Solved File context menu ‘Send to>Mail Recipient’ no longer works

wiganken · Mar 19, 2023

@Try3 - Yes, I've tried it with jpeg, pdf, docx and txt files but there is no response when clicking on 'Mail recipient'.

@Edwin - Thanks. I checked the registry and 'Mozilla Thunderbird' is the 'Data' value in both Current User and Local Machine.

OAT · Mar 19, 2023

Frustrating this.
Have you tried creating a new user temporarily to test the functionality?
On my side, I have deleted my Mail Recipient from 'Send To',
rebooted, recreated it with the .exe and assigned it to Thunderbird again.
It s working as before so useless to say I am sadly running out of ideas here.

wiganken · Mar 19, 2023

@OAT - No I have not tried creating a new user so I may try that. The problem happens with both current profiles. Me (Administrator) and wife (Standard user). It would be unusual for both current profiles to be corrupt but I suppose it costs nothing but time to try a new user profile.

I also ran DISM /Online /cleanup-image /scanhealth which found no component store corruption.
Then sfc /scannow which found no integrity violations.
Then ran chkdsk /scan which found no problems.

OAT · Mar 19, 2023

in Thunderbird, under Tools/Settings/General pane,

Do you have, unlike on the screen capture, Always Check to see...Default Client on StartUp check marked?

wiganken · Mar 19, 2023

@OAT - The 'Always check...' was ticked so I unticked it but nothing's changed.

I created a new user and the same happens on that new profile but thanks for the suggestion.

I also disabled StartAllBack (SAB) but that made no difference either. SAB is also on my other HP machine and 'Mail recipient' works on that so I don't think it related to SAB.

I wonder if it is a Windows Home-DELL specific issue because the Windows Pro-HP setup is okay. Just clutching at straws here so forgive these unlikely sounding thoughts.

Try3 · Mar 19, 2023

wiganken said:
I wonder if it is a Windows Home-DELL specific issue

Ken,

The Windows 11 computer I tested it on was a Dell, albeit an old one from 2010.
I don't think any hardware is involved in the process so I cannot see that Dell would be able to mess up this particular thing.

I assume your anti-malware defences are not reporting any detections/ quarantines when you try the Mail recipient item.

Does Thunderbird have command line switches that can be used to generate a new email with an attachment?
If so you might be able to sidestep the problem by creating a shortcut to put into SendTo as I do with Outlook - post #16.

Denis

wiganken · Mar 19, 2023

Anti-Malware is same on both machines - Norton 360 v22.23.1.21 with the same detection settings.
Thundrbird settings are the same on both machines and I don't tinker with command-line switches so not applicable I think.

I am thinking of using the sledge-hammer-to-crack-a-nut method. i.e. Creating a full Macrium image of the current setup and then doing an in-place upgrade and selecting the 'Keep personal files and apps' option. A time-consuming effort for such a small annoyance but it's the only thing left to do. If it is still the same after that then I'll need to see if future Windows updates fixes it.

Try3 · Mar 19, 2023

wiganken said:
I don't tinker with command-line switches

I mentioned that because I think it is possible but not being a Thunderbird user I cannot be certain.
This article

Command line arguments - Thunderbird - MozillaZine Knowledge Base

kb.mozillazine.org

makes me think you can create a shortcut with something like these properties to put into your SendTo folder
........\Thunderbird.exe -compose "attachment='%1'"
or possibly even
........\Thunderbird.exe -compose "attachment='%*'"
to enable multiple files to be selected although I'm concerned that this would create a separate email for each selected file rather than one email containing all the selected files.
@OAT can probably provide better advice than I can.
In fact, * can probably provide better advice than I can.

Trying the shortcut method would be a quick & easy test, I would have thought.
It would not affect your normal use of Thunderbird.

Best of luck,
Denis

wiganken · Mar 19, 2023

I don't want to introduce complications so I'll pass on using command line switches.

OAT · Mar 19, 2023

Try3 said:
I mentioned that because I think it is possible but not being a Thunderbird user I cannot be certain.
This article

Command line arguments - Thunderbird - MozillaZine Knowledge Base

kb.mozillazine.org

makes me think you can create a shortcut with something like these properties to put into your SendTo folder
........\Thunderbird.exe -compose "attachment='%1'"
or possibly even
........\Thunderbird.exe -compose "attachment='%*'"
to enable multiple files to be selected although I'm concerned that this would create a separate email for each selected file rather than one email containing all the selected files.
@OAT can probably provide better advice than I can.
In fact, * can probably provide better advice than I can.

Trying the shortcut method would be a quick & easy test, I would have thought.
It would not affect your normal use of Thunderbird.

Best of luck,
Denis

Just dropping a shortcut of Thunderbird.exe in the Send To folder works.
Because of the nature of the Send To folder, lt will take the attachment along, without variables needed.
I was looking at desktop.ini in the Send To folder (one needs to unhide it).
The content is as followed, I wonder if the OP has the same.( epecially the first 2 lines)

[LocalizedFileNames]
Mail Recipient.MAPIMail=@sendmail.dll,-4
Desktop (create shortcut).DeskLink=@sendmail.dll,-21
Compressed (zipped) Folder.ZFSendToTarget=@zipfldr.dll,-10148
Documents.mydocs=@shell32.dll,-34575
Bluetooth File Transfer.LNK=@C:\Windows\System32\fsquirt.exe,-2343

Try3 · Mar 19, 2023

Are you saying that it created an email with the selected files included as attachments?

Great,
Denis

OAT · Mar 19, 2023

Try3 said:
Are you saying that it created an email with the selected files included as attachments?

Great,
Denis

Indeed.

Try3 · Mar 19, 2023

Oat,
Spiffing.
Please would you post the shortcut properties you used for WiganKen to copy. I had to omit the path to Thunderbird because I don't know where it might be.
Some SendTo shortcuts still need the variable included. I have several and have never really understood why some need them & some don't.

WiganKen,
So you can add OAT's shortcut to SendTo and just ignore the Mail recipient item that doesn't work.
This won't create any complications.

All the best,
Denis

wiganken · Mar 19, 2023

Sounds good but where will I find this 'Send To folder'?

OAT · Mar 19, 2023

wiganken said:
Sounds good but where will I find this 'Send To folder'?

%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo

Just Run it or put it in Explorer address bar.

Edwin · Mar 19, 2023

@Try3
Thanks a ton for those command line switches!

I created an entry in the root right click menu...

... I can confirm, it opens the Compose window only, with the item attached, ready to send! ...

Edwin · Mar 19, 2023

@Try3
Is there something you can add to the switch for null Subject?

OAT · Mar 19, 2023

Try3 said:
Oat,
Spiffing.
Please would you post the shortcut properties you used for WiganKen to copy. I had to omit the path to Thunderbird because I don't know where it might be.
Some SendTo shortcuts still need the variable included. I have several and have never really understood why some need them & some don't.

WiganKen,
So you can add OAT's shortcut to SendTo and just ignore the Mail recipient item that doesn't work.
This won't create any complications.

All the best,
Denis

Please note that my Thunderbird folder is on the D: drive so it might not help.

wiganken · Mar 19, 2023

OAT said:
Just dropping a shortcut of Thunderbird.exe in the Send To folder works.
Because of the nature of the Send To folder, lt will take the attachment along, without variables needed.

@OAT - That worked. Brilliant. I now see Thunderbird in the Send to list and clicking on it launches Thunderbird and attaches the file to a new message ready to send when ready.

There was just a slight omission in your Send to path but I am not complaining. I am happy. It doesn't fix the original issue but a very satisfactory workaround fix.
You wrote %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo
Should be %AppData%\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo

As you can see I found the 'Send To' folder but there is no desktop.ini file so I cant check its contents. This does not concern me since my problem is solved.

Thank you all for your monumental efforts.

Try3 · Mar 19, 2023

Edwin said:
Is there something you can add to the switch for null Subject?

I'm not sure what you are asking.
The diagram you posted shows an empty Subject line already.
If you want to know how to use that Context menu entry just to open Thunderbird with no file attached then I'd suggest just trying it with no file selected.

Denis

Solved File context menu ‘Send to>Mail Recipient’ no longer works

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