Outlook Express opens IE, note FireFox

Custisjm · Post by **Custisjm** » June 20th, 2005, 5:02 pm

I have set FireFox as my default web browser. However, when I click links in email (Outlook Express), IE opens instead of FireFox. How can I set the links in emails to open FireFox instead?

Metalstream · Post by **Metalstream** » June 20th, 2005, 5:15 pm

Wait.....Why are you using Outlook Express? Thunderbird is better if you wanna solve that, call to M$ tehcnical support.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » June 20th, 2005, 8:37 pm

Metalstream -- you are probably correct and I probably will switch. For now, I am trying to deal with a hybrid system . . . and it may not work!
jrzycrim -- I have set FireFox as my default browser. Outlook Express just won't let go of IE. Thanks for the tip, but it did not reset Outlook Express to re-direct links to FireFox.

mcm_ham · Post by **mcm_ham** » June 20th, 2005, 10:06 pm

First run this command under "start menu-run" when Firefox is not running:
firefox -silent -nosplash -setDefaultBrowser

Then also run the utility available from this page where it says "Download DefaultBrowser" near the bottom:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/defaultbrowser.htm

eleanor · Post by **eleanor** » June 20th, 2005, 10:20 pm

Make sure the following is UNchecked in:
Control Panel > Network and Internet Connections > Internet Options > Program tab >
"Internet Explorer should check to see if it is the default browser".

custisjm · Post by **custisjm** » June 21st, 2005, 10:28 pm

Thanks for advice, but still have the problem. I installed the latest version of FireFox and it works well as my default browser. As previously stated, from Outlook Express 6.0, links opened up IE6 to connect to the web.

As advised above, I installed Thunderbird, but it also opens links with IE6. I "unchecked" the box recommended by eleanor (but it was already unchecked).

So where to I go from here? How to I get Mozilla Thunderbird to connect with Mozilla FireFox?

mcm_ham · Post by **mcm_ham** » June 21st, 2005, 10:48 pm

Try what I posted first and if that doesn't work I'll have to step you through editing the registry to fix the problem. However, worth a check is to open up windows explorer (not IE) and head to "Tools->Folder Options->File Types->URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol->Advanced" and check that open is bold, if it isn't then select it and choose set as default.

FallenDarkest · Post by **FallenDarkest** » June 21st, 2005, 10:48 pm

This is XP Home/Pro only. go to control panel, then click on Add or Remove Programs, when the prompt show up. click on "Set Program Access and Default" on the left side, then Expand "Custom" then look at "Choose a default e-mail program", under that click Mozilla Thunderbird. then click ok, then Thunderbird is set as your default email client. if you click a email address on IE, it will use Thunderbird

custisjm · Post by **custisjm** » June 23rd, 2005, 6:24 pm

Thanks for all the help. Special thanks to mcm_ham. The advice -- "to open up windows explorer (not IE) and head to "Tools->Folder Options->File Types->URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol->Advanced" and check that open is bold, if it isn't then select it and choose set as default" -- was exactly what I needed to do.
"Open" was not bold but "Maxthon" (my previous browser) was. I added FireFox and it worked. On closer inspection, I could have accomplished the same by selecting "open" as the default (as mcm_ham wisely advised).

Many thanks.
Case closed.