Is your TB 32-bit or 64-bit? Help/About TB to check. If TB is 64-bit and your HP scanner software is 32-bit, it won't be able to 'communicate' with TB, i.e. send a scan to TB. If that's the case, uninstall TB 64-bit and install TB 32-bit. This won't affect your data that is stored in the separate profile folder. If you run the installer in Advanced mode, set TB as the default email program, and after setup restart the computer. The 32-bit TB is not less efficient than the 64-bit version, and often works better for MAPI operations like scan-to-email.

Thanks so much for responding. Both my Windows and my HP OfficeJet software are 64 bit so I uninstalled my 32 bit Thunderbird and installed the 64 bit. I am still getting the error message when I try to scan to email. I also had another phone conversation with HP and we got nowhere.

It's possible that the new scanner software doesn't support SimpleMAPI commands, which is necessary to function with TB. Or, the MAPI settings in Windows may be damaged. Try this test: right-click a file from File Explorer, Send to - Mail recipient. Does that launch a new TB message with the file attached?

The file was sent with no problem.

I think that means MAPI is working, so probably the scanner software is incompatible with TB.

I learned I can scan to email directly from the printer, but cannot if I use the printer software on my PC.

You might want to try a different program to scan and email. Many image viewers such as FastStone have built-in scanner acquisition options and image-to-email. Unfortunately, I can't test this with my ancient scanner, which works fine with VueScan, but VueScan's image-to-email doesn't use the installed email program.

Thank you for the suggestion. I think there is a hitch in HP's software for this printer. The error message is instant.

OK.... I've done some digging around and located the following link which seems to imply that HP is hardcoded to look for 'outlook.exe', so you have to trick it by having 'outlook.exe' in the App Paths but its actually got default and path pointing to thunderbird.exe.

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-and-Copying/officejet-8620-pro-won-t-scan-to-emal/td-p/4113222/page/2

Make sure you read the third comment at that link.

I went to regedit and to Mail. Listed there were hotmail (I deleted it), Windows Outlook and Thunderbird and it showed Thunderbird as the default. I don't know how to create a path from Outlook to Thunderbird.

There was no wimail.exe listed in the registry.

I think one of the problems here is that the answers given are dated 2014 and 2015. Surely HP software has changed during the last five years. I'm concerned that the listing "mail" no longer appears when I go to regedit.exe.

It might be new printer, but have you checked all the drivers are up to date ?

Windows OS

• Control Panel > Default Programs > locate link text - Choose default applications by protocol
• Wait for the menu selections to fill in (a few seconds)
• scroll down to the MAILTO protocol
• Check it has 'Thunderbird' set as default.

At that link but on page 4 (see below) there is a post by DjKarisma which includes images and is good instructions. So it is worth checking it out. https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-and-Copying/officejet-8620-pro-won-t-scan-to-emal/td-p/4113222/page/4

re : Surely HP software has changed during the last five years.

You would think so, but comments at that link go on until 2017 and there are others. All help files that I've managed to see do not discuss third party email clients and in those that managed to get things working eg: due to a bad .dll file, were using outllook and ms office products.

Right! I finally spoke with someone at HP who knew what was going on. Bottom line: The new HP software on both the office and laser jets ONLY go to Outlook and there is no way around that. So, if you are using any other server by Outlook you just have to scan to the computer and attach the scan to an email. I don't know why they changed their software to go to Outlook only but I asked the tech to let her superiors know that they should remove that restriction. I don't suspect that will happen. Thanks for all your help and at least I know the answer now.

re :spoke with someone at HP who knew what was going on. Bottom line: The new HP software on both the office and laser jets ONLY go to Outlook and there is no way around that.

That's why you have to change the information I pointed you to change using the last link.

At link but on page 4 (see below) there is a post by DjKarisma which includes images and is good instructions. So it is worth checking it out as it is how to force it to use thunderbird when it looks for outlook. https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-and-Copying/officejet-8620-pro-won-t-scan-to-emal/td-p/4113222/page/4

So they have not moved forward on fixing this long standing issue meaning you have to perform a workaround to use anything other than outlook.

Thanks so much...I would love to get this to work. I went into the registry as far as Windows but there was no entry for "current version". I have asked my grandson to help me with the notepad issue...will let you know how we fare. Ann

I tried the second method...I opened notepad then copied and pasted the four red lines for Windows 64 bit onto notepad. Then I saved it to a ScanHpThunderbird.REG on my desktop after changing text to all files. But, when I double click on the saved file, it just shows notepad with the pasted link. There is no way to say yes. I feel like I'm close but no cigar?

Do I need to download Outlook to get this all to work...it's not on my computer?

You don't have to download Outlook, but you need to create the entry for OUTLOOK.EXE in the registry, because that's where the HP software looks.

If you saved the 4 red lines as a .reg file with file type All Files (*.*), not as a text file, right-clicking the .reg file should show a Merge command in the context menu. Merge will perform the same operation as double-clicking, if it's a .reg file.

I noticed the instructions from 2017 indicate the path to the TB exe in 64-bit Windows as Program Files (x86), because at that time only 32-bit TB was available. If your TB is 64-bit, the exe is, or should be, in Program Files, so you would actually copy the 4 lines shown for 32-bit Windows - in your 64-bit Windows.