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Make Portable Thunderbird You Default Mail Client

I constantly recommend portable apps to clients as they are the easiest to backup compared to outlook and other programs.

The only problem is that they struggle to work as a default mail client as they are portable. Here is a hack which solves this problem and makes everything work nice and smoothly.

Copy and paste the code below into a .reg file, then edit the path to match your TBP installation.

Works on Win XP SP3, Vista, Windows 7

=== start .reg code ===

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; Changes to make TB Portable the default e-mail client
; Make your TB Portable the default mail client: Tools > Options. Don’t skip this step.
; Edit YOUR ThunderbirdPortable.exe path below. MINE is E:\\Program Files\\ThunderbirdPortable\\ThunderbirdPortable.exe
; Run this patch and you are done.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla Thunderbird\shell\open\command]
@="\"E:\\Program Files\\ThunderbirdPortable\\ThunderbirdPortable.exe\" -mail"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla Thunderbird\shell\properties]
@="Thunderbird &Options"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla Thunderbird\shell\properties\command]
@="\"E:\\Program Files\\ThunderbirdPortable\\ThunderbirdPortable.exe\" -options"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\mailto\DefaultIcon]
@="E:\\Program Files\\ThunderbirdPortable\\App\\thunderbird\\thunderbird.exe,0"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\mailto\shell\open\command]
@="\"E:\\Program Files\\ThunderbirdPortable\\ThunderbirdPortable.exe\" \"%1\""

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail]
@="Mozilla Thunderbird"

; This fixes MAPI

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{29F458BE-8866-11D5-A3DD-00B0D0F3BAA7}\LocalServer32]
@="E:\\Program Files\\ThunderbirdPortable\\ThunderbirdPortable.exe /MAPIStartUp"

=== end .reg code ===

  • I just gave this a shot. Everything works great, except the MAPI section. This appears to not work properly. If when I execute an email function in my application that, it can’t find a MAPI compliant email program. If I install standard TB it works just fine. There must be another registry key around for MAPI. Have any ideas?

    excal97

    July 2, 2009

  • not sure mate.. mayb try asking on the portable apps forum..

    Ardorpes

    July 6, 2009

  • – It says – it’s not a reg file… (Vista SP1)

    Andy

    August 28, 2009

  • is your default program for that extension windows registry? You have to open the .reg file with windows registry or it wont work..

    Ardorpes

    August 28, 2009

  • doesn’t work with the send to menu in windows 7.

    only way i found was to install TB, set as default and tell it to use my portable TB profile.

    this works well for both thunderbird and FF

    ravi

    February 18, 2010

  • it doesn’t work for me. but i changed it and now it’s ok:
    ——————————————————————
    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail]
    @=”Mozilla Thunderbird”

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla Thunderbird]
    “DLLPath”=”F:\\poczta\\App\\thunderbird\\mozMapi32_InUse.dll”
    @=”Mozilla Thunderbird”

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla Thunderbird\DefaultIcon]
    @=”F:\\poczta\\App\\thunderbird\\thunderbird.exe,0″

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla Thunderbird\InstallInfo]
    “HideIconsCommand”=”\”F:\\poczta\\App\\thunderbird\\uninstall\\helper.exe\” /HideShortcuts”
    “ReinstallCommand”=”\”F:\\poczta\\App\\thunderbird\\uninstall\\helper.exe\” /SetAsDefaultAppGlobal”
    “ShowIconsCommand”=”\”F:\\poczta\\App\\thunderbird\\uninstall\\helper.exe\” /ShowShortcuts”

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla Thunderbird\shell]

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla Thunderbird\shell\open]

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla Thunderbird\shell\open\command]
    @=”\”F:\\poczta\\ThunderbirdPortable.exe\” -mail”

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla Thunderbird\shell\properties]
    @=”Thunderbird &Options”

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla Thunderbird\shell\properties\command]
    @=”\”F:\\poczta\\ThunderbirdPortable.exe\” -options”

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\mailto\DefaultIcon]
    @=”F:\\poczta\\App\\thunderbird\\thunderbird.exe,0″

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\mailto\shell]

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\mailto\shell\open]

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\mailto\shell\open\command]
    @=”\”F:\\poczta\\ThunderbirdPortable.exe\” -compose \”%1\””

    ————————————————————

    I have windows XP sp3 PL.
    Of course remember to chage “F:\\poczta” to your ThunderbirdPortable path.

    pigmej

    April 24, 2010

  • none of these work in win7(x64). reg file is not allowed to write to registry when tried to execute. it warns that it should be a binary file otherwise access denied.

    gorg

    July 25, 2010

  • sorry im not sure how that can work in win 7 64bit :(

    Ardorpes

    July 26, 2010

  • IN x64 you’ll have to (probably) change HKLM\Software\… to HKLM\Software\WOW6432Node (as 32 bit apps store their settings there).

    marek1712

    September 27, 2012

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