to copy and paste the email address over to my gmail email window.

5. tim said on July 23, 2009

   regedit:

   HKCR/mailto/shell/open/command

   change value to:

   “%ProgramFiles%Internet Exploreriexplore.exe” javascript:window.open(‘https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&source=mailto&fs=1&%1′)

   almost!. except I cant figure out how to get the to and subject values set inside the gmail compose page…grrrr

6. Kyla said on August 3, 2009

   THANK YOU! :D …yet someone said it wasn’t possible to set gmail as default in vista…

7. JH said on August 6, 2009

   In Windows 7 you can go to Default programs in the start menu and configure Google Pack as the default program for email. Really easy. Notifier is not required.

8. Anonymous said on December 30, 2009

   Or you can just use the free GmailByDefault utility at http://www.zedlan.com.

9. GuestPhill said on July 26, 2010

   Junk…I’ve tried it on several computers. Cannot make gmail default.

10. GuestPhill said on July 26, 2010

    I take it back. It works great finally….

11. Piet Sap Strydom said on June 9, 2011

    Only for XP

12. Piet Sap Strydom said on June 9, 2011

    Only for XP

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL

Leave a comment -