Set Outlook as your default e-mail program

Your default e-mail program is the program that starts when you choose to read mail or send a message from Microsoft Internet Explorer, or when you choose to send a message from a Microsoft Office or other e-mail enabled program (one that's not an e-mail program, but that you can send mail from). In Internet Explorer version 5, Microsoft Outlook Express is automatically set as the default e-mail program for the browser, Microsoft Office, and other e-mail enabled programs. How you change the default e-mail program to Outlook 2000 depends on whether you've run Outlook since setting it up on your computer.

Set Outlook as the default e-mail program

Use the procedure that applies to your situation:

1. Start Outlook 2000 and wait for it to complete its setup tasks (also called "first run tasks").

2. When you see the message
"Outlook is not currently your default manager for Mail, News and contacts. Would you like to register Outlook as the default manager?"

click Yes.

You must quit and restart any open Office programs to have them recognize Outlook as the new default e-mail program. You might also need to quit and restart any other open, e-mail enabled programs.

If you've already run Outlook 2000, but you clicked No when asked if you wanted to register it as your default e-mail, newsgroup, calendar, and contact manager, you can register Outlook as the default e-mail program from within Internet Explorer.

1. Start Internet Explorer.

2. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options, and then click the Programs tab.

3. In the E-mail, Newsgroups, Calendar, and Contact list lists, click Microsoft Outlook. Click OK.

Note If you're using a browser other than Internet Explorer 5, see the Help for that browser to learn how to change the default e-mail program.