Why do I get this Windows error when opening Firefox shortcuts?
July 7, 2004 11:39 AM Subscribe
Simple Windows/Firefox question...
I recently uninstalled, then reinstalled Firefox and suddenly, when clicking on web shortcuts on my desktop, Firefox opens the shortcuts BUT windows also gives me an error. An example, if clicking on http://www.metafilter.com:
Windows cannot find 'http://www.metafilter.com'. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the start button, and then click search.
This is annoying, and I'm having trouble fixing it. I don't want to close these damn boxes every time I use a shortcut.
I recently uninstalled, then reinstalled Firefox and suddenly, when clicking on web shortcuts on my desktop, Firefox opens the shortcuts BUT windows also gives me an error. An example, if clicking on http://www.metafilter.com:
Windows cannot find 'http://www.metafilter.com'. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the start button, and then click search.
This is annoying, and I'm having trouble fixing it. I don't want to close these damn boxes every time I use a shortcut.
When I installed Firefox, I got the same error. I have a shortcut in my Quick Launch bar for GMail, and it keeps erroring in Firefox.
posted by benjh at 12:17 PM on July 7, 2004
posted by benjh at 12:17 PM on July 7, 2004
clicking or double-clicking? i mean, desktop shortcuts set to single-click, as in weblink, or the old-school win95 click twice to open behavior?
sometimes if it registers as a double-click, windows fires the program off to find the link. if it senses that it's been clicked again, it tries to re-open the program (firefox) that's currently trying to open, and thus sometimes results in an error message rather than a new window with the same URL.
i've seen it happen before but not specifically with firefox.
posted by caution live frogs at 12:24 PM on July 7, 2004
sometimes if it registers as a double-click, windows fires the program off to find the link. if it senses that it's been clicked again, it tries to re-open the program (firefox) that's currently trying to open, and thus sometimes results in an error message rather than a new window with the same URL.
i've seen it happen before but not specifically with firefox.
posted by caution live frogs at 12:24 PM on July 7, 2004
Open Explorer (go to My Computer or something). Go to Tools/Folder Options/File Types
Find URL:Hypertext Transfer Protocol (and URL: Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol). Select it and hit Advanced.
Then select the open action and hit Edit.
Make sure DDE is active, but delete any DDE Message present.
posted by j.edwards at 1:23 PM on July 7, 2004
Find URL:Hypertext Transfer Protocol (and URL: Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol). Select it and hit Advanced.
Then select the open action and hit Edit.
Make sure DDE is active, but delete any DDE Message present.
posted by j.edwards at 1:23 PM on July 7, 2004
Cool! I have just jumped on the Firefox bandwagon myself and have been noticing the same thing. j.edwards' solution seems to work. Thanks!
posted by Tubes at 2:14 PM on July 7, 2004
posted by Tubes at 2:14 PM on July 7, 2004
I've seen the same problem with other links and shortcuts (.torrent files and magnet:// links, for example). The DDE thing fixes it. Programs should really be checking that their URL/filetype associations are set so that this doesn't happen. Someone might want to file a bug for Firefox.
posted by reklaw at 3:08 PM on July 7, 2004
posted by reklaw at 3:08 PM on July 7, 2004
It is filed: Bug 246078, hopefully it will be fixed soon (it's blocking 1.0 so definitely before then). I'm happy right now, though, since my pet peeve bug finally got fixed.
posted by j.edwards at 3:20 PM on July 7, 2004
posted by j.edwards at 3:20 PM on July 7, 2004
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posted by turbodog at 11:59 AM on July 7, 2004