Cannot open .eml files

Question

I'm using Windows Live Mail 2012. When saving e-mails they save as this type of icon instead of the little white eml envelope even though they are still eml files. I can't open them though. Any idea why? I have tried uninstalling/reinstalling and repairing the programme to no avail. I am running 8.1 on a desktop PC and the problem only started a few months ago. All my business e-mails can no longer be viewed.

Trouble with the latest e-mail programmes/apps, you cannot save them to your PC or insert pictures etc which is no good to me.

HELP PLEASE!

[Original subject: Cannot open e-mails]

Answer 1

OK, that explains why you can't open .eml files and why the wrong icon is displayed. I can't say why it's happened, though. As always, with unexpected behaviour, suspect malware ...

Here are the missing entries. Copy the text in the box and paste it into a new Notepad document, then save it in your Documents folder as WindowsLiveMail-Email-1.reg (be careful to select All files as the Save as type, to avoid having an extra .txt extension to the file name).

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00<br><br><br><br><br><br>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WindowsLiveMail.Email.1] <br><br>@="Windows Live Mail Mail Message" <br><br>"AppUserModelID"="Microsoft.WindowsLive.Mail" <br><br>"FriendlyTypeName"="@C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Live\Mail\maillang.dll,-42529" <br><br>"InfoTip"="prop:System.Message.FromName;System.Subject;System.Message.DateReceived" <br><br>"PreviewDetails"="prop:System.Message.FromAddress;System.Message.DateReceived;System.DisplayFolder;System.Size" <br><br>"PreviewTitle"="prop:System.Subject;System.Message.FromName"<br><br><br><br><br><br>[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WindowsLiveMail.Email.1\CLSID] <br><br>@="{5645C8C3-E277-11CF-8FDA-00AA00A14F93}"<br><br><br><br><br><br>[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WindowsLiveMail.Email.1\DefaultIcon] <br><br>@=hex(2):43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,20,00,46,\ <br><br>  00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,20,00,28,00,78,00,38,00,36,00,29,00,5c,00,57,00,\ <br><br>  69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,4c,00,69,00,76,00,65,00,5c,00,4d,\ <br><br>  00,61,00,69,00,6c,00,5c,00,6d,00,61,00,69,00,6c,00,6c,00,61,00,6e,00,67,00,\ <br><br>  2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,32,00,33,00,33,00,35,00,37,00,00,00<br><br><br><br><br><br>[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WindowsLiveMail.Email.1\shell] <br><br>@="open"<br><br><br><br><br><br>[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WindowsLiveMail.Email.1\shell\Forward] <br><br>@="Forward" <br><br>"MUIVerb"=hex(2):40,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,\ <br><br>  6d,00,20,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,20,00,28,00,78,00,38,00,36,00,29,\ <br><br>  00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,4c,00,69,00,76,00,\ <br><br>  65,00,5c,00,4d,00,61,00,69,00,6c,00,5c,00,6d,00,61,00,69,00,6c,00,6c,00,61,\ <br><br>  00,6e,00,67,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,34,00,32,00,35,00,32,00,\ <br><br>  31,00,00,00<br><br><br><br><br><br>[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WindowsLiveMail.Email.1\shell\Forward\command] <br><br>@=hex(2):22,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,20,\ <br><br>  00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,20,00,28,00,78,00,38,00,36,00,29,00,5c,00,\ <br><br>  57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,4c,00,69,00,76,00,65,00,5c,\ <br><br>  00,4d,00,61,00,69,00,6c,00,5c,00,77,00,6c,00,6d,00,61,00,69,00,6c,00,2e,00,\ <br><br>  65,00,78,00,65,00,22,00,20,00,2f,00,66,00,6f,00,72,00,77,00,61,00,72,00,64,\ <br><br>  00,65,00,6d,00,6c,00,3a,00,25,00,31,00,00,00<br><br><br><br><br><br>[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WindowsLiveMail.Email.1\shell\open]<br><br><br><br><br><br>[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WindowsLiveMail.Email.1\shell\open\command] <br><br>@=hex(2):22,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,20,\ <br><br>  00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,20,00,28,00,78,00,38,00,36,00,29,00,5c,00,\ <br><br>  57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,4c,00,69,00,76,00,65,00,5c,\ <br><br>  00,4d,00,61,00,69,00,6c,00,5c,00,77,00,6c,00,6d,00,61,00,69,00,6c,00,2e,00,\ <br><br>  65,00,78,00,65,00,22,00,20,00,2f,00,65,00,6d,00,6c,00,3a,00,25,00,31,00,00,\ <br><br>  00<br><br><br><br><br><br>[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WindowsLiveMail.Email.1\shell\Reply] <br><br>@="Reply" <br><br>"MUIVerb"=hex(2):40,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,\ <br><br>  6d,00,20,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,20,00,28,00,78,00,38,00,36,00,29,\ <br><br>  00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,4c,00,69,00,76,00,\ <br><br>  65,00,5c,00,4d,00,61,00,69,00,6c,00,5c,00,6d,00,61,00,69,00,6c,00,6c,00,61,\ <br><br>  00,6e,00,67,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,34,00,32,00,35,00,31,00,\ <br><br>  39,00,00,00<br><br><br><br><br><br>[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WindowsLiveMail.Email.1\shell\Reply\command] <br><br>@=hex(2):22,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,20,\ <br><br>  00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,20,00,28,00,78,00,38,00,36,00,29,00,5c,00,\ <br><br>  57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,4c,00,69,00,76,00,65,00,5c,\ <br><br>  00,4d,00,61,00,69,00,6c,00,5c,00,77,00,6c,00,6d,00,61,00,69,00,6c,00,2e,00,\ <br><br>  65,00,78,00,65,00,22,00,20,00,2f,00,72,00,65,00,70,00,6c,00,79,00,65,00,6d,\ <br><br>  00,6c,00,3a,00,25,00,31,00,00,00<br><br><br><br><br><br>[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WindowsLiveMail.Email.1\shell\Reply All] <br><br>@="Reply All" <br><br>"MUIVerb"=hex(2):40,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,\ <br><br>  6d,00,20,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,20,00,28,00,78,00,38,00,36,00,29,\ <br><br>  00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,4c,00,69,00,76,00,\ <br><br>  65,00,5c,00,4d,00,61,00,69,00,6c,00,5c,00,6d,00,61,00,69,00,6c,00,6c,00,61,\ <br><br>  00,6e,00,67,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,34,00,32,00,35,00,32,00,\ <br><br>  30,00,00,00<br><br><br><br><br><br>[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WindowsLiveMail.Email.1\shell\Reply All\command] <br><br>@=hex(2):22,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,20,\ <br><br>  00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,20,00,28,00,78,00,38,00,36,00,29,00,5c,00,\ <br><br>  57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,4c,00,69,00,76,00,65,00,5c,\ <br><br>  00,4d,00,61,00,69,00,6c,00,5c,00,77,00,6c,00,6d,00,61,00,69,00,6c,00,2e,00,\ <br><br>  65,00,78,00,65,00,22,00,20,00,2f,00,72,00,65,00,70,00,6c,00,79,00,61,00,6c,\ <br><br>  00,6c,00,65,00,6d,00,6c,00,3a,00,25,00,31,00,00,00<br><br><br><br><br><br>[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WindowsLiveMail.Email.1\shellex]<br><br><br><br><br><br>[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WindowsLiveMail.Email.1\shellex{8895b1c6-b41f-4c1c-a562-0d564250836f}] <br><br>@="{b9815375-5d7f-4ce2-9245-c9d4da436930}"

Double-clicking on this file in File Explorer should automatically merge the entries into your registry. When it's done, restart the computer, then try opening an .eml file.

Answer 2

Thank you. Yes, the default programme is correct for opening eml files as you mentioned (Windows Live Mail).

The oddity is that when I right click and select "open with", the windows live mail is the same icon as in my first post and it then saves it using this icon which I can't open. There are no other options.

Answer 3

Thank you - that makes it quite clear. I'm sorry (and a bit surprised) that the repair didn't sort out the problem.

I'm not familiar with Windows 8.1, so I can't give precise instructions for how to correct the file associations. You should first check that Windows Live Mail is registered as the default program for opening .eml files, using the Default programs applet in Control Panel. Then use Open with in File Explorer to select wlmail.exe as the program to use always to open .eml files. This may be an option presented when you right-click on an .eml file. You'll find the program file at

C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Live\Mail\wlmail.exe

on a 64-bit system, or

C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Mail\wlmail.exe

on a 32-bit system.

Answer 4

Thank you for your reply. I ran the repair as instructed and a box came up saying it had been repaired. I restarted the PC but the icons are still the wrong ones and the e-mails still do not open.

With regard to saving e-mails. I am running the stand alone e-mail programme and to save them I click on Save, save as file and save them to an external drive and then clear the e-mails from my inbox as I have always done for years and years.

In the App e-mail, it is only possible to save them within the app and not to an external drive which is no good to me as I wish to clear them out and only have them on an external drive.

Thank you.

Answer 5

All emails in Windows Live Mail are 'saved to your PC', so it's not clear what you mean by saving e-mails. Are you using the Save as function (F12)? Is there any particular reason for this?

If you're seeing the wrong icon in File Explorer, and an .eml file doesn't open in Windows Live Mail when you try to open it, something has gone wrong with the file association entries in the registry. The first thing to try to rectify this is to repair the installation. To do this, close down all running programs, then press Windows key + R to open a Run dialogue. Type wlarp and press Enter. In the window that opens, select the Repair ... option. When it's finished, restart the computer and then try opening an .eml file again. What happens?