Mailto: Link Not Working

[AndyMc12]

Hi, I have created a PDF with a mailto: link. When I click this link in Reader V11 it does not launch an email. However, when my business partner clicks the mailto: link it DOES work. We are both using V11, we both run Windows 7 and we both use Thunderbird. The only difference is he is based in the UK and I'm in the US. Can anyone please help me understand why this may not be working for me? Many thanks.

[~graffiti]

If you go to Edit>Preferences>Email accounts, does it list any accounts?

[AndyMc12]

It says "Default email application" but nothing else. It's not checked. So I added my gmail account as a test and marked it as default. But no change in behavior within the PDF - it still does nothing.

The issue here is that we (my company) generate these PDF's for clients who then send them to their customers. The mailto: is our client's email address which their customers will click to contact them. So, even if we fix the issue on my Reader, I have no guarantee it will behave correctly for others, right? Thanks for any input! Andy

[pwillener]

andymc12 wrote:

So, even if we fix the issue on my Reader, I have no guarantee it will behave correctly for others, right?

That is quite correct; these days users open PDF files in all kinds of environments; mobile phones, Android tablets, iPads, Windows computers with Firefox or Chrome (that use their own PDF viewers), PDF preview on Macs or Windows 8, ...

There is absolutely no guarantee that anything will work as expected.

But let's start with your own problem: what is your default email client?  Is it running when you click on that mailto: link?

Also, what is your Reader version?

Finally, is that PDF on your local disk, or online?  If online, in what browser?

[AndyMc12]

Thank you Pat for trying to unravel this one. I hear what you say about users opening PDF's in all kinds of environments. However why does such a mainstream reader as Adobe struggle to cope with all those environments with such a simple command as mailto:? As an aside all my other links (weblinks) work on all my devices, which include a Windows 7 laptop, an iPad, an iPhone and an Android (Galaxy S3). Why is mailto: so peculiar?

Back to your questions!

Default mail client: Mozilla Thunderbird (I do have Gmail as well).

Is it running: Yes Thunderbird is running when I click the link.

Reader: V11

PDF local or online: Both. When I view it online the mailto: link works. When I view it on my local PC (Windows 7) it does not.

I should also point out that I've removed any subject field text since I have read that this can sometimes cause a failure in mailto: to work.

Any and all insights very much appreciated! Thanks.

[pwillener]

I just created a little test PDF with a mailto link in it: https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/aa0f964c-c26e-4863-af52-bbfe192528aa

Clicking on that link on a Windows 7 system with Adobe Reader 11.0.7 and Windows Live Mail does: nothing!

On another system with Windows XP, Adobe Reader 10.1.10 and Outlook Express opens an email message normally.

Later today I will test on another system with Windows XP, Reader 11.0.7 and Outlook 2007.

I will also test it on an Android device with Reader 11.2.1 installed.

But from my first test it appears as if there is a bug in Reader 11.0.7.

[pwillener]

Further tests:

Windows XP, Reader 11.0.7, Outlook 2007: opens email message normally.

Windows 7, Firefox 29.0.1 with Reader 11.0.7 plugin: opens email message normally.

Android with Reader 11.2.1: opens email message normally.

Now the questions is:

1) what is your Reader XI version?

2) what is the Reader version of your business partner in the UK?

[AndyMc12]

Thank you so much for running all these tests. I'm using 11.0.6. I also opened your file Pat and the email did NOT launch (just to ensure consistent behavior).

So I upgraded to 11.0.7. No change in behavior - the email does not launch

So I uninstalled V11 and then installed 10.1.4. No change in behavior - the email does not launch

To me the version of Reader doesn't appear to be the issue since 3 different versions behave the same way.

I then tested this on my Galaxy S3 android using V11.2.1 - email launches without issue.

I then tested this on my ipad with a different reader - email launches without issue.

So this is either Thunderbird or Windows 7?

Thanks again!

[AndyMc12 · Accepted solution]

Hi all - issue fixed - I knew it had to be something with my windows set up since it was the only potential variable - I went to Start > Default Programs > Set program access and computer defaults > custom drop down. Then I enabled access to Thunderbird under the default email program option.

I can now hit the mailto: link and it launches Thunderbird.

Thanks for helping me narrow down the issue.

Andy

[pwillener]

Great - it now works on my Windows 7 system as well!

[Kshakti]

Nice

[Kshakti]

Hi,

I tried with the file Pat shared on with Thunderbird 24.5.0 and Adobe Reader 11.0.7 on Win7 machine.

I did not face any issues.

Can you please tell your Reader full version?.

Also, tell your Thunderbird version?

Thanks,

Shakti K

[AndyMc12]

Hi Shakti

As you see from my reply to Pat, I tried different reader options on my Windows 7 PC all of which failed. I'm running Thunderbird 24.5.0.

So actually I used the exact combination as you > Thunderbird 24.5.0 and Adobe Reader 11.0.7 on Win7 machine > but with different results!

Any and all help much appreciated!

[gru-zinkerbell]

We had the same problem here in the office:

We were running Microsoft Office 2013, Adobe XI, on both 32 and 64 bit systems.

1. The "Send File" option doesn't work

2. The "mailto" hyperlink in a PDF document doesn't allow the new email to be created.

When we checked through the system logs, we noticed that this was being blocked by Mcafee HIPS (Host Intrusion) under "Sig ID = 2254".

We altered the HIPS policy, and everything is now working 100%.

[Shirleymb4]

I also had a problem with the InDesign PDF's email links, which ended up opening my Google home page only. I decided to try converting a Word document to a PDF, and the email links also brought me to the Google page. I tried clicking on the email address in the Word document itself, and the very same thing happened. I realized that it wasn't an InDesign problem at all. I researched the issue and found that in Google Chrome's advance settings, one has to change one of the settings. Now when I click on the Indesign PDF, Windows Live Mail 2011 opens with the email address in its proper place. Problem solved!