Using MAPI with Thunderbird's Windows 7 developer builds

MAPI (Messaging Application Programming Interface) is a Windows feature that allows applications to send files via a system's default mail application. The Thunderbird installer sets the installed build as the default mapi/mail client. If you want to set a debug build as the default mail client, you need configure it manually:

  1. In the objdir/mozilla/dist/bin directory, copy mozMapi32.dll to mozMapi32_InUse.dll and MapiProxy to MapiProxy_InUse.dll. (Be sure to copy - not move - these files.)

  2. In the uninstall sub-directory of the bin directory, run these two commands:

    3. helper.exe /SetAsDefaultAppGlobal
helper.exe /SetAsDefaultAppUser

  3. Create an elevated shell and register the MAPI proxy.dll as a COM server. (One way to create an elevated shell is to invoke the command prompt from the Start menu, right click, and select Run as Administrator.) In the elevated shell, change to the objdir/mozilla/dist/bin directory and enter this command:

regsvr32 MapiProxy_InUse.dll