Officially Windows does no longer support "mailto webmail", but that doesn't mean it cannot be done.
i'm using Gmail as my default client in Windows 7 with IE8, here is what i did:
download and import this registry file (credit to limneos at sevenforums.com), which is written with Yahoo! Mail in mind.
go to Default Programs > Set your default programs > Internet Explorer > Choose defaults for this program, under Protocols MAILTO is now available, check the box and Save.
right now, all mailto links will open Internet Explorer with Yahoo! Mail/Compose, to change this, open the registry editor and navigate to
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Yahoo.Mailto\shell\open\command
double click the default value, the following part (url) of the value data has to be replaced:
http://us.mc01g.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?.rand=947383854&to=%1
for Gmail, i'm using this URL instead:
https://mail.google.com/mail?extsrc=mailto&url=%1
for Hotmail use this URL:
http://hotmail.msn.com/secure/start?action=compose&to=%1
voilá, Hotmail as default email client in Windows.
p.s.: i have tested Hotmail as default email client in only in Windows 7 & IE8, but this workaround should work for Vista just as well. i don't use Firefox, but i'm pretty sure this can be done with FF as well if you change the value data of the default key accordingly (FF may require %s instead of %1 at the end):
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe http://hotmail.msn.com/secure/start?action=compose&to=%1
of course you will have to associate FF with the MAILTO protocol.
note: as usual, you should backup the registry before making changes.
Unable to understand why you wrote about family/relative. Its right or wrong, you could have asked it directly. Hotmail is feature-rich and faster than Gmail. So, Hotmail is no longer a shame.. – Apple II – 2012-03-04T12:51:13.940
1@Sachin it's just his reasoning - a lot of grandparents can't handle change to their computer well – Simon Sheehan – 2012-03-04T13:39:15.120