Can firefox mimic the Windows integration of IE?

April 11, 2008 11:26 AM

If throw an address like c:\my documents into an IE address bar, it opens up the folder in windows explorer. If I put the same thing in a firefox address bar, I get an html page that displays the folder/files as a series of links down the page. Anyway to get firefox to replicate the IE behavior on this type of address?
posted by stupidsexyFlanders to computers & internet (7 comments total)

No, I don't believe so.

I think it's just one of those pesky advantages you get when your web browser is built into your OS.
posted by kbanas at 11:29 AM on April 11, 2008

You could install IE Tab but you would have to open an ie tab before exploring. Lifehacker suggests making the extension automatically manage any address that starts with 'file://'
posted by Memo at 11:30 AM on April 11, 2008

I don't think so...
posted by dyslexictraveler at 11:33 AM on April 11, 2008

I actually tried IE tab but couldn't figure out how to do what the Lifehacker guy did with 'file://'

That worked, thanks!
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 11:37 AM on April 11, 2008

Setting up IE Tab to engage when there's file:// in the address bar is accomplished in the IE Tab options. Go to Tools > Addons > IE Tab > Options. In the window that pops up, there is a Sites Filter section. By default, the first rule should already be there for handling file:// type addresses and it should be enabled.
posted by junesix at 11:49 AM on April 11, 2008

Interesting. Most people want to know how to make IE behave like Firefox, which is what it did until IE7.

FYI: WindowKey+R will open the run dialog, and you can type the path of a directory you want to view there and it will open in Windows Explorer. Same number of keystrokes as typing ALT+D to get to the address bar.
posted by jeffamaphone at 12:07 PM on April 11, 2008

FYI: WindowKey+R will open the run dialog, and you can type the path of a directory you want to view there and it will open in Windows Explorer. Same number of keystrokes as typing ALT+D to get to the address bar.

Indeed, but that's one more window than otherwise, defeating the whole purpose of tabs.
posted by jmd82 at 1:58 PM on April 11, 2008