[Bob Cerelli]

Keep in mind, the problem is not with Firefox being the default browser but Microsoft applications only opening links in Internet Explorer. These are two very different situations.

For example, you can have it set to be the application that will open a html file or shortcut on the desktop.

The problem is that you can have it set as the default application and Microsoft applications will still only open links in Internet Explorer.

The changes suggested solved the problem for a few customers. There was also no need to always run Firefox as administrator. Again, it is the Microsoft application not launching Firefox in the first place that is the problem, not Firefox.

[Bob Cerelli]

Since you don't see Firefox listed, another way to set Firefox to be the web browser that opens when you click on a link from a Microsoft application:

Start
Default Programs
Associate file type or protocol with a program
Scroll down to HTTP at the bottom
Change it to Firefox (hopefully you will see it there)

Otherwise I'll start a clean install and see what it looks like from there. On my main computer it works fine.

[uhaligani]

Originally Posted by DaveBurnett

You have to be running Firefox as administrator to make it the default. Once that is done it should be OK to run it normally.

Yes. I can see I have built in a problem. I run permanently as a pure Administrator (I have no user) I will have to install a dual boot with a user to expeiment with some of the other known problems!

[Bob Cerelli]

Just did a clean install of Vista, Outllook and Firefox to test this out. Installing or running Firefox as admin or making it the default browser did not solve the problem

But I did figure out how to make Microsoft Programs open Firefox rather than IE when clicking on a link. This is different than making Firefox your default browser which as we see, does not solve the problem.

Opened Outlook and clicked on a link. Before the change it opened the Internet Explorer as expected since no changes were made

It's in Vista's registry.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociat ions\http\UserChoice
Change the value from IE.HTTP to Firefox.Url
No reboot is necessary.

Opened a link again and it opened Firefox.

Hopefully that now helps solve the problem for you.

[hjelmbje]

if I rightclick on C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe and choose "run as administrator" firefox will ask if the user wants it to be the default browser. The answer to that question will not be saved in the registry if firefox is not "run as administrator". Notice that you just have to run firefox as administrator and answer this question once.

[Bob Cerelli]

Again, having it be the default browser and the default for a particular protocol are two different settings.

[MMJ]

Firefox 2.0.0.2 fixes some of these problems.

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox...senotes/#vista

[Bob Cerelli]

In addition to reading and downloading the software, I actually tested this.

Did a clean install of Vista
Installed Office2003
Configured Outlook and confirmed it would open links with IE
Installed the latest version of Firefox
At the prompt, set it to be the default browser.

Now it seems Firefox is able to make the registry change I posted earlier so links are opened in Outlook:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociat ions\http\UserChoice
Change the value from IE.HTTP to Firefox.Url

Hoped they would get around to it and they did. So now it is not only the default program for opening .htm or .html files but they added that it is the default program for the protocol http. That was the difference all along and what the change in the registry solves.

[techy689]

Bob Cerelli is correct. After a reinstall of Vista I couldn't get FireFox to set as my default no matter what. Reinstalled FireFox, except this time I selected run as administrator, and it ended up working fine.