1722256 - outlook dialog "no default mail client" appears on every start of Thunderbird (failed MAPI integration)

Status: NEW

(Thunderbird :: Installer, defect)

Description

[Matt]

Attachment: image.png

I have attached a copy of the dialog that appears on each start of Daily.

This does not appear on startup of the release version 78 so would indicate that there is apparently a need to replace the MAPI DLL with the daily install and the daily installer has not managed to do this. Hence filing this bug.

As I have never managed to make MAPI work on this device with Thunderbird it is highly likely that there are residual issues on the machine pertaining to it's prior life as a domain attached device or software installed perhaps as administrator under the domain. As Daily does not appear to be correctly installed following the running of the installer I am filing this bug under that component as even if my machine is the problem, the installer should do more than silently fail.

Comment 1

[IT Support]

To our knowledge the installer doesn't check for MAPI. What does a startup message have to do with the installer? Do you have the OL AB enabled with pref ldap_2.servers.outlook.dirType? If so, set that back to -1. As you said, the error is only observed if there is something wrong with the MAPI installation on the machine, or some bit-ness incompatibility: OL in 32bit and TB in 64bit.

Comment 2

[Matt]

I think the key point is TB 78 does not generate such an error and TB Daily does. Given the startup code is not supposed to initiate anything but registry checks for integration I really don't know where the problem lies. Is it MAPI? I have certainly seen that error when mapi fails, but what Thunderbird is doing on startup to initiate it I have no idea.

I can only assume the installer failed to install a required DLL, like one for MAPI. Given 78 has no issue and Daily is broken with the difference being an installer was used for daily.

Comment 3

[IT Support]

You're running 78 and 92 on the same profile? How can the comparison be valid otherwise? Have you checked ldap_2.servers.outlook.dirType?

Comment 4

[Matt]

Given I am talking about system integration, I really have no real idea what the profile should have to do with it. I did create yet another new profile using daily, and the dialog does not appear after I allow it to set all the system integration it could. But I still do not understand why the outlook MAPI DLL is being invoked on startup.

Comment 5

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

see also https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1323685#answer-1387997

Comment 6

[Richard Leger]

Attachment: either_there_is_no_defalt_mal_client.png

I have just met with a similar user case... on Windows 10 Pro 20H2 [Version 10.0.19042.1237] machine...

In File Explorer when right click file and choose Send To > Mail Recipient the attached error appears...

It seems end-user had installed manually 91.x in parallel of 78.x on the machine. 91.x was removed. 78.x updated to 78.14.0 (32bits). Still the Send To feature still not working.

Tried to remove re-install (x32bits) version. no luck.
Removed x32bits version and installed 78.14.0 (64bits) en-gb instead no luck
Removed 78.14.0 (64bits) en-gb, rebooted machine, re-installed 78.14.0 (64bits) en-us with advance option and set as default. no luck.
Tried set default to Outlook and back to Thunderbird in Windows. no luck
Tried set default app to Outlok in Windows, open TB, go to preference, check if default app, set it as default app (kept default option which include email). no luck
Removed 78.14.0 (64bits) en-us and re-installed 78.14.0 (32bits) en-us with custom option and making use use TB as default checked marked in installer and reboot. no luck
Upgrading to 21H1. no luck

Still cannot use the Sent To > Mail Recipient feature :-(

Did I missed something to fix the issue? Or bug in TB? Could 91.x version installed manually have set something in the registry that is not being cleaned up and causing the issue?

Comment 7

[Richard Leger]

(In reply to Richard Leger from comment #6)

Created attachment 9242498 [details]
either_there_is_no_defalt_mal_client.png
Still cannot use the Sent To > Mail Recipient feature :-(

It seems that something has corrupted the user profile with regards to the Send To feature, a new user connected to the same machine (new user profile) does not encounter the issue so not a wide system install issue but a per user issue. Affecting only existing user.

Will try to reset the Windows user profile of the affected user on Windows and see if that help fix the Send To issue... strange that Thunderbird is not able to fix the installation upon remove/re-install or have anyway to fix the user profile upon startup... to fix and allow Send To feature again if broken somehow...

Comment 8

[Richard Leger]

(In reply to Richard Leger from comment #7)

(In reply to Richard Leger from comment #6)
Will try to reset the Windows user profile of the affected user on Windows and see if that help fix the Send To issue...

Creating a new user profile for the user did fixed the Send To issue encountered.

I was able to manually transfer data and TB profile from old profile into new one (among other user data and settings) and reset TB as default app for Email.

Comment 9

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Matt, Is this still an issue in daily or version 102?

I don't see value in keeping the related bugs open if there isn't diagnosis happening there, so I will probably dupe them to this bug.

Comment 10

[Matt]

I can no longer reproduce it.

Comment 12

[Worcester12345]

Could this be as simple as a WIndows permissions problem not allowing the changes to be fully set?

Comment 13

[carbofos]

I've had the same issue, this dialog kept appearing twice in a row upon Thunderbird startup.

Before finding this bug report I've tried to so some logging with Process Monitor, it seemed a registry parameter DLLPathEx from HKLM\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla Thunderbird was queried, but it did not exist, there was only DLLPath. Upon copying that value and saving it under DLLPathEx name, the problem went away.

Comment 14

[Worcester12345]

(In reply to Matt from comment #10)

I can no longer reproduce it.

"Works For Me"?