clickable links won't open from emails into browser

[ShirleyDiana]

This problem started just a few days ago. Friends often send me links via email to websites but lately these clickable links within email no longer open into the Firefox browser and I have not made any changes to any setting to cause this to happen.
Firefox is set as default browser and Thunderbird is set as default email.
Help!

[tanstaafl]

The symptoms sound like Firefox thinks its the default browser, but it actually isn't. Try setting IE as the default browser, verify that works with Thunderbird, and then reset Firefox as the default browser. See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Default_browser

[ShirleyDiana]

Stranger still!
I set IE as the default browser... sent myself a link via email.
I rec'd and opened the email, clicked on the link and it opened it Internet Explorer... fine

BUT I prefer to use Firefos... so I revered the default browser back to Firefox,
clicked the link and NOTHING, it will not open in Firefox.

Hmmmm... what ya think now?

[tanstaafl]

Browse the article for different ways to specify a default browser. Sometimes you have to try several.

[makaiguy]

How did you set it back to Firefox? Via Windows or from within Firefox? It is the setting in Windows that matters.

When you click a hyperlink in a mail message in your email client, or an email address in your browser (or the Read Mail or New Message menu items in pre-2.0 Firefox), this request is just passed to your underlying operating system, which then passes the request on to whatever installed program it finds listed as your default web browser or email client. Sometimes you may have to set these defaults manually in the operating system.

In WinXP (I don't know about Win NT), see if this helps:

start | Control panel | Add/remove programs | Set Program access and defaults

Choose Custom and set your default browser and/or email client.

And if that doesn't work, here's a post about some utilities for setting default clients:
viewtopic.php?p=1248476#1248476

See also:
Setting default email client in Windows Vista
Setting default browser client in Windows Vista

[ShirleyDiana]

I use Windows Vista

Thanks Makaiguy.
I switched the default from Firefox to IE while in
Windows: control panel, programs, default programs

The clickable links in Thunderbird do work when IE is the default browser but when I change back to Firefox they do not work.

As I said, this is a new "development" out of the blue just a week or two ago! They used to work just fine.

I will mention that in my online search for answers, someone had written that they discovered that Uniblue registry booster was the culprit in their situation of links no longer opening inside emails.
This program came installed on my 2 yr old computer but I had never noticed it until just a week or two ago when I ran the program unaware that is a solicitation to purchase the program that presents itself after you run a registry sweep. Well, I had already uninstalled that program after it solicited me to buy it, so it's no longer there in the control panel as it was uninstalled.
It's just coincidental to the links in emails no longer opening in Firefox at about the same time that I used that program, as this person was accounting about in their own situation.
So, I'm just stumped.

I did notice, however, not sure it means anything, that while in the control panel under Default Programs settings,
Firefox is set as default, has ALL the defaults boxes checked [5 boxes in Extensions category and 3 in Protocols plus start menu] a total of 10
while Internet Explorer still shows to have 6 out 10 boxes checked in Extensions and none checked in Protocols or start menu] a total of 14.

I'm stumped and do miss the convenience of clickable links in emails working. Could it be that Uniblue registry booster damaged something?

[makaiguy]

Could it be that Uniblue registry booster damaged something?

Don't know, I've never heard of it.

But in general, I'm leery of utilities that deal with the Windows registry. Registry is both vital to the way Windows operates and very complex, so it is very easy to screw up.

[tanstaafl]

I'm comfortable manually editing the registry when necessary but avoid using registry cleaners as obsolete and invalid registry entries rarely effect performance, while using a registry cleaner can have unpredictable results. Doesn't seem worth the risk to me.

[ShirleyDiana]

(I only ran the registry scan but did nothing with the results because I didn't buy the program).

I appreciate your attempts to help with my problem. Maybe someone else will come along
and have an epiphany of insight.
I sure would hate to have to return to using IE over Firefox over this one issue.

[makaiguy]

Have you tried the Vista-related links I provided in a previous response?

[ShirleyDiana]

Yes I did check out your links, however I do know how to set defaults in Windows control panel.
When IE is set as default the clickable links that I receive in emails WILL open.
But when I set the default back to Firefox, the links in Thunderbird emails will not open in the Firefox browser.
Something else is the problem.

strange i know! And this just started happening spontaneously a few days ago.

[ShirleyDiana]

The problem is fixed now!

What I did was set IE as default, then rebooted.

Then I set default BACK to Firefox and rebooted again.

Tested a clickable link in an email and it did NOT open.... .. BUT,
when I right clicked the link and chose open in browser ... it OPENED!
I waited a few minutes, went back to click the link again, and wonder of wonders, it now works just fine.
Go figure.

So, case closed. thanks