"Associate a file type or protocol with a specific program" locked on FF or IE?

[Milhouse Van Houten]

Could someone tell me why when on Ultimate I go here: Start/Default
Programs/"Associate a file type or protocol..."

Scroll down to "URL : HyperText Transfer Protocol"

I get only the choice between IE and FF:
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/1609/capturexx4.png

Why can't I choose other browsers? Opera is the default browser on the
system and it's not even listed here as a choice.

Everything I've tested opens links in Opera, but Outlook 2007 suddenly
decided today that it wants to use IE. If I change the above screen to FF,
it uses FF, so I'm thinking if I could choose Opera there it would use Opera
again, though it apparently wasn't necessary before.

The corresponding Registry entry seems to be this:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociations\http\UserChoice

The value there does change to something appropriate for IE or FF when you
use the above screen to change the browser for the HTTP protocol. However,
when I put "Opera.Protocol" there (which was what it always used to be),
links in Outlook still open in IE.

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Hi Milhouse,

Does uninstalling and then reinstalling Opera help? If that does not help, you may download a REG file which restores missing keys related to Opera registration. It's available here: http://www.winhelponline.com/fixes/opera_fix.reg. Download the file and save it to Desktop. Right-click on the file and then choose Merge. If you want to view the contents of the file, open it using Notepad.

Note: The file paths are hard-coded for C:\ drive. You may need to change the drive-letter if you've Windows installed in a different drive than C:\

FYI, I'm using the latest version of Opera and it's listed correctly when I use the "Associate a file type or protocol..." dialog.

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Could someone tell me why when on Ultimate I go here: Start/Default
Programs/"Associate a file type or protocol..."

Scroll down to "URL : HyperText Transfer Protocol"

I get only the choice between IE and FF:
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/1609/capturexx4.png

Why can't I choose other browsers? Opera is the default browser on the
system and it's not even listed here as a choice.

Everything I've tested opens links in Opera, but Outlook 2007 suddenly
decided today that it wants to use IE. If I change the above screen to FF,
it uses FF, so I'm thinking if I could choose Opera there it would use Opera
again, though it apparently wasn't necessary before.

The corresponding Registry entry seems to be this:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociations\http\UserChoice

The value there does change to something appropriate for IE or FF when you
use the above screen to change the browser for the HTTP protocol. However,
when I put "Opera.Protocol" there (which was what it always used to be),
links in Outlook still open in IE.

 

[Milhouse Van Houten]

Thanks a LOT (it's good to confirm there is at least one other person who
uses Opera).

I'll explain what I found when comparing that reg file with what I had.
Other than the drive letters, it was all the same until I got to the section
below -- which was ENTIRELY missing. I'm assuming it was there once, since
Outlook had been working with Opera (9.20) for a week in Vista, but it was
gone now. Once I restored that section, just like on your system, Opera
appears in "Associate a file type or protocol..." and is set to Opera. Now
links from Outlook open in Opera, just like all my other programs have
opened in Opera all along--even when the section was missing.

Two questions, though:
1) When you go to Start/Default Programs/Set your default programs, is Opera
listed there too? I don't think it's important, but it's not there. Firefox
is, in addition to a couple other non-MS programs
2) This one's important: Ever since I've moved to Vista, I've noticed that
links I click in Outlook and Windows Mail (those are the two main apps I use
with links) do open in Opera, but about half the time Opera remains
minimized. I can find no rhyme or reason to it, as it seems random. This
never happened in XP. Do you know of anything that controls whether an
application rises to the foreground in this situation?

Thanks

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol]
"FriendlyTypeName"="Opera"
"EditFlags"=dword:00000002
"URL Protocol"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\DefaultIcon]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Opera\\Opera.exe\",1"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Opera\\Opera.exe\" \"%1\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\shell\open\ddeexec]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\shell\open\ddeexec\Application]
@="Opera"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\shell\open\ddeexec\Topic]
@="WWW_OpenURL"

Hi Milhouse,

Does uninstalling and then reinstalling Opera help? If that does not help,
you may download a REG file which restores missing keys related to Opera
registration. It's available here:
http://www.winhelponline.com/fixes/opera_fix.reg. Download the file and save
it to Desktop. Right-click on the file and then choose Merge. If you want to
view the contents of the file, open it using Notepad.

Note: The file paths are hard-coded for C:\ drive. You may need to change
the drive-letter if you've Windows installed in a different drive than C:\

FYI, I'm using the latest version of Opera and it's listed correctly when I
use the "Associate a file type or protocol..." dialog.

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Could someone tell me why when on Ultimate I go here: Start/Default
Programs/"Associate a file type or protocol..."

Scroll down to "URL : HyperText Transfer Protocol"

I get only the choice between IE and FF:
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/1609/capturexx4.png

Why can't I choose other browsers? Opera is the default browser on the
system and it's not even listed here as a choice.

Everything I've tested opens links in Opera, but Outlook 2007 suddenly
decided today that it wants to use IE. If I change the above screen to FF,
it uses FF, so I'm thinking if I could choose Opera there it would use Opera
again, though it apparently wasn't necessary before.

The corresponding Registry entry seems to be this:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociations\http\UserChoice

The value there does change to something appropriate for IE or FF when you
use the above screen to change the browser for the HTTP protocol. However,
when I put "Opera.Protocol" there (which was what it always used to be),
links in Outlook still open in IE.

 

[Milhouse Van Houten]

RE #2, I found that this corrects it:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\shell\open\ddeexec

(Default) REG_SZ had no value, so I gave it this:

"%1",,0,0,,,,

And now Opera always jumps to attention when clicking links in mail. It
seems to jump to attention a lot faster than it did before, too.

Thanks a LOT (it's good to confirm there is at least one other person who
uses Opera).

I'll explain what I found when comparing that reg file with what I had.
Other than the drive letters, it was all the same until I got to the
section below -- which was ENTIRELY missing. I'm assuming it was there
once, since Outlook had been working with Opera (9.20) for a week in
Vista, but it was gone now. Once I restored that section, just like on
your system, Opera appears in "Associate a file type or protocol..." and
is set to Opera. Now links from Outlook open in Opera, just like all my
other programs have opened in Opera all along--even when the section was
missing.

Two questions, though:
1) When you go to Start/Default Programs/Set your default programs, is
Opera listed there too? I don't think it's important, but it's not there.
Firefox is, in addition to a couple other non-MS programs
2) This one's important: Ever since I've moved to Vista, I've noticed that
links I click in Outlook and Windows Mail (those are the two main apps I
use with links) do open in Opera, but about half the time Opera remains
minimized. I can find no rhyme or reason to it, as it seems random. This
never happened in XP. Do you know of anything that controls whether an
application rises to the foreground in this situation?

Thanks

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol]
"FriendlyTypeName"="Opera"
"EditFlags"=dword:00000002
"URL Protocol"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\DefaultIcon]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Opera\\Opera.exe\",1"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Opera\\Opera.exe\" \"%1\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\shell\open\ddeexec]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\shell\open\ddeexec\Application]
@="Opera"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\shell\open\ddeexec\Topic]
@="WWW_OpenURL"

Hi Milhouse,

Does uninstalling and then reinstalling Opera help? If that does not help,
you may download a REG file which restores missing keys related to Opera
registration. It's available here:
http://www.winhelponline.com/fixes/opera_fix.reg. Download the file and
save it to Desktop. Right-click on the file and then choose Merge. If you
want to view the contents of the file, open it using Notepad.

Note: The file paths are hard-coded for C:\ drive. You may need to change
the drive-letter if you've Windows installed in a different drive than C:\

FYI, I'm using the latest version of Opera and it's listed correctly when
I use the "Associate a file type or protocol..." dialog.

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Could someone tell me why when on Ultimate I go here: Start/Default
Programs/"Associate a file type or protocol..."

Scroll down to "URL : HyperText Transfer Protocol"

I get only the choice between IE and FF:
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/1609/capturexx4.png

Why can't I choose other browsers? Opera is the default browser on the
system and it's not even listed here as a choice.

Everything I've tested opens links in Opera, but Outlook 2007 suddenly
decided today that it wants to use IE. If I change the above screen to FF,
it uses FF, so I'm thinking if I could choose Opera there it would use
Opera
again, though it apparently wasn't necessary before.

The corresponding Registry entry seems to be this:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociations\http\UserChoice

The value there does change to something appropriate for IE or FF when you
use the above screen to change the browser for the HTTP protocol. However,
when I put "Opera.Protocol" there (which was what it always used to be),
links in Outlook still open in IE.

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

#1: Opera is not listed in the area you mentioned. However, it's listed in "Set Program access and computer defaults" area.

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Thanks a LOT (it's good to confirm there is at least one other person who
uses Opera).

I'll explain what I found when comparing that reg file with what I had.
Other than the drive letters, it was all the same until I got to the section
below -- which was ENTIRELY missing. I'm assuming it was there once, since
Outlook had been working with Opera (9.20) for a week in Vista, but it was
gone now. Once I restored that section, just like on your system, Opera
appears in "Associate a file type or protocol..." and is set to Opera. Now
links from Outlook open in Opera, just like all my other programs have
opened in Opera all along--even when the section was missing.

Two questions, though:
1) When you go to Start/Default Programs/Set your default programs, is Opera
listed there too? I don't think it's important, but it's not there. Firefox
is, in addition to a couple other non-MS programs
2) This one's important: Ever since I've moved to Vista, I've noticed that
links I click in Outlook and Windows Mail (those are the two main apps I use
with links) do open in Opera, but about half the time Opera remains
minimized. I can find no rhyme or reason to it, as it seems random. This
never happened in XP. Do you know of anything that controls whether an
application rises to the foreground in this situation?

Thanks

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol]
"FriendlyTypeName"="Opera"
"EditFlags"=dword:00000002
"URL Protocol"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\DefaultIcon]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Opera\\Opera.exe\",1"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Opera\\Opera.exe\" \"%1\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\shell\open\ddeexec]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\shell\open\ddeexec\Application]
@="Opera"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\shell\open\ddeexec\Topic]
@="WWW_OpenURL"

Hi Milhouse,

Does uninstalling and then reinstalling Opera help? If that does not help,
you may download a REG file which restores missing keys related to Opera
registration. It's available here:
http://www.winhelponline.com/fixes/opera_fix.reg. Download the file and save
it to Desktop. Right-click on the file and then choose Merge. If you want to
view the contents of the file, open it using Notepad.

Note: The file paths are hard-coded for C:\ drive. You may need to change
the drive-letter if you've Windows installed in a different drive than C:\

FYI, I'm using the latest version of Opera and it's listed correctly when I
use the "Associate a file type or protocol..." dialog.

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Could someone tell me why when on Ultimate I go here: Start/Default
Programs/"Associate a file type or protocol..."

Scroll down to "URL : HyperText Transfer Protocol"

I get only the choice between IE and FF:
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/1609/capturexx4.png

Why can't I choose other browsers? Opera is the default browser on the
system and it's not even listed here as a choice.

Everything I've tested opens links in Opera, but Outlook 2007 suddenly
decided today that it wants to use IE. If I change the above screen to FF,
it uses FF, so I'm thinking if I could choose Opera there it would use Opera
again, though it apparently wasn't necessary before.

The corresponding Registry entry seems to be this:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociations\http\UserChoice

The value there does change to something appropriate for IE or FF when you
use the above screen to change the browser for the HTTP protocol. However,
when I put "Opera.Protocol" there (which was what it always used to be),
links in Outlook still open in IE.

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Nice! Thanks for posting this.

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


RE #2, I found that this corrects it:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Opera.Protocol\shell\open\ddeexec

(Default) REG_SZ had no value, so I gave it this:

"%1",,0,0,,,,

And now Opera always jumps to attention when clicking links in mail. It
seems to jump to attention a lot faster than it did before, too.