Outlook Needs to be set as default mail

Content Authoring
2

Step 1 - Enable GPO (and keep default file path) - Default associations configuration file located in Computer\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\File Explorer

OR create a Fixlet to modify the Registry Equivalent: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System
"DefaultAssociationsConfiguration"=“c:\windows\system32\defaultassociations.xml” Type=REG_SZ

Step 2 - Figure out your XML file. If you just want Outlook 2016 set as the default, you can use this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<DefaultAssociations>
  <Association Identifier="mailto" ProgId="Outlook.URL.mailto.15" ApplicationName="Outlook 2016" />
  <Association Identifier=".htm" ProgId="ChromeHTML" ApplicationName="Google Chrome" />
  <Association Identifier=".html" ProgId="ChromeHTML" ApplicationName="Google Chrome" />
  <Association Identifier="http" ProgId="ChromeHTML" ApplicationName="Google Chrome" />
  <Association Identifier="https" ProgId="ChromeHTML" ApplicationName="Google Chrome" />
  <Association Identifier=".acrobatsecuritysettings" ProgId="Applications\AcroRd32.exe" ApplicationName="Adobe Acrobat Reader DC" />
  <Association Identifier=".pdf" ProgId="AcroExch.Document.DC" ApplicationName="Adobe Acrobat Reader DC" />
  <Association Identifier=".pdfxml" ProgId="Applications\AcroRd32.exe" ApplicationName="Adobe Acrobat Reader DC" />
</DefaultAssociations>

Step 3 - Create a Fixlet to check the SHA1 and deploy the file if it isn’t there.

Relevance:
(name of operating system contains "Win10") and (not exists file "defaultassociations.xml" of system x64 folder) OR (exists file "defaultassociations.xml" whose (sha1 of it != "703b342dc03265ea624382207fee8e5721c15959") of system x64 folder)

Action Script:
prefetch defaultassociations.xml sha1:703b342dc03265ea624382207fee8e5721c15959 size:186 http://EXAMPLEURL/REPLACEME.exe

if {x64 of operating system}
  action uses wow64 redirection false
endif

delete "{system x64 folder}\defaultassociations.xml"

copy __Download\defaultassociations.xml "{system x64 folder}\defaultassociations.xml"

Behavior:

  1. If Default application is not installed, “Choose a default” is presented within Default Apps
  2. XML Makeup items are persistent (they can be changed but will be reapplied at next login)
  3. Deleting or renaming C:\Windows\System32\defaultassociations.xml renders the control inoperative (exclusion)
2 Likes