Need to at least "disable" Windows Mail

I am cross-posting this in an additional forum to solicit input.

**********************************************

As an enterprise customer (using Windows Vista Enterprise), we've already
selected -- as most large corportate customers would -- an email system and
client. As such, I really don't understand why, just like with Outlook
Express (until XPSP2), you can't remove this product.

As a corporate customer, clearly we don't want our Vista users to be at all
confused between mail clients and would very much like to see at least some
sort of GPO that could "disable" the Windows Mail client so avoid any
confusion by our less capable users.

Any help/suggestions would be most graciously appreciated... and, no, I
haven't combed through the incredible complexity of available GPOs for Vista
yet -- hoping that if there is some sort of capability like that I've
outlined above, that an expert at MS can direct me to it so that I don't have
to submerse myself in the myriad of detail.

Thanks in advance.

On Sun, 24 Feb 2008 06:54:02 -0800, Chris
<> wrote:

>I am cross-posting this in an additional forum to solicit input.
>
>**********************************************
>
>As an enterprise customer (using Windows Vista Enterprise), we've already
>selected -- as most large corportate customers would -- an email system and
>client. As such, I really don't understand why, just like with Outlook
>Express (until XPSP2), you can't remove this product.
>
>As a corporate customer, clearly we don't want our Vista users to be at all
>confused between mail clients and would very much like to see at least some
>sort of GPO that could "disable" the Windows Mail client so avoid any
>confusion by our less capable users.
>
>Any help/suggestions would be most graciously appreciated... and, no, I
>haven't combed through the incredible complexity of available GPOs for Vista
>yet -- hoping that if there is some sort of capability like that I've
>outlined above, that an expert at MS can direct me to it so that I don't have
>to submerse myself in the myriad of detail.
>
>Thanks in advance.

Windows Mail may be "turned off" through a local policy using the
Group Policy Object Editor. I don't believe it can be "uninstalled",
per se.

To do this,
1) Enter "mmc<ENTER>" in the Run dialog (without the quote-marks, of
course.)
2) Once the Management Console opens, right-click on "File", choose
"Add Snap-in", and select "Group Policy Object Editor", and move it to
the Console Root by clicking on the "Add" button on the right side of
the sheet.
3) Double-Click on the Console Root (on the Left side of the sheet) to
expand it.
4) Double-Click on "Local Computer Policy" (Left side of the sheet)
to expand it.
5) Double-Click on "Computer Configuration: (Left side of the sheet)
6) Double-Click on "Administrative Templates"
7) Double-Click on "Windows Components"
8) Choose "Windows Mail" in the list (Let side of the sheet)
9) On its properties sheet (right side of the sheet), Right-Click on
"Turn off Windows Mail Application", choose "Properties", and set the
property you want for that computer.

You can do this for individual users by choosing "User Configuration",
rather than "Computer Configuration", in step 5 above, then following
the rest of the steps. Don't forget to save your changes.

Your Administrator should know how to do this much better than I.
I can report that setting this policy on my computer makes Windows
Mail not available to use by anyone.

If you want to make it unavailable on the top of the Start Menu,
follow these instructions:
1) Right-click on the Start button
2) Choose "Properties" from the Popup menu
3) Click on the ""Start Menu" tab
4) Select the "Start Menu" radio-button
5) Click on the "Customize" button
6) At the very bottom, under the "Show on Start Menu" section, select
your desired mail client from the Drop-down list beside the current
selection.
7) Save your changes.


--
Donald L McDaniel

How can so many otherwise very intelligent people screw up
something so simple so badly? If you stick a computer
keyboard in front of most people, they'll suddenly drop
30 points off their IQs. Much like placing a "Pork Barrel"
bill in front of a politician: He'll forget all about
"cooperation" the minute he counts the zeroes before the
decimal point.

Chris, I am using vista home premium, but it cannot be so much diference
that my way won't work on your os.
1. Left click on Windows Mail then right click. Choose Properties
1. at the top, find Security , click that
3. look for a box that says EDIT , click that
4. look for the heading Permissions for System , check mark the boxes under
DENY
Now no one can use it anymore.
"Chris" <> wrote in message
news:603DD187-DB7F-4B0A-AFC4-...
>I am cross-posting this in an additional forum to solicit input.
>
> **********************************************
>
> As an enterprise customer (using Windows Vista Enterprise), we've already
> selected -- as most large corportate customers would -- an email system
> and
> client. As such, I really don't understand why, just like with Outlook
> Express (until XPSP2), you can't remove this product.
>
> As a corporate customer, clearly we don't want our Vista users to be at
> all
> confused between mail clients and would very much like to see at least
> some
> sort of GPO that could "disable" the Windows Mail client so avoid any
> confusion by our less capable users.
>
> Any help/suggestions would be most graciously appreciated... and, no, I
> haven't combed through the incredible complexity of available GPOs for
> Vista
> yet -- hoping that if there is some sort of capability like that I've
> outlined above, that an expert at MS can direct me to it so that I don't
> have
> to submerse myself in the myriad of detail.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>