Mail-To Links Still Work with Traditional Email Desktop Programs
Most of the websites where we do business nowadays have special features for registered users to contact the business by typed message.
Typically the user selects a categorized topic, types their question or and explanation of their issue into a text box, and clicks a button to "submit" or "send".
However, websites that we visit but don't have a registered log-in identity often still use old-style "Mail To" links.
These links are designed to open up our default "desktop email app" so we can send an email message to the designated business contact.
Nowadays the problem is that more people are using webmail sites through their browser, rather than desktop software, and "Mail To" links don't open up webmail pages.
If you're already using a desktop email program like Outlook, Thunderbird or Incredimail as your default, then the "Mail To" link usually will bring up that program and automatically open a window to compose your message, so there's no problem.
But if you're using Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple's Safari, Opera, Lunascape or AOL Gold to get your email, then you're using webmail.
In that case, when you click a "Mail To" link though, it will bring up a screen for whichever desktop application that your operating system (Windows, Linux or iOS) has registered as the default software for email. But the email program may not have been set up with your email account, settings and password information, so you're at a standstill.
For that reason, it's become a good idea to set up the desktop email app to access your email account, even if you don't usually use it, especially if you want to be able to use the "Mail To" links even occasionally, but also in case your browser has problems or in case your email provider redesigns your mail page badly.
I only began recommending desktop software setups again just recently, but for three reasons:
Automatic setting detection by desktop email apps has improved, and New SMTP and save-on-server options are available, and Email providers are starting to redesign their webmail pages in ways that are not very friendly to seniors.
Setting up your desktop email program may take as little as 20-30 minutes. It can take longer if password resets or special verifications are required in the process.
It's probably a good idea to get it set up due to the reasons I mention above, in any case.
Over time it may prove advantageous to have an alternate program available to get into your email.
Outlook is the best known such program. Thunderbird is the most popular free alternative to Outlook with comparable options. Today the most simple Windows 10 alternative is the basic Windows Mail App, which has improved as far as smooth setup goes.
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