# OK, what's going on with my email (MS Live Mail)?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-whats-going-on-with-my-email-ms-live-mail/691744>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 27, 2014, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-whats-going-on-with-my-email-ms-live-mail/691744 "2014-06-27T01:47:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-whats-going-on-with-my-email-ms-live-mail/691744/1 "2014-06-27T01:47:41Z")

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In any email message, whether it be a link or a URL, clicking on it results in the following prompt:

“This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Please install a program, or if one is already installed, create an association in the default programs control panel.”

However, if, for example, I cut an paste a URL into my browser, it connects just fine. This seems to have happened out of the proverbial blue.

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-whats-going-on-with-my-email-ms-live-mail/691744/2 "2014-06-27T03:21:14Z")

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There’s a security setting that will prevent Windows from opening any links in an email. It’s in Windows Live Mail under **Options** , **Safety Options** , **Security**. Make sure it’s not checked, although it shouldn’t give you that message, it should just tell you about the security feature.

You may have lost the association with URLs and Internet Explorer. If you have Vista or higher open **Control Panel and click on Default Programs** then click on Associate a file type or protocol with a program. Give this a minute to load as there are thousands of types. Scroll down to **.url** and make sure the default program is **Internet Browser**. And if you had any alternate browsers installed (Chrome, Firefox etc.) make sure IE has been reset to your default browser.

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**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-whats-going-on-with-my-email-ms-live-mail/691744/3 "2014-06-27T04:19:14Z")

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Thanks. Will give it a try.