Windows XP forum: Outlook vs Outlook Express

You control this so why not toss that out?

Bob

Bob, Darton and fjord
I did edit the the Start Menu to add a shortcut to Outlook Express under the programs entry. Thats how I bring it up when the system mysteriously substitutes Outlook for it. What I am talking about is on the default XP Start menu, in the top lefthand corner is a section with 2 entries. These entries are controlled by the Taskbar Properties. When you click Customize, you get two check boxes that add entries to this area of the Start Menu. One is default Browser. I have it checked and set to FifeFox, the second is default E-Mail and is set to Outlook Express. This specifies the defaults and if checked adds the shorcuts to the top left section of the Start Menu as I mentioned before.

My Start Menu thus has two entries in this basically ropped off section, FirFox and Outlook Express. Unfortunately, the Outlook Express entry occasionally gets changed to Outlook. I need to know what is doing this and how do I stop it.
John

It sounds as if you have your Outlook settings set to make it as the default email program. Here are some instructions to change that:

Make Outlook the default program for E-mail, Contacts, and Calendar
1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click Other.
2. Under General, select the Make Outlook the default program for E-mail, Contacts, and Calendar check box.

These were taken directly from my Outlook XP Professional (2002). If you have a different version, the instructions may be different. If the above does not work, click on Help and choose Microsoft Outlook Help then type in Default and look for the above title.

This will usually change if you download an update to Outlook. It will come up as your default mail. Usually it will ask you if this is what you want for your default mail. Click no and Outlook Express will then become your default mail. Just watch what you download from MicroSoft and Windows update.

It sounds like you are saying the same thing that MIpapaof4 said in the post before yours. Therefore, every time that you make a Microsoft Update for Office, you will probably have to do what I instructed in post 6 and 7 above to change your settings in Outlook, in the Start Menu, and in the Internet Properties.

Thanks for all the replies. It appears the problem occurs whenever I download an update to Outlook. I haven't verified this, but based on your experiences, this seems to be the case. I'll probably keep downloading the updates just in case I need to switch to Outlook at some point in time. Will just have to remember to switch back to Outlook Express whenever this happens. Thanks all for clearing up the mystery for me.
John