Any way to add programs to default list?

I use Eudora 7.1 for email in Windows 10. It's an old program that is no longer supported; however, it works perfectly. But it's not showing as my default email program and isn't listed among available choices. Is there any way to add it to the list so I can make it the default?

Hi, you can select
Mailto and .eml as defaults in the Control Panel:
Control PanelAll Control Panel ItemsDefault ProgramsSet Associations
(I have these set to Thunderbird).

You might also like to set a shortcut to Eudora in SendTo.

You can also use rt click on .eml (e.g.), Open With, More Apps, scroll down and browse to Eudora.

MS rules mean only approved programs appear. Adding them manually is- well- a little more involved e.g.
How do I add new applications to the list in Windows Vista/7? - Super User

Hi, you can select
Mailto and .eml as defaults in the Control Panel:
Control PanelAll Control Panel ItemsDefault ProgramsSet Associations

Thanks, but Eudora unfortunately isn't an option with the .eml extension or MAILTO protocol, and there's no way to navigate to it. A complex registry setting might do the trick, but I think I'll just continue with the mild inconvenience rather than resorting to that.

Hi, I'm surprised.. what happens if you browse to (I assume) eudora.exe in its installation folder? If you do that the association will be established with the exe - it's then just a question of what happens when you try to open an eml file.


Have you actually got as far as doing this? (Here I show Thunderbird - yours would be eudora)

Is eudora not capable of opening eml files?

Hi, I'm surprised.. what happens if you browse to (I assume) eudora.exe in its installation folder? If you do that the association will be established with the exe - it's then just a question of what happens when you try to open an eml file.

Thanks. I finally managed to get the .eml association for what it's worth (there's not a single .eml file on my PC), but not the MAILTO protocol, which is what I really want. Windows 10 has locked Forté Agent (which I have installed but don't use for email) into that function and only gives me the option of going to the Windows Store for other programs.

Hi, good - an association is easier to deal with than a protocol, for which I see Thunderbird, Mail and Store listed. That implies Eudora needs to register its capability to be listed.

I noted this:
Ajay and Jim, I stumbled onto the solution.

In desperation I figured that I'd install the simple mail program the MS provides and use it as a go-between, but didn't quite know how to find it in 8.1, so I searched with the term "mail." Up popped an offer to, among other things, change the default email program. OK, worth a try. Eudora was the suggestion that came up!!!!


That suggests what you need to have in the registry. I found MailHotmail curious (must be the Mail app).

I imagine you've searched around on this topic.
I just found:
Google Groups
- which seems to suggest v7.1 works in win 10.

How to run Eudora v7 on Windows 10 | Ian Tresman
- a couple of hints on compatibility and an option (probably want to avoid the complexity of junctions etc)

Hi, good - an association is easier to deal with than a protocol, for which I see Thunderbird, Mail and Store listed. That implies Eudora needs to register its capability to be listed.

Thanks again. I've never had any problems running Eudora in Windows 10. It works perfectly, just as it did in past Windows versions. My main problem was with getting MAILTO directed to it. I think that may be effectively solved now by ignoring Windows and turning my attention to Firefox. That permitted me to designate Eudora.exe as the MAILTO target. So while I wasn't able to get it done the way I originally wanted to, it's a practical solution that will work for my purposes.

I very much appreciate all your efforts.

Hi, in case someone else has the same problem, could you explain how you achieved that...and where Firefox fits in? Thanks!

I needed the Eudora target for MAILTO only when web browsing. Firefox has that setting in Tools > Options > Applications, which applies only to itself. So now I'll just stick to Firefox for all my web browsing. Problem effectively solved.

Thanks