How make MSIE the default browser?

[Stan Brown]

Today I logged in to my administrative account for th first time in a
while. I clicked on a URL in the Windows Update notice, and to my
surprise my a different browser opened, not MSIE. (It was Mozilla,
which is default on my limited account but, I thought, not on my
admin account.)

I saw in MSIE Tools -> Internet Options that I can make it the
default browser again by clicking "Reset Web settings", but I don't
want to lose my other options.

How do I make IE the default browser for my admin account (1) without
losing other MSIE options and (2) without disturbing the default
setup for my limited account, which is different from IE?

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Try this:
Open IE | Tools | Internet Options | Programs tab | make sure
"Internet Explorer should check to see whether it is the default browser" is
CHECKED.
Press Ok, and when you next run IE, a confirmation
dialog box should appear asking you whether you want it to be the
default browser again. Click Yes.

Or, which you didn't wnat to do:

To reset Internet Explorer settings
If you installed another Web browser after installing Internet
Explorer and Internet Tools, some of your Internet Explorer settings
may have changed. You can reset your Internet Explorer settings to
their original defaults, including your home page and search pages,
and choice of default browser, without changing your other browser's
settings.
1.. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
2.. Click the Programs tab.
3.. Click the Reset Web Settings button.

Web Settings button
[[Click this to reset the default Internet Explorer settings for your home
and search pages, and prompt to make Internet Explorer your default browser.
Note: This only resets these settings if you have installed another Web
browser after installing Internet Explorer and Internet Tools, and that
browser has changed the default settings.]]

See also..

Setting Internet Explorer as the default browser - Windows 9x/2000/XP
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/IEFAQ.htm#defbrowser

Set Internet Explorer as the default browser in Windows XP SP1 and above
http://www.winxptutor.com/iedefault.htm

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Stan Brown]

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 16:47:35 -0700 from Wesley Vogel <123WVogel955
@comcast.net>:

In

Try this:
Open IE | Tools | Internet Options | Programs tab | make sure
"Internet Explorer should check to see whether it is the default browser" is
CHECKED.
Press Ok, and when you next run IE, a confirmation
dialog box should appear asking you whether you want it to be the
default browser again. Click Yes.

Dang -- I realized after sending my article that I had forgotten to
mention this.

The box _is_ checked, but when I closed and reopened IE it did not
display any dialog. (Yes, my virus scan is up to date, and I've done
all the Microsoft security updates.)

I just now did a "switch user" to my admin-type account. I opened IE
and it didn't display the dialog. I did Start >> Run and typed a URL,
and my non-IE browser opened again.

Setting Internet Explorer as the default browser - Windows 9x/2000/XP
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/IEFAQ.htm#defbrowser

This suggests a .REG file that makes a bunch of changes to HKCR. From
that I infer that the default program is not a per-user setting but a
per-computer setting. Is that true? (And if so, WHAT WERE THEY
THINKING?)

Set Internet Explorer as the default browser in Windows XP SP1 and above
http://www.winxptutor.com/iedefault.htm

This one says to "set program access and defaults" in Add/Remove. My
limited user doesn't have authority to do that. From that In infer
that if I do it in admin user it will affect all users on the
computer-- which I definitely don't want. Is that true?