Subscribe Feed (RSS)how to set microsoft outlook as default e-mail client via group policy
author : voidzzz | category : How-To.if you’re a home user you can easily change default e-mail client without any question. but what if you’re an administrator in corporate network which got hundreds to thousands of computers and users. it will be one hell of a job to change default e-mail client on all of those computers.
luckily if you’re using windows 2003 server (you might also try it in windows nt, windows 2000 or windows 2008 server) you can do this easily with no sweat. i’ll show you how to do that :
- login to your active directory server (directly or remotely) and launch notepad
- copy the following code to notepad :
CLASS MACHINE
CATEGORY !!Outlook_Default_Client
CATEGORY !!Outlook
POLICY !!Default_Client
KEYNAME “SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail”
EXPLAIN !!Explain_Default_Client
PART !!labeltext_Default_Client DROPDOWNLIST REQUIRED
VALUENAME “”
ITEMLIST
NAME !!Microsoft_Outlok VALUE “Microsoft Outlok” DEFAULT
END ITEMLIST
END PART
END POLICY
END CATEGORY
END CATEGORY[strings]
Outlook_Default_Client=”Default email client policy”
Outlook=”Microsoft Office Outlook”
Default_Client=”Default mail client”
Explain_Default_Client=”This policy configures Outlook as the default email client”
labeltext_Default_Client=”Default Mail Client:”
Microsoft_Outlok=”Microsoft Outlook” - save the file as whatever.adm (must use .adm as file extension)
- for easy management, copy the file to %WINDIR%\inf folder usually %WINDIR% will be C:\Windows
- launch Group Policy Management Snap-in (Start > Administrative Tools > Group Policy Management)
- right click group policy object where you want the above script to be imported and click edit
- expand Computer Configuration (if it’s not expanded yet) > right click Administrative Templates > click Add Remove Templates > click Add button
- select whatever.adm file that you save before and click Open
- whatever.adm should appears on Add Remove Templates window. click Close to continue
- expand Administrative Templates tree, there should be Default e-mail client policy folder listed there, if it’s not then its most likely that you didn’t follow the above step correctly
- right click administrative templates > view > click filtering
- on filtering windows, clear the check mark on Only show policy settings that can be fully managed option and then click OK
- now expand Default e-mail client policy > Microsoft office outlook
- double click on Default mail client. Default mail client properties windows will appears
- choose Enable, choose Microsoft Outlook in Default mail client drop down menu and click OK
- you’re done !!!
now by default custom administrative templates settings will not appears on group policy editor. to be able to see the settings, do the following :
