IE6 won't open a desktop .url shortcut?

[Bill Kearney]

Hi all.

I've had this problem for a while, IE6 on a w2ksp4 box won't open links.
That is, when a shortcut on the desktop is double-clicked, and no IE6
session is open, it fails with the error:

"This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this
action. Create an association in the Folder options control panel."

But if an IE6 browser is open the link works just fine. This has been one
of those annoying little things you just 'get used to' most of the time.

Any suggestions on how to untangle what IE6 and the explorer think is going
on? And note, this is a windows 2000 server box patched to service pack 4
(not XP).

-Bill Kearney

 

[Ramesh [MVP]]

Hi Bill,

Double-clicking Internet Shortcuts launches the Print dialog rather than
opening the webpage:
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/internetshortcut.htm

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Window XP Shell/User
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k


Hi all.

I've had this problem for a while, IE6 on a w2ksp4 box won't open links.
That is, when a shortcut on the desktop is double-clicked, and no IE6
session is open, it fails with the error:

"This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this
action. Create an association in the Folder options control panel."

But if an IE6 browser is open the link works just fine. This has been one
of those annoying little things you just 'get used to' most of the time.

Any suggestions on how to untangle what IE6 and the explorer think is going
on? And note, this is a windows 2000 server box patched to service pack 4
(not XP).

-Bill Kearney

 

[Bill Kearney]

Double-clicking Internet Shortcuts launches the Print dialog rather than

opening the webpage:
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/internetshortcut.htm

Errr, who said anything about printing? (but a related problem, eh?)

The links just don't open at all, they pop-up the error message.

Re-registering the shdocvw dll doesn't change it (the links still don't open
unless another IE session is already running).

-Bill Kearney

 

[Ramesh [MVP]]

Errr, who said anything about printing?

Calm down, Bill. The link explains the symptom you said. Yes, a related
problem and that's I pasted that URL. (assuming that the problem is with the
Internet Shortcuts - .URL files)

Have you tried the 2nd fix described in the site? If you did that (?) and
the problem persist, you may need fix few registry keys. I don't have a URL
or HTTP association fix, which should actually do the trick. Export the
following two keys from another Windows 2000 system and apply it yourself.

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.URL]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\htmlfile]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\InternetShortcut]

Remember that 'Reset Web Settings' repairs most of the settings above, so
don't ignore that step.

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Window XP Shell/User
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k

Double-clicking Internet Shortcuts launches the Print dialog rather than
opening the webpage:
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/internetshortcut.htm

Errr, who said anything about printing? (but a related problem, eh?)

The links just don't open at all, they pop-up the error message.

Re-registering the shdocvw dll doesn't change it (the links still don't open
unless another IE session is already running).

-Bill Kearney

 

[Bill Kearney]

Calm down, Bill. The link explains the symptom you said. Yes, a related

problem and that's I pasted that URL. (assuming that the problem is with the
Internet Shortcuts - .URL files)

Err, there's no 'calming' needed. But hey, I appreciate the concern. I can
imagine this stuff can frustrate the hell out of most folks. I've got a
crapload of other things that need doing and wrestling with IE ain't my idea
of fun.

Have you tried the 2nd fix described in the site? If you did that (?)

Yes, did that and it didn't help.

and the problem persist, you may need fix few registry keys. I don't have a URL
or HTTP association fix, which should actually do the trick. Export the
following two keys from another Windows 2000 system and apply it yourself.

I poked at the Folder Options dialog for the URL file extension and the
URL:HTTP protocol. As did I re-register the dlls suggested on the linked
pages. It didn't appear to work.

Remember that 'Reset Web Settings' repairs most of the settings above, so
don't ignore that step.

After several pokes around with Folder Options, a reboot and a Reset Web
Settings it now appears to work. Trouble is now it asks me every time if I
want to make IE the default. I do, tell it so and yet when I open the
browser up again (after closing of course) it asks me again. I'm telling to
make IE the default but it doesn't seem to want to make it happen.

-Bill Kearney

 

[Ramesh [MVP]]

Logon as Administrator and open IE again. Now, set it as the default when
you're prompted. If that still does not work, get Regmon from Sysinternals
to check if you get any Access Denied error while chooseing 'Yes' to the
default browser prompt.

Workaround: Uncheck the prompt for default browser checkbox in Internet
Options Programs tab.

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Window XP Shell/User
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k

Calm down, Bill. The link explains the symptom you said. Yes, a related
problem and that's I pasted that URL. (assuming that the problem is with the
Internet Shortcuts - .URL files)

Err, there's no 'calming' needed. But hey, I appreciate the concern. I can
imagine this stuff can frustrate the hell out of most folks. I've got a
crapload of other things that need doing and wrestling with IE ain't my idea
of fun.

Have you tried the 2nd fix described in the site? If you did that (?)

Yes, did that and it didn't help.

and the problem persist, you may need fix few registry keys. I don't have a URL
or HTTP association fix, which should actually do the trick. Export the
following two keys from another Windows 2000 system and apply it yourself.

I poked at the Folder Options dialog for the URL file extension and the
URL:HTTP protocol. As did I re-register the dlls suggested on the linked
pages. It didn't appear to work.

Remember that 'Reset Web Settings' repairs most of the settings above, so
don't ignore that step.

After several pokes around with Folder Options, a reboot and a Reset Web
Settings it now appears to work. Trouble is now it asks me every time if I
want to make IE the default. I do, tell it so and yet when I open the
browser up again (after closing of course) it asks me again. I'm telling to
make IE the default but it doesn't seem to want to make it happen.

-Bill Kearney

 

[Bill Kearney]

Logon as Administrator and open IE again. Now, set it as the default when

you're prompted. If that still does not work,

This was as administrator. Another user, also in the Domain Admins group,
does not have this problem on this box.

get Regmon from Sysinternals
to check if you get any Access Denied error while chooseing 'Yes' to the
default browser prompt.

Yes, I figured that would be the next step.

Workaround: Uncheck the prompt for default browser checkbox in Internet
Options Programs tab.

Indeed, the Henny Youngman approach... "Doctor, it hurts when I do that...
Well, don't do that!"

I'll try regmon and report back.

Thanks,
-Bill Kearney

 

[Bill Kearney]

I'll try regmon and report back.

Oddly I see no access denied messages but do see a number of BUFOVRFLOW,
BUFTOOSMALL, NOTFOUND and NOMORE entries.

There were approximately 17,000 lines of logging from between a Ctrl-E to
start regmon, a double-click to load the desktop URL and stopping the log as
soon as the IE default yes/no box appears. Sheesh, it's a busy little box
just getting to that point...

I'd hestitate to post a log to the newsgroup 1) because of size and 2)
because of not knowing just how much it says. I can mail it direct if
you're interested in reading it.

-Bill Kearney

 

[Ramesh [MVP]]

There were approximately 17,000 lines of logging from between a Ctrl-E to
That means you've not configured the filtering options well. The idea is to
track the "Yes/No" default browser prompt (to see what happens when you
click "Yes")

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Window XP Shell/User
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k

I'll try regmon and report back.

Oddly I see no access denied messages but do see a number of BUFOVRFLOW,
BUFTOOSMALL, NOTFOUND and NOMORE entries.

There were approximately 17,000 lines of logging from between a Ctrl-E to
start regmon, a double-click to load the desktop URL and stopping the log as
soon as the IE default yes/no box appears. Sheesh, it's a busy little box
just getting to that point...

I'd hestitate to post a log to the newsgroup 1) because of size and 2)
because of not knowing just how much it says. I can mail it direct if
you're interested in reading it.

-Bill Kearney