diff --git a/mail/components/preferences/general.js b/mail/components/preferences/general.js
index 68b85f0f22b..98f1d0e7a9e 100644
--- a/mail/components/preferences/general.js
+++ b/mail/components/preferences/general.js
@@ -48,9 +48,9 @@ var gGeneralPane = {
     this.mMapiBundle = document.getElementById("mapiBundle"); 
 
 #ifdef XP_WIN
-    this.onReadDefaultMailPref();
-    this.onReadDefaultNewsPref();
-    this.onReadDefaultFeedPref();
+    document.getElementById('mail.checkDefaultMail').valueFromPreferences = this.onReadDefaultMailPref();
+    document.getElementById('mail.checkDefaultNews').valueFromPreferences = this.onReadDefaultNewsPref();
+    document.getElementById('mail.checkDefaultFeed').valueFromPreferences = this.onReadDefaultFeedPref();
 #endif
 
 #ifdef XP_MACOSX
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ var gGeneralPane = {
   onReadDefaultMailPref: function()
   {
     var mapiRegistry = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/mapiregistry;1"].getService(Components.interfaces.nsIMapiRegistry);
-    document.getElementById('defaultMailClient').checked = mapiRegistry.isDefaultMailClient;   
+    document.getElementById('defaultMailClient').checked = mapiRegistry.isDefaultMailClient;
     return mapiRegistry.isDefaultMailClient;
   },
 
@@ -104,14 +104,14 @@ var gGeneralPane = {
   onReadDefaultFeedPref: function()
   {
     var mapiRegistry = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/mapiregistry;1"].getService(Components.interfaces.nsIMapiRegistry);
-    document.getElementById('defaultFeedClient').checked = mapiRegistry.isDefaultFeedClient;   
+    document.getElementById('defaultFeedClient').checked = mapiRegistry.isDefaultFeedClient; 
     return mapiRegistry.isDefaultFeedClient;   
   },
 
   onWriteDefaultFeed: function()
   {
     var mapiRegistry = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/mapiregistry;1"].getService(Components.interfaces.nsIMapiRegistry);
-    var makeDefaultFeedClient = document.getElementById('mail.checkDefaultFeed').value;   
+    var makeDefaultFeedClient = document.getElementById('mail.checkDefaultFeed').value;  
     if (mapiRegistry.isDefaultFeedClient != makeDefaultFeedClient) 
       mapiRegistry.isDefaultFeedClient = makeDefaultFeedClient;
   },
diff --git a/mail/components/preferences/general.xul b/mail/components/preferences/general.xul
index 304e2bf3704..557fa9bafbc 100644
--- a/mail/components/preferences/general.xul
+++ b/mail/components/preferences/general.xul
@@ -82,15 +82,15 @@
       <label value="&generalSettings.label;"/>
       <hbox class="indent">
         <checkbox id="defaultMailClient" label="&setDefaultMailClient.label;"
-                  accesskey="&setDefaultMailClient.accesskey;" 
+                  accesskey="&setDefaultMailClient.accesskey;"
                   preference="mail.checkDefaultMail"/>
 
         <checkbox id="defaultNewsClient" label="&setDefaultNewsClient.label;"
-                  preference="mail.checkDefaultNews"                
+                  preference="mail.checkDefaultNews"
                   accesskey="&setDefaultNewsClient.accesskey;"/>
 
         <checkbox id="defaultFeedClient" label="&setDefaultFeedClient.label;"
-                  preference="mail.checkDefaultFeed"                
+                  preference="mail.checkDefaultFeed"
                   accesskey="&setDefaultFeedClient.accesskey;"/>
       </hbox>
 #endif