Excel can't find or use the wrong mail program

Close Excel first and check out if Outlook or Outlook Express/Windows Mail is your mail program for Office.
Start>Settings>Control Panel....Internet options (Program Tab)
In Vista : Start>Default programs


Controls to send mail are missing or disabled or there are errors when you try to mail.

Excel 2007
When you get a "General mail failure" error or have other problems then first run Office Diagnostics.
Office Button>Excel Options...Resources

The "E-mail" command is missing or is unavailable, see
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918792/en-us

Where is the Send to Mail Recipient option in Excel 2007 ?
You can add this option to the QAT like this:

1) Office Button > Excel Options
2) Customize
3) Choose "Commands Not in the Ribbon" in the "Choose Commands from" list
4) Select the command named "Send to mail recipient"
5) Add
6) OK


Excel 2003
For Office 2003 see this Kb first to check if you registry values are correct.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/834008
Office 2003 only uses the registry for MAPI information.

Excel 97-2002
This behavior may occur when the following entry is missing from the [Mail] section of
the Win.ini system file:  MAPIX=1

How do I add the MAPIX=1 entry to the Win.ini file ?

1) Click Start>Run.
2) In the Open box, type Sysedit, and then click OK.
3) In System Configuration Editor, click the title bar of the drive:\WINDOWS\WIN.INI window.
4) Under [Mail], type a new line that reads MAPIX=1, and then press ENTER.
5) On the File menu, click Exit and save the win.ini file.
6) Open Excel and see if it is working now.

Excel 2000-2002 in Vista
In Vista it is not possible to edit/save the win.ini file in the sysedit window because of the security settings.
Browse to C:\Windows and copy the win.ini file on your desktop and edit/save it there and copy it back to C:\Windows

If your register/win.ini file is OK and controls to send mail in Excel are still missing or disabled then try to rename your .xlb file.
Reason: Maybe you have a corrupt or bloated xlb file *normal* size is < 30 kb.
The .xlb file has all Toolbar customization in it.

1) Close Excel
2) Do a search for .xlb in Windows (Use: search hidden files and folders)
3) Rename or delete the .xlb file or files (In 2002 the name = Excel10.xlb)
4) Start Excel

Deleting the file or renaming will do no harm to your system
Excel will create a new file for you. (You lost your customization remember that)
If you make your own toolbars or add buttons to the others
this file is important (backup it so you can restore it)



Excel could not start the E-mail program error

Error <Excel could not start the E-mail program>
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/828509

If you use for example Excel 2000 or 2002.
And use File>Send To...Mail recipient or use the E-Mail button on the Standard toolbar
and have Outlook 2003 as your default mail program then Excel will tell you
<Excel could not start the E-mail program>

The Outlook version and the Office version must be the same to send in the body of the mail.

Note: as a workaround you can use my Body Examples

http://www.rondebruin.nl/mail/folder3/mail2.htm
Or
http://www.rondebruin.nl/mail/folder3/mail4.htm

Or use my SendMail add-in for Outlook
http://www.rondebruin.nl/mail/add-in.htm



Other problems

Search in the MS Knowledge Base for solutions of other problems (Click here)