Windows 10 Doesn't Know that Pandora Exists! [RESOLVED]

Here is the note I just sent to the Windows Advisor at Microsoft...it explains the problem.

* * * * *

I'm trying to set Pandora (see https://www.drivehq.com/web/brana/pandora.htm) as my default email client. It's the best email client out there, since Eudora got a bit long in the tooth (13 years since the last update).

But it doesn't appear in the list of possibles, and the default apps applet WON'T LET ME SEARCH FOR ANOTHER PROGRAM!!!

Please walk me through the registry hack (or whatever) to fix this!

Not your fault Brujo Feo, it's not Windows fault either, not by design anyway.

(You can tell them this, it affect all Windows versions 7-10):

In Windows registry there is a default value inside every key. It's of the type REG_SZ (string).
Now if it supposed to be empty, and it is empty - but exists, Windows ignores the entire key. When you delete the value - so it reads "(value not set)" then it's fine (it reads other values from the same key).

It can be easily reproduced:
1. Create a brand new key.
2. Double click on default value (1st entry), leave text box empty, and just press Enter. Now the value does not read "(value not set)", it's just empty.
This confuses Windows when it reads specs about default mailer.
Resolution:
3. Select the same default value and press Del key. Now it reads again "(value not set)".
Bang, everything is fine again.

[I would also change "(value not set)", to "(value does not exist)" as "not set" implies that it exists just not set.]

Regardless, starting with next version (3.62) you'll be able to register Pandora as default mailer in any Windows version, as Pandora now upon filling other values, deletes the default value (if it supposed to be empty).

Thanks, Brana.

I'm not sure WHERE in the registry I'm supposed to create this key to fix this.

Brujo, inside the branch:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Pandora

Under keys: Capabilities, InstallInfo and Protocols

Delete 3 empty default values:
Select 1st (empty default) value inside Capabilities - hit Delete key, confirm deletion.
Select 1st (empty default) value inside InstallInfo - hit Delete key, confirm deletion.
Select 1st (empty default) value inside Protocols - hit Delete key, confirm deletion.

By the same token delete another 3 empty default values under:
Capabilities/FileAssociations
Capabilities/StartMenu
Capabilities/UrlAssociations

After you delete each empty default value it will read "(value not set)" inside Data column.

Or just wait for the next release.

Well, this may explain something...under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\...there is no reference to Pandora, of any kind.

Only Hotmail and Outlook.

The next reference is under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache. And very little else. (A few references to handling *.mbc files, for example.)

1. Start Pandora as Administrator - Right-click on Pandora icon, choose Run as Administrator.
2. Go to Settings/System Environment and check Default Mailer.
If it's already checked, un-check and check again.
3. Hit OK.
4. Delete empty default values from Registry as described above. You don't need to log off.

OK...so here's what happened. I started Pandora as Admin, and checked the default mailer box which had NOT been checked.

Then I exited Pandora (even rebooted when the first attempt to delete the specified registry keys failed), went to regedit, and tried to delete the keys. ALL failed to deleted: "Failed to delete the specified values" or something like that.

BUT...now Pandora IS an option as default mailer, and it responds to clicking on an email-address hyperlink.

Which tells me that: 1) it appears that I probably did not run the Pandora INSTALL as Admin; and 2) ALL of these issues could have been avoided if I had just done that in the beginning--install Pandora as Admin, in which case I suspect that the the Default Mailer option under Settings/System Environment WOULD have been checked by default.

So it appears that deleting all of those registry keys is unnecessary. All that is required is to check the Default Mailer box IN Pandora, and then Windows also recognizes it as the default mailer, and puts it on the default apps list AND the default protocols list.

When 6.3.2 comes out, I'll be sure to NOT install it in response to the update prompt on program launch. Instead, I'll exit the program, download the installer, and run the installer as Admin.

Brujo Feo wrote:OK...so here's what happened. I started Pandora as Admin, and checked the default mailer box which had NOT been checked.

Then I exited Pandora (even rebooted when the first attempt to delete the specified registry keys failed), went to regedit, and tried to delete the keys. ALL failed to deleted: "Failed to delete the specified values" or something like that.

You have to start regedit as Administrator as well.

Brujo Feo wrote:
Which tells me that: 1) it appears that I probably did not run the Pandora INSTALL as Admin; and

Not related. Installer will not register Pandora as default mailer.

Brujo Feo wrote:
2) ALL of these issues could have been avoided if I had just done that in the beginning--install Pandora as Admin, in which case I suspect that the the Default Mailer option under Settings/System Environment WOULD have been checked by default.

If you start installer as Administrator, it will launch Pandora as Administrator.

I ran regedit as Admin. STILL got the "unable to delete" error messages.

"If you start installer as Administrator, it will launch Pandora as Administrator."

Does that mean that the program launch would be interrupted every time by the "Do You Want to Allow this App from an Unknown Publisher to Make Changes..." permissions dialog box? Because I sure don't want that--it would ruin the whole purpose of I a batch file I have written to launch several apps in the background.

What Brana was trying to say was "If the Installer is run in Administrator mode and at the end of the installation process, you elect to have the Installer start Pandora, that launch of Pandora will run in Administrator mode".   This allows you to set the Default Mailer option. When Pandora is terminated, the next launch will be in User mode.

Butch