Eudora as default mail program interacting with Netscape

ISSUE:

How does Eudora as the default mail program interact with Netscape?

SOLUTION:

If you have Eudora set as the default mail program, then it will take over the handling of MAILTO URLs. Because Netscape does not simply look at the default mail program registered to windows, Eudora may interact with Netscape in one of two ways.

If the registry entries for where Netscape is installed are properly located in the windows registry, Eudora will edit the Netscape prefs.js file and register itself as the alternate mail program that Netscape should use. Once this has been done, clicking on a mailto link from within Netscape will send the link to Eudora even if Eudora wasn't running at the time. In the event that you change your default mail program to something other than Eudora, Eudora will go back and remove these settings from the prefs.js file.

Do not try to manually edit the prefs.js file. Depending on whether Eudora is the default mail program, it will check and if necessary modify the prefs.js each time it is launched.

If Eudora cannot find the prefs.js file, it will use DDE to establish a link between itself and Netscape so that Netscape can recognize it as the default mail program. DDE only works when both applications are running, so mailto links will only go to Eudora from Netscape if Eudora is already open when you click on the mailto link.

If you are getting an error in Netscape such as "You have configured Netscape Navigator to use an external mail program, but since the POSTAL DLL can't be found, Netscape messenger will be used instead." then you have set up Eudora to be the default mail program and it was able to update the prefs.js file, but something happened to make the entry in the prefs.js incorrect.

To resolve the POSTAL DLL error message

• If you would like Eudora to be your default mail program and for Netscape to use Eudora to handle mailto URLs, Reinstall Eudora

• If you would like to use both Eudora and Netscape's mail program, set Eudora not to be your default mail program

• If you would like to remove Eudora completely, un install Eudora through the Control Panels: Add Remove programs to properly de install As with any software, you should use the un install program rather than just deleting the files from your hard drive.

See also 2040HQ - What is the default mail program?

Keywords: EPWIN, NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR, COMMUNICATOR, MESSENGER, POSTAL.DLL,