567579 - In System Integration default client dialog, choice of "E-mail" is set but greyed out

Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 360809

(Thunderbird :: Preferences, defect)

Description

[Kent James (:rkent)]

With TB 3.1 RC1 build 2, when I create a new profile I am unable to disable "Use thunderbird as the default client for ... E-mail" because "E-mail" is set but the control is disabled. This is using Windows 7 Home Premium, 32 bit.

On subsequent startups, and trying to change this manually in Options, the control remains disabled, so this functionality is completely broken.

This is a regression from 3.1 beta2. If this issue is reproducible on other people's Windows 7 systems, it should block 3.1, as it makes it appear that Thunderbird is very arrogant about demanding to be the default email application.

I am leaving this Unconfirmed, because this is an issue of integration with the operating system, and therefore might be peculiar to my own setup. I would appreciate if anyone who is able to reporduce this confirms the bug.

STR:

1) Create a new profile.
2) Add an IMAP account as requested in the new profile
3) See the disabled E-mail option in the System Integration screen

Comment 1

[Kent James (:rkent)]

Update:

This is also disabled for existing profiles.

STR:

1) Tools/Options/Advanced/General
2) Click on "Check now" under System Integration

Expected:
"E-mail" control can be checked/unchecked

Actual:
"E-mail" control is disabled

Comment 2

[Mark Banner (:standard8)]

So AFAIK, the behaviour of this dialog has not changed since before TB 3.

The way to not set TB as default for email in the dialog, is to select Cancel. I don't think we've ever (for instance) been able to set as default client for newsgroups and not mail.

If you want TB not to be default client, then you need to go to a *different* program, and set that as default. This is the way Firefox works as well.

Comment 3

[Kent James (:rkent)]

I've done some more looking at this bug, and as a result I'm going to remove the blocking request.

I don't really understand that pattern of behavior that makes this occur, but I was able to demonstrate similar behavior on 3.1beta2 as well as RC1 build2 and even Thunderbird 3.0. So because I cannot show a point where this is clearly working correctly, I am removing the regression keyword.

Also, on both b2 and RC1 builds, the issue of disabled "E-mail" control comes and goes. Not sure what makes it start to reappear, but to make it disappear I try changing its value from the tools/options/advanced/general/"check now" dialog. After one or more changes, Windows 7 UAC pops up a complaint about "helper.exe" wanting to run (in more detail this is helper.exe from TB's uninstall directory, with options /UAC:320252 /NCRC /SetAsDefaultAppUserMail). After it runs, then the "E-mail" choice is disabled until at some point, with my playing around in an uncontrolled manner, it reappears again.

In no case can I ever get the "E-mail" control ("set as default email application") to actually show itself as unchecked when the dialog opens. That is, when the control is enabled, I can uncheck it, but when the dialog is closed an reopened it is always checked again.

So although I find this behavior quirky and strange, it is not new and therefore does not IMHO meet the standard for considering as blocking TB 3.1