Making IE6 the default browser

  • Thread starter Thread starter David Cook
  • Start date Start date
D

David Cook

Attention Microsoft MVPs:
---------------------------

There is a known problem with IE not asking whether it should become the
default
browser when it is not, even when its check-box is checked that says that it
should
check to see.

The SUPPOSED solution was documented at the URL:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/ie/nopromptdefault.htm

However, the posted solution is INCORRECT and DOES NOT WORK (e.g. on
my Win-XP SP2 system).

The CORRECT solution is to run the registry edition as mentioned, and set
the value
to point back IE itself. Thus (e.g. for a normal Windows-XP system) the new
value needs to be:

"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe"

(The value shown, of "Somebrowser.exe" does not work. And, it also does not
work if the value points to some browser OTHER than IE. e.g. Opera or
whatever.)

Please correct this website writeup with the CORRECT solution!

Cheers...

Dave
 
Are you actually using this: "Somebrowser.exe"? Of course you know that
Somebrowser is meant to stand for the browser you are using such as
Netscape, Opera, Mozilla, Internet Explorer and so on, right?
 
Hi David,

Thanks for posting. The document was written by me after testing the solution in "various" systems (even tested with XP SP2 after it was released). Let me explain the process behind.

IExplore.exe checks the http\shell\open\command 's (default) value at startup. If the option "Internet Explorer should check to see whether it is the default browser" is enabled AND if the \http open verb command is anything other than iexplore.exe, then only IE displays the prompt.

Steps to repro this: If you're hesitant, try in test machine or backup the registry key to a file:

- Set the value as explained
- Enable the "Internet Explorer should check to see whether it is the default browser" and close IE
- Restart Windows*
- Now, open IE. You should get the default browser prompt.

Exception:
Even this method did not do the trick in one case: Posted earlier by Barb:

<quote>
I am a support technician. A user had an issue with Sametime meetings and I tracked it to the fact that IE6 would not check to see if it was default. I tried forcing it to do so, tried reinstalling and finally used the IE Fix tool off the MVPS site. Finally as a last ditch effort I turned off the Merriam Webster Toolbar and voila! I did notify MW site and thought I would post here as an FYI.

Barb

</quote>

FYI: For XP SP1 and above, you can use the "Set Program Access and Defaults" to set IE as default. That works a treat.

Hope this helps!

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org



Attention Microsoft MVPs:
---------------------------

There is a known problem with IE not asking whether it should become the
default
browser when it is not, even when its check-box is checked that says that it
should
check to see.

The SUPPOSED solution was documented at the URL:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/ie/nopromptdefault.htm

However, the posted solution is INCORRECT and DOES NOT WORK (e.g. on
my Win-XP SP2 system).

The CORRECT solution is to run the registry edition as mentioned, and set
the value
to point back IE itself. Thus (e.g. for a normal Windows-XP system) the new
value needs to be:

"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe"

(The value shown, of "Somebrowser.exe" does not work. And, it also does not
work if the value points to some browser OTHER than IE. e.g. Opera or
whatever.)

Please correct this website writeup with the CORRECT solution!

Cheers...

Dave
 
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