Easy: mailto problem in Internet Explorer

<A HREF="mailto:fred@isp.com">E-mail</a>

The question's not how to write a mailto: but why it doesn't work in IE4. When testing I get an error - "mailto: is not a valid hostname or IP address" How can I get it to work in IE4?

It does work, can you put the link on this site!

I use ie4 and I have no probs...

ruperts, could you try the links at http://www.wr.com.au/~ja/cv/details.htm and let me know if you have success with IE4 - maybe I need to change some settings in my program...

It does work, BigJ... MSIE4.0, version 4.72.3110
So your problem may be your own browser/mailprog config.

<A HREF="mailto:fred@isp.com">E-mail</a>

mmm.

Just installed Netscape 4.? and it doesn't like mailto either, (not just yours). I didn't installed communicator as the mail package, prehaps that is a problem. What mail package do you use and have you tried clicking on other mailto's on other sites?

I use Outlook and your mailto works fine with MSIE4.

I think it's a Windows setting. I took a look at Explorer/View/Options/File Types and there is no entry for "URL:mailto" but there are others for things like "URL:File protocol".

IF someone could tell me the typical settings for Netscape and IE that would be great.

On my system the "URL:mailto" entry refers to a program I don't use anymore, so I doubt it will help. However, for MSIE4 you can set your mail program in View|Internet Options|Programs, have you done that?

I don't have IE4 sorry. But could it be that on your computer, you don't have any email software installed? If you have any, you may need to configure IE to use them as vendrig said. Such problem may occur when you originally had some email software installed but you removed them.

For NS, I think if you are using non-email package, you can't email at all.
However, you set your emial program eg eudora to work in background ie open it and minimise it, you can send emails using mailto:

There are other mailto links which you can try to see if your link is the problem. If theirs can and coding is similar to your, the problem is with your configuration.

It's definitely a setup thing. I have 2 computers, one with IE and one with both IE and Netscape communicator. IE doesn't work with mailto's on either computer, but NS does.

The one I'm using now doesn't have IE so I can't check the mail settings. I 'll take a look next week when I'm back in the office.


Thanks for all your comments folks, but I don't see this one getting fixed easily...

Stop press - No, I do have IE on this one!! I looked at options to set the mail program but There is an empty list and I cannot add to it by typing....

for ie4 maybe you can try the toolbar
view --> internet option

^programs^ tab and change the email program

if it work and you want to give me the point, i will then post a empty message to collect the points