WINDOWS 10 MICROSOFT OFFICE

Did the OP look into Thunderbird's settings for this:

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/make-thunderbird-default-mail-client#https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/make-thunderbird-default-mail-client#

Force Thunderbird to check if it is the default

Thunderbird can be configured to check if it is the operating system's default mail client each time it is started.

At the top of the Thunderbird window, click the Tools menu and select Options, or click the menu button and choose Options.
On the Advanced panel, select the General tab.
Make sure that "Always check to see if Thunderbird is the default mail client on startup" is checked.
Click Check Now to check if Thunderbird is set as the default mail client immediately.

DD716TED wrote:
I just updated my DW's computer to Microsoft Office Pro 2016. It works fine except that we cannot get Thunderbird to be our Default email client.

If this were me, I'd backup my Thunderbird (TB) profile files and uninstall TB completely including existing profiles. Make sure to restart WIN 10.

Re-install TB with the latest version, but "don't" setup any email accounts. Go back into WIN 10 default apps, and set TB as default email client. Click on any "mailto:" link and check if it brings up TB client? There won't be any accounts, so TB will ask you to set one up? You can then transfer your saved TB profile files and modify .ini file if necessary, which will restore your email accounts. Or set them up again following TB prompts. TB profile instructions on Mozilla's site.

OP said he did try to do so in Office 2016, but didn't work. Did work for me in 2019.

Clicking mailto: links, or directly emailing an MS Word 2019 open file sends it to TB as default client.

1492 wrote:
I have no issue having both MS Outlook 2019 and Mozilla Thunderbird in WIN 10. I use TB for personal accounts, including some legacy email on AOL and GMail. Can't really say if the issue is with earlier versions, though working for me in Office 2019.

I did have to go to Default apps in WIN 10, and select Thunderbird as default Email application which did work for me.

I am assuming the OP had tried this fix..

Worth a try if they didn't..

If they did, might be a issue/quirk/"feature" with 2016 Office..

I have 2016 Office installed on one PC, but that PC is not used on the wobbly web so I have never setup the email client..

I did check to see if one could remove just Outlook..

NOPE.. No option, just get option to remove all Office products or "repair" existing products..

When I installed it, I was a bit flabbergasted when I realized it gave no options on what to install like older versions.. Sort of like if you know you will never use "Access Database" then why install it?

Figure, most folks will only use Word, Excel and Power Point.. So why install everything?

I have no issue having both MS Outlook 2019 and Mozilla Thunderbird in WIN 10. I use TB for personal accounts, including some legacy email on AOL and GMail. Can't really say if the issue is with earlier versions, though working for me in Office 2019.

I did have to go to Default apps in WIN 10, and select Thunderbird as default Email application which did work for me.

BarneyS wrote:
Instead of putting up with this nonsense, I would download the excellent and free Open Office.
Have been using this for years and it has almost all the features of the MS suite with non of the disadvantages. Product description.I'd say it is worth a try.:)
If it works for you then you could delete the MS Office suite, along with its' problems, from your computer and use any e-mail client you prefer.
Barney

Open Office IS a very good "product" considering that is IS free, but it is not without it's own quirks and issues.

I have used Open Office and many of the MS Office Suites and there are a few trade offs that do need to be considered.

Open Office does not have many of the "tools" that newer versions of MS Office has, this causes "formating" issues when opening up newer "DOCX" files.

Open Office does not have "Visual Basic" capability, this will affect documents from MS OFFICE that may be VB macro enabled and the VB macros will not be available in Open Office..

Open Office looks and feels and resembles Office 97-2000 so folks who have gotten used to all the "ribbon" garbage will have a difficult time navigating Open Office unless they have used Office 97-2000..

Libra Office is another Free Office type of product, has the same limitations as Open Office but once again, it is free so please don't complain..

Personally, if OP had a valid license for MS Office 2010 or older products, those CAN be installed on Win10, 2007 and older may require the Office "productivity pack" installed to get compatibility to any of the newer "DOCX" formats..

For the record, I do have a copy of Office 2000 installed on Win10 with the productivity pack and it works..

Instead of putting up with this nonsense, I would download the excellent and free Open Office.
Have been using this for years and it has almost all the features of the MS suite with non of the disadvantages. Product description.I'd say it is worth a try.:)
If it works for you then you could delete the MS Office suite, along with its' problems, from your computer and use any e-mail client you prefer.
Barney

fj12ryder wrote:

Bobbo wrote:
He doesn't want to uninstall Outlook, he only wants Thunderbird to be the default email client.

Actually yes he does.

"QUESTION: Can I just remove the Outlook program section of the Office 2016 install with no other problems?"

Bobbo, FJ and myself seem to have understood the OPs question correctly making my answer very valid indeed.

It seems that MS in their wise wisdom has "assumed" that everyone wants or needs every aspect of Office Suite including the idea or notion that MS should not only check to see if Outlook is set to default but to automatically change the setting to Outlook if it is not set to default after EVERY "update".

Obviously the OP doesn't want that to happen and with a few quick Internet searches, I have not been able to find a away to stop this action unless you remove the entire Office Suite..

But then you have the issue that 2013 and up do not allow you to pick and choose parts of the Office Suite like you USED to be able to do in the past..

So, OP is gonna have to put up with this nonsense, although part of the solution may be see if you can disable to automatic updates to OFFICE? Should be able to do that by unchecking updates to other MS software..

Alternately, OP COULD try Outlook, I have used that (Outlook 97, 2000, 2003, 2013) for the last 22 yrs at work and Outlook does have a lot of nice features that are not available in light clients like Thunderbird..

It just seems that if you really do not "want" Outlook your gonna have to go back to Office 2010 to be able to pick and choose when installing..

I am a bit surprised that you couldn't just put a Thunderbird shortcut on your desktop to start the email client..

You could remove the installed taskbar Outlook button and perhaps even disable Outlook from the startup processes when booting the PC..

Bobbo wrote:
He doesn't want to uninstall Outlook, he only wants Thunderbird to be the default email client.

Actually yes he does.

"QUESTION: Can I just remove the Outlook program section of the Office 2016 install with no other problems?"

He doesn't want to uninstall Outlook, he only wants Thunderbird to be the default email client.