title: How to register custom program to handle mailto protocol on Windows 7
body: <p>OK, it might be a problem with my system but I'm having a very difficult time getting Windows 7 to recognize my custom exe as the default handler of the mailto protocol.</p>
  
  <p>First, I've seen this: 
  <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/231/register-windows-program-with-the-mailto-protocol-programmatically">Register Windows program with the mailto protocol programmatically</a></p>
  
  <p>Next, I've seen these:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd203067%28v=vs.85%29.aspx" rel="nofollow noreferrer">How to Register an Internet Browser or Email Client With the Windows Start Menu</a></li>
  <li><a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa767914%28v=vs.85%29.aspx" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Registering an Application to a URL Protocol</a></li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>I've added what seemed the appropriate registry entries but I still get Windows Live Mail coming up every time I click a mailto link (whether in a browser or via the Run window). I've set the registry entries for all users and for the current user, still it doesn't work. </p>
  
  <p>When I go to the 'default programs' app and scroll down to the mailto protocol, I only see Outlook and Windows Live Mail listed. My custom app doesn't even appear.</p>
  
  <p>I figure that it's either something special with Windows 7 or it's something with my computer.</p>
  
  <p>My custom app is a WinForms .Net app but I don't think that matters.</p>
  
  <p>Any ideas are greatly welcome.</p>