Fix for Windows error opening Internet shortcut or local HTML file using Firefox
With Mozilla Firefox set as the default browser, when you open a hyperlink from your email client, or when running a URL or a HTML file, one of the following errors may occur:
And the Locate Link Browser dialog may appear.
Solution to the above problems is documented in Mozilla Firefox Knowledge Base article Windows error opening Internet shortcut or local HTML file. The trick is to disable DDE for Protocols http and https, and for ProgIDs FirefoxURL and FirefoxHTML. In Windows XP, you can disable the DDE setting using Folder Options, File Types tab. As the File Types tab has been removed in Windows Vista, you may use the Registry Fix below to automate the setting:
Registry Fix (Windows 2000/XP/Vista)
Download firefox_dde_fix.reg and save to Desktop. Right-click on the file and choose Merge. Click Yes when asked for confirmation.
The REG file deletes the following keys automatically:
Copyright © 2008 Ramesh Srinivasan. All rights reserved.
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Comment by Nick on 2 August 2008:
Hey there, really appreciated the advice on fixing the registry with this problem in Windows 2000. Cool man, thanks!