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If I click on a link in an e-mail in Thunderbird it opens in IE instead of Firefox, Firefox is my default browser. How do I fix this?

  • 6 replies
  • 13 have this problem
  • 553 views
  • Last reply by xkater

Nigh
Nigh
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Even when I clicked on 'help' in Thunderbird it opened in IE. All of the help articles I've read tell me to make Firefox the default browser but it already is.

Even when I clicked on 'help' in Thunderbird it opened in IE. All of the help articles I've read tell me to make Firefox the default browser but it already is.

All Replies (6)

user1132541
user1132541
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Hello, 

have you tried to open Firefox first and then click on help?
user01229325
user01229325
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In Firefox go to Tools-Options-Advanced-General

Does is say that Firefox is the default browser? It shoud say at the bottom of this window. If not change it there.

Thunderbird uses the default browser. The one defined in your operation system.

Nigh
Nigh Question owner
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Yes, I've tried that but it still opens a new IE window.

Nigh
Nigh Question owner
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Firefox is the default browser.

Nigh
Nigh Question owner
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I think I have fixed this by going to 'Control Panel', 'Programs & Features', 'Turn Windows Features On or Off' and unticking Internet Explorer.

xkater
xkater
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it seems possible that there was some corruption in your system (registry) and once you uninstalled Internet Explorer, your system didn't have any choice but to insist on opening web pages in the default browser (in your case, FireFox)

There are numerous ways to 'screw up' defaults - both as DEFAULT PROGRAMS, and as ASSOCIATED FILE TYPES (Control Panel)

If messing with the control panel doesn't work, another idea is to: SET INTERNET EXPLORER as Default, check to see that it works as expected, reboot your machine, SET FIREFOX as Default; reboot. Win8 [ Control Panel \ All Control Panel Items \ Default Programs ]

Uninstalling may not be an ideal fix for those who use Internet Explorer occasionally --- as i do for "Print Selected" : I.E. allows you to "Print Selection" of text/images on a web page, and then VIEW (Print Preview) the selection and adjust the margins and 'Scale' so as to fit your selection in the correct SIZE and the correct NUMBER of pages. None of the plugins/extensions for FF seem to do this properly (in my experience).

Nonetheless (if you need Internet Explorer), it may be possible for users to do as "NIGH" has pointed out (uninstall Internet Explorer), reboot, and then immediately reinstall it. This may 'FIX' the OPEN IN [default] BROWSER issue (you might still have to go in and select FF as default), but you might have to accept other complications with the use of Internet Explorer - i.e. the different preferences that I.E. uses (that you had set before uninstalling) may have to be 're-selected' or 're-implemented'.

as always, 'your mileage may vary'