If you are using Office 2007 then you will probably need to enable the Outlook URL protocol handler so that hyperlinks to mail messages, contacts, events, etc work. It was initialized by default in previos versions of Outlook, not sure why they left this out in Outlook 2007.
To enable the outlook: protocol in Outlook 2007, you need to do some editing (adding new keys in fact) in the registry. You simple need to create these registry keys:
# HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
* outlook
(Default) = URL:Outlook Folders
URL Protocol= ""
o DefaultIcon
(Default) = "C:\PROGRA~1\<strong>MICROS~2</strong>\OFFICE12\OUTLLIB.DLL,-9403"
o shell
+ open
# command
(Default) = "C:\PROGRA~1\<strong>MICROS~2</strong>\OFFICE12\OUTLOOK.EXE" /select "%1"
Please note that you might need to change MICROS~2 to MICROS~1, MICROS~3, MICROS~5 etc depending on how many Microsoft’s product you have on your computer.
Here’s a zipped file of a registry file which can do this for you. Download Here.
1. Unzip it and you will get a outlook.reg file.
2. Open outlook.reg in a text editor such as notepad and check if the C:\\PROGRA~1\\MICROS~3\\OFFICE12\\ part resembles the right path to outlook on your machine. If not edit it and save the file.
3. Double click on outlook.reg to save the settings into registry.
There you have it 🙂
Jim says
I used linker for windows in Windows XP and now switched to Windows Vista Home Premium and can’t get it to work.
The Outlook path in Vista is substantially different from the one shown in outlook.reg and therefore I’m not sure how to proceed. Which instruction should I change in outllok.reg? All of them?
Help would be much apprecaited.
Pierre Decrocq says
Just tried your .REG file to fix error opening Outlook:ItemID hyperlinks and it worked ! (just had to change MICROS~3 value to my path (MICROS~2) !
I’m now able to include hyperlinks to emails in OneNote using Teamscope linker for windows.
THANKS !
–Pierre
David says
Glad to know that it helped 🙂
alden says
I have the same problem with Windows 7 and Outlook 2007. I’m not sure what is different about them but for whatever reason I am unable to get a working registry tweak to get a outlook:2323413412 type link to work.
Al says
Hi there, did you ever have any luck with Windows 7 Outlook 2007? I can’t seem to get it to work…
Harm says
For Office 2010/outlook 2010 i did change the regfile somewhat. Her it is:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\outlook]
“URL Protocol”=””
@=”URL:Outlook Folders”
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\outlook\DefaultIcon]
@=”\”C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft Office\\Office14\\1033\\OUTLLIBR.DLL,-7511\””
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\outlook\shell]
@=”open”
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\outlook\shell\open]
@=””
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\outlook\shell\open\command]
@=”\”C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft Office\\Office14\\OUTLOOK.EXE\” /select \”%1\””
Davidsun says
I tried this regfile but doesn’t work for me, IE is always the default one to open the link…
Kevin says
Hi there. This is a great post, and much appreciated. I also had to switch the reg entries to ~2 instead of ~3 in order to get it to call Outlook instead of Firefox for the program. I didn’t download the linker program, and instead grabbed the ConversationID # that came up in Windows Desktop Search. Is this the same as the GUID? Right now, when I try to open the link, it gives me an error simply saying ‘The Operation Failed.” Any help would be awesome. Thanks!
Saif says
Hi there, thanks for the Great post. I’ve download Linker for windows, change registry but still i’m getting error message: this link needs to be opened with an application and also there in a msg in body which says “C:PROGRA~1MICROS~2</strong" please select an application. Kindly advise.
Thanking in advance
beos says
This worked for me:
—
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\outlook]
“URL Protocol”=””
@=”URL:Outlook Folders”
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\outlook\DefaultIcon]
@=””
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\outlook\shell]
@=”open”
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\outlook\shell\open]
@=””
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\outlook\shell\open\command]
@=”C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12\OUTLOOK.EXE” /select %1
—
All the ” and \ in Harm’s example caused trouble for me. Also removed the icon path since I’m not sure what it does.
For Chrome to use the protocol handler you must edit the “C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Local State” file and add a row
“outlook”: false,
in the protocol handler section. Be sure to close all chrome process before editing the file. Good luck!
David says
beos, thanks for sharing!
Chris P says
I have installed the application and run it so it is in the tray. However when I select an item in Outlook and then click the icon, nothing gets put on the clipboard. There are no errors.
I am using Outlook 2010 on Windows 7.
Any ideas?