How to change default e mail program in windows

To change the default email program in Windows, you can follow these steps:

Method 1: Through the Settings App

  1. Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
  2. Click on "Apps" (or "Applications" in some versions of Windows).
  3. Click on "Default apps" on the left side of the window.
  4. Click on "Email" under the "Choose default apps" section.
  5. Click on the current default email program (e.g., Microsoft Outlook) to select it.
  6. Click on the "Microsoft Store" button next to "Look for an app in the Store".
  7. Search for the email program you want to set as default (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo Mail, etc.).
  8. Click on the app to open its page in the Microsoft Store.
  9. Click the "Install" button to install the app if you haven't already.
  10. Once installed, click the "Set as default" button next to the app's name.
  11. Click "OK" to confirm the change.

Method 2: Through the Control Panel

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type "control" and press Enter to open the Control Panel.
  3. Click on "Programs" (or "Programs and Features" in some versions of Windows).
  4. Click on "Default Programs" (or "Set your default programs" in some versions of Windows).
  5. Click on "Associate a file type or protocol with a program".
  6. Scroll down and click on "Email" under the "Protocols" section.
  7. Click on the current default email program (e.g., Microsoft Outlook) to select it.
  8. Click on the "Change program" button.
  9. Browse to the email program you want to set as default (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo Mail, etc.).
  10. Select the program and click "OK" to confirm the change.

Method 3: Through the Registry Editor (Advanced Users Only)

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type "regedit" and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
  3. Navigate to the following key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto
  4. Right-click on the "mailto" key and select "Modify".
  5. Change the value of the "Default" key to the path of the email program you want to set as default (e.g., C:\Program Files\Gmail\Gmail.exe).
  6. Click "OK" to confirm the change.

Note: Changing the default email program through the Registry Editor can be risky and may cause issues if not done correctly. It's recommended to use the first two methods instead.