making a default email account

[sciencemagic]

I'm trying to send a scanned document from my printer to my email account, which is Yahoo. When I try sending the scanned document, I keep getting the message: I need a default email set up for this procedure, which I evidently don't have set up, even thought I presumed my Yahoo email account WAS my default account? I guess maybe I may have never set up a default email account after all these years? Nonetheless, how do I set up my current Yahoo email account as my default email so I can send those scanned documents as a attachment to send along with a email I want to send? Please understand I don't have a lot of computer expertise to handle trouble shooting. Hopefully someone can take the time to explain to me how I can accomplish this scanning and sending a email. Thank you.

[Rudi]

The normal process would be to scan the document and have it save as a file on your computer. Once you have the scanned file available, it is just a matter of opening Yahoo mail and composing a new message, adding the scanned file into your message as an attachment.

See some documents steps here...

[HansV]

The message refers to a default email account on a local e-mail application, not on a webmail service such as Yahoo!

Examples of local e-mail applications are Microsoft's Windows Live Mail (part of Windows Essentials), and Mozilla's Thunderbird (both free). If you have Microsoft Office, you may have Microsoft Outlook as one of its parts.

You'll have to use one of these programs as your default e-mail application. You can access your Yahoo! mail in any of the above, see for example:
Access Yahoo Mail in Windows Live Mail
Access Yahoo Mail using Mozilla Thunderbird

[sciencemagic]

Rudy,

Thank you for your reply. Is it best to send the scanned document to the PC or as a PDF file? Thank you.

[sciencemagic]

HansV,

So, if I want to be able to send directly from my scanner to a email so I can forward that scanned document with a email, I have to use one of the applications you suggested. Windows Essentials, Thunderbird or Microsoft Outlook and not Yahoo directly which is my normal email account that I use to send emails? Thank you.

[HansV]

Yes, that is correct.

[StuartR]

Just to make this clear. You need to configure a local email client on your PC so that it can send email. You don't need to use this same email client for anything other than sending these scanned documents. It can even be set up with no incoming email at all, just a connection to an SMTP server for sending email (so long as the client application you use supports this).

If you search for "Windows SMTP client" you might find a usable application that is a bit easier to configure than a full email client like Outlook.

[sciencemagic]

StuartR,

Thank you for your reply. Being I'm a novice at this. First, what is a local email client as opposed to the email client (Yahoo) I use for my personal emails? Second, what is a SMTP client? Being I already have Firefox as a secondary browser, would be using Thunderbird be a good choice as a secondary email account to receive a scanned document from? If I were to choose Firefox and Thunderbird, is it simply a matter of going to Firefox and following the instructions to set up a Thunderbird account? Any reason as to why Yahoo doesn't seem to participate with a (SMTP?) email account? Yes, I know these are probably rudimentary questions about email accounts and how to use them, but please be patient with my inexperience. Again, thank you.

[HansV]

A local email client is a program that you install. Examples of local mail clients are - as mentioned above - Microsoft Outlook, Windows Live Mail and Mozilla Thunderbird.

A webmail client is a mail service that you access through your web browser without needing to install a separate program. Examples of webmail clients are Google's Gmail, Microsoft's Hotmail and Outlook.com (please note that Outlook.com is a webmail client, while Microsoft Outlook is a local e-mail client), and Yahoo! Mail.

Both local e-mail clients and webmail clients offer a completer interface in which you can compose, view, send and receive messages, organize messages in folders, set up rules to process messages etc.

An SMTP client is a utility that is used to send messages only; it cannot be used to receive messages, and it does not provide an interface to view and organize messages.

If I were you I'd download and install Thunderbird and set it up to use your Yahoo! Mail account - see the links in my previous reply.

[sciencemagic]

HanzV,

Thank you HanzV for your explanation of the two email clients. It appears using Thunderbird and setting it up to use my Yahoo email account is the way to go, if I understand your comment, HanzV. I will use the links you provided previously to get started. Again, thank you for your help.