SQT: Mailto URL Fix

October 4th, 2008 · by David Bradley

I use Thunderbird as my main archival email program, but I also run several GMail (Google Mail accounts). After reinstalling my browser and activating Google Toolbar, I discovered that it had somehow hijacked the mailto links in web pages. This meant rather than firing up Thunderbird (as I’d prefer) when I click an email address on a website, Google Mail was launching.

The quickest way to get around this problem seems counterintuitive but it is to install Gmail Notifier, set the option to use GMail for email links, restart your browser, and finally set the option not to use GMail for email links.

Incidentally, GMail Notifier is itself quite useful, it lets you check whether you have new GMail messages without opening your browser.

2 responses so far ↓

Ari Herzog // Oct 4, 2008 at 10:35 pm

By opting for Thunderbird over GMail on your primary computer, what do you do on other computers, say at the local library or when traveling somewhere and you’re not with your computer? Do you use GMail and then sync the messages to the bird?
David Bradley // Oct 5, 2008 at 10:20 am

Hah! To be honest, I don’t tend to check my email when travelling, especially if I’m on vacation. But, if I needed to, I’d use the IMAP sync system between T’Bird and G’Mail