Re: IE launching when Firefox is default browser

Hi M :-)

Having gone back over the information below, and redone the test, I did
misunderstand the location of the Links toolbar. After creating two
subdirectories in the Links folder via Windows Explorer, dragging the Links
toolbar from the *taskbar* to the desktop, and setting the FF as my default
browser, and then opening the files from the subdirectories on the Links
toolbar, it did open in IE instead of FF. I unchecked the enable access for
the IE in the Set Program and access defaults, and it still opened in IE.
At last I can reproduce what you are seeing.

However, I am sorry that I don't have any idea how to rectify this issue, if
it can be rectified. If this is by design, then there is nothing that can
be done. Perhaps there is someone here who is more knowledgeable regarding
such functions that may be able to provide more assistance. I also suggest
that you contact Microsoft support on this issue via the IE Help>and
clicking on Online support or Send feedback to address the problem with
them.

Sorry that I can't be of more help at this point, but, I've now been able to
reproduce the issue. <g>

Hope this helps.

Jan :)
MS MVP - Windows IE/OE [DTS/AumHa]
Smiles are meant to be shared,
that's why they're so contagious.

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Hi Jan

May I just double-check something with you:

When you said "Then reopened Ff, went to the Links folder on my
toolbar...", do you mean you selected the Links folder from within
Firefox? If so, this will not reproduce the problem. The toolbar to
which I was referring is the Links Toolbar on the *Desktop*, not within
the browser or Explorer. In order to access this, you first have to set
it up via the Desktop Taskbar (right click on the Taskbar > select
'Toolbars' > check 'Links' then drag the Links toolbar that appears out
onto the desktop (or dock it to the screen edge somewhere)).

Perhaps you could confirm whether this is what you tried.

Thanks again!

Regards
M


"Jan Il" <abuseSPAM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uUCsCI$LGHA.2416@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi M :-)

Sorry M, I guess my last reply never made it to the newsgroup. I did
indeed try the steps exactly as you outlined. After making FireFox my
default browser I created two subfolders to two existing folders in my
Links for my User account, to simulate your situation. Then I drug the
URLs from the address bar into the subdirectory folders, two URLs each
and closed FF. Then added two links to each subfolder through Windows
Explorer copying links from the Favorites list. Then reopened Ff, went
to the Links folder on my toolbar, selected the folder with the
subfolders and then opened the links in each of those subfolders one at a
time. Each link opened in FF as they should, not IE. I can't reproduce
your problem here with my XP Pro SP2, with both IE and FF installed.

There are two things that I can think of to try at this point.

1. Uninstall FireFox
2. Repair IE - (make sure your antivirus is turned off)

Courtesy of Robert Aldwinckle -

The simplest repair for XP SP2 is the following:

Go to Start>Run>type in the following and press enter (note the space
between exe and /)

iexplore.exe /rereg

If that's not enough there are additional registrations given
in KB831429 for W2K which apply equally to XP. (e.g. NT5x)
************************************************************************
Once all is working properly with IE, then reinstall FireFox, reset as
the default browser via the Control Panel>Add/Remove Programs>Set Program
Access and Defaults (may need to be in Admin account), select Microsoft
or Custom radio button, and then select default browser. Select FF as
the default browser, close out and see if the problem still exists. If
so, then I can only suggest that you do a full reinstall of IE which
would return all to default and see if that would reset whatever is not
in sync.

Make sure your anti-virus is turned off.

How to Reinstall or Repair Internet Explorer and Outlook Express in
Windows
XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=318378
If you have SP2, follow the instuctions in the SP2 section:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=318378#XSLTH3130121123120121120120


Hope this helps.

Jan :)
MS MVP - Windows IE/OE [DTS/AumHa]
Smiles are meant to be shared,
that's why they're so contagious.

Replies are posted only to the newsgroup for the benefit or other
readers.
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Thanks Jan

I hope you might be able to suggest something!

M


"Jan Il" <abuseSPAM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:%23pDwlqjLGHA.3164@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi M :-)

'k......I'll give it another try using your instructions and see what
happens. I'll report back.

Jan :)
MS MVP - IE [DTS/AumHa]
Smiles are meant to be shared,
that's why they're so contagious.


Hi Jan

Thanks for taking the time to look at this.

Please try it one more time, but remember...

For the purpose of this particular issue, you *must* access the
subdirectory shortcuts from the *Links Toolbar* on the desktop - *not*
from Windows Explorer! If you select shortcuts via Windows Explorer
then it is naturally the explorer process that acts, and this does
respect default browser settings. It is only when accessing shortcuts
within subdirectories of the Links folder via the Links Toolbar that I
am finding problematic.

I tried it with a friend of mine yesterday (again on XP Pro) and he
had the same problem as I did.

Please report back :-)

Regards
M





"Jan Il" <abuseSPAM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:%23pXMkHeLGHA.1288@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi M :-)

Well...I know understand your links set up, and what you are
explaining. I set up a similar situation here in my Favorites>Links
folders, created a new folder in the Links folder and copied a couple
of links into it. I then made FireFox that I keep as a backup my
default browser and then went to the folder using Windows Explorer
and clicked the link to see if it would open it in IE or FireFox. It
opened it in FireFox as it should have. Thus, I can not reproduce
the problem here.

I am not sure what else to suggest at this point, as I don't know why
it is not opening as it should in the default browser, unless the
install of FireFox is not good. I can only suggest that you
uninstall FireFox via Add/Remove Programs, reboot, and then reinstall
it and see if that helps.

Hope this helps.

Jan :)
MS MVP - IE [DTS/AumHa]
Smiles are meant to be shared,
that's why they're so contagious.

Replies are posted only to the newsgroup for the benefit or other
readers.
How to make a good newsgroup post:
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


Hi again.

Well, as you know, the Links folder is just a standard subdirectory
of the Windows Favorites folder, and it is possible (via the
taskbar) to set up a desktop toolbar that points direct to it. This
toolbar can be docked on the desktop in the usual manner. And, as
with any folder, you can use Windows Explorer to create
subdirectories within the folder. So, basically, it's just another
subdirectory as with any other in the filing system.

Now, when the Links folder is viewed from the desktop Links toolbar,
it displays everything that you'd see if you were viewing it from a
Windows Explorer window - i.e. files in the immediate directory plus
the names of any subdirectories that it contains.

If, via the toolbar, you click on any of the website shortcuts that
are contained immediately within Links (i.e. not within any of its
subdirectories), then the explorer process calls up your default
browser and launches the URL into it. (Fine.)

If (again via the Links toolbar) you select a subdirectory of the
Links folder, however, then a drop-down list of the contents of that
subdirectory appears. (Fine so far.) If you then select a website
shortcut from that drop-down list, then this time round svchost is
the process that stirs into action, only this time it launches the
website into IE, irrespective of the default browser chosen. That's
what I'm trying to understand/fix!

I have no idea why it is svchost that initiates the browser launch
when the selection is made from subdirectories of the Links folder,
when explorer is the process used for non-subdirectory selections,
but clearly svchost ignores the default browser selection
(presumably an oversight on the part of the Windows programmers?)
and I'm wondering whether there is a workaround.

A bit long-winded, but I hope that makes more sense. If you're
still not sure what I'm babbling on about, try it for yourself -
only takes a moment:

1. Right click on the Desktop Taskbar > Toolbars > Links
2. Then drag the Links toolbar out onto the desktop or dock it to
the screen edge somewhere

From within Windows Explorer C:.../Favorites/Links,
3a. Deposit some URL shortcuts within Links itself
3b. Right click > New > Folder > give it a name to set up an
arbitrary subdirectory of Links
3c. Deposit some URL shortcuts within that subdirectory.

4. Now, via the desktop toolbar you set up above (*not* via Windows
Explorer), select:
4a one of the links from 3a --> explorer process will launch them
into the default browser
4b one of the links from 3c --> svchost process will launch them
into IE, irrespective of the default browser setting

It's got me baffled!

Thanks again!
M



"Jan Il" <abuseSPAM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:O9nSoRdLGHA.3756@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi M :-)

Perhaps I am misunderstanding what you mean by 'subdirectories' of
the links. Could you please elaborate a bit more on these
subdirectories and where they are located when you try them for
clarification?

Jan :)
MS MVP - IE [DTS/AumHa]
Smiles are meant to be shared,
that's why they're so contagious.

Replies are posted only to the newsgroup for the benefit or other
readers.
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Hi Jan

Thanks for those suggestions.

I'm afraid it doesn't seem help with this particular problem,
though! Firefox is already set up as the default browser (and I've
double-checked the items you mentioned). The trouble seems to
stem from the fact that when accessing shortcuts that are located
in *subdirectories* of the Links desktop toolbar, the call (for
some reason that baffles me) is made from svchost.exe (rather than
explorer.exe), but this does not appear to respect the default
browser setting as it always launches IE.

If you have any other suggestions to try, I'll be happy to give
them a shot!

Thanks again
M



"Jan Il" <abuseSPAM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:O9gj4eZLGHA.648@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi M :-)

Firefox> Tools> Options> General> Default browser> click the
"Check now"
button and select "Yes."

then...

Go to Control Panel> Add/Remove programs> Set program access
and defaults> Select either Microsoft or Custom, tick the box
next to FireFox
and make it the default browser, enable access to IE
(you may need to be in Admin account to make this change.)

also..

Hyperlinks Open in Internet Explorer Instead of in the Default
Browser
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;810649

Hope this helps.

Jan :)
MS MVP - IE [DTS/AumHa]
Smiles are meant to be shared,
that's why they're so contagious.

Replies are posted only to the newsgroup for the benefit or other
readers.
How to make a good newsgroup post:
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


I have Firefox set as my default browser, although IE is still
available on the computer (Windows XP Pro).

Now, I have a copy of the Links toolbar on my desktop, from
which I can quick-launch various links. If I click on a link
that appears direct on the toolbar, it launches into FF
(explorer.exe being the parent process). However, the Links
folder also contains subdirectories and if I select a shortcut
located within one of the subdirectories from the toolbar, then
it's IE that's launched instead. I've noticed that, in these
cases, the parent process is svchost.exe.

Does anyone know of any way to force such launches into FF
instead of IE (short of dragging the link into an existing FF
window)? It's got me baffled!

Thanks to anyone who can advise on this.

Regards
























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