{"id":1427,"date":"2016-01-13T12:34:01","date_gmt":"2016-01-13T07:04:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/198.58.113.91\/blog\/?p=1427"},"modified":"2024-04-01T23:44:09","modified_gmt":"2024-04-01T18:14:09","slug":"open-url-shortcuts-different-browsers-right-click-menu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/open-url-shortcuts-different-browsers-right-click-menu\/","title":{"rendered":"Open .URL files (Internet Shortcut) with any Browser via Right-click menu"},"content":{"rendered":"

Double-clicking a .url file (Website shortcut) always launches it using the default browser. But, there are situations where you need to open different website shortcuts in various browsers. Adding browser choices to the right-click menu for .url<\/strong> files allows you to choose a non-default web browser from the list and launch the website in it.<\/p>\n

One way to make this possible is by adding the Open with<\/strong> context menu option, which does not exist by default for internet shortcut files. Apart from Open with, there are other ways to launch a website shortcut using a non-default web browser.<\/p>\n

Open Website shortcuts with any browser via right-click menu<\/h2>\n

Method 1: Using “Open With” ribbon command in the right-click menu (lists registered browsers)<\/h3>\n

Download url-openwith-modern.zip<\/a>, unzip, and run the REG file. An additional “Open” command is added to the right-click menu for URL files, with a sub-menu containing the list of installed browsers. The “Open” submenu lists all the web browsers installed and registered with Default Apps. This method uses the Windows.OpenWith<\/code> ribbon command in the context menu, which works in Windows 8, 10, and 11.<\/p>\n

The following registry key is added using this method:<\/p>\n

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Classes\\InternetShortcut\\shell\\Open With<\/pre>\n
The string value (REG_SZ) ExplorerCommandHandler<\/code> set to {4ce6767d-e09b-45dc-831d-20c8b4ea9a26}<\/code><\/p>\n
\".url<\/p>\n
The submenu shows the list of registered web browsers. Applications other than web browsers aren’t listed. The shell populates this list of browsers from the Default Programs (Default Apps) registration.<\/p>\n
One downside of this method is that the caption and the menu icon can’t be customized for the Open<\/strong> command (with a sub-menu).<\/em><\/p>\n
RELATED:<\/strong> How to Add Ribbon Command to Right-click Menu<\/a><\/div>\n
\n
Method 2: Adding a Cascading menu that lists all browsers<\/h3>\n
This method makes use of the excellent Cascading menu feature<\/a> in Windows. It works on Windows 7 and higher, including Windows 10 and 11.<\/p>\n
    \n
  1. Download url-openwith-cascade.zip<\/a> and extract the contents to a folder.<\/li>\n
  2. Double-click to run the file BrowsersMenu.reg<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  3. Move the VBScript file BrowserLaunch.vbs<\/strong> to your Windows directory. In the Access Denied dialog that appears, click Continue<\/strong>.\n
    The script file BrowserLaunch.vbs parses the .URL file, gets the web address, and launches it using the chosen browser. The script is simply a launcher script, and its contents can be read using a text editor like Notepad.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    Now, you have a neat-looking Open with Cascading menu with a curated list of web browsers. You also have incognito (private) options.<\/p>\n
    \"Open<\/p>\n
    Further customization: <\/strong>If you have a browser in the list that’s not installed in the system, you can remove it from the menu by simply modifying the registry value here:<\/p>\n
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\SOFTWARE\\Classes\\InternetShortcut\\shell\\Open with...<\/pre>\n
    The value to be modified is SubCommands<\/strong><\/code><\/p>\n
    \".url<\/p>\n
    Its value data is, by default, set to:<\/p>\n
    urlChrome;urlChromeIncog;urlEdgeCh;urlEdgeChIncog;urlIexplore;urlIexploreInPriv;urlFirefox;urlFirefoxPrivate;<\/pre>\n
    For example, if you don’t use Firefox, you can change the value data to:<\/p>\n
    urlChrome;urlChromeIncog;urlEdgeCh;urlEdgeChIncog;urlIexplore;urlIexploreInPriv;<\/pre>\n
    \n
    Method 3: Using the classic “Open with” menu<\/h3>\n
    Download url-openwith-classic.zip<\/a>, unzip, and run the enclosed .reg file. It adds the Open with<\/strong> option to the right-click menu by adding the following registry key:<\/p>\n
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Classes\\InternetShortcut\\ShellEx\\ContextMenuHandlers\\OpenWith<\/pre>\n
    The (default)<\/strong> value data is set to {09799AFB-AD67-11d1-ABCD-00C04FC30936}<\/code><\/p>\n
    Right-click on a .url file and click Open with…<\/strong><\/p>\n
    <\/p>\n
    This launches the Open with dialog.\u00a0If the non-default browsers aren’t listed in the first screen, click More apps <\/strong>\u2193<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
    <\/p>\n
    Select your browser from the link, and click OK.<\/p>\n
    This method, however, doesn’t list every browser<\/strong> installed on the system. Also, even if you manually browse and locate the browser executable, it may not open the internet shortcut.<\/p>\n
    \n
    Method 4: Adding web browser shortcuts to the Send To menu<\/h3>\n
    Here is a standard method many people use — the Send To menu. Open the SendTo folder of your user profile (type shell:sendto<\/code> in the Run dialog) and place the browser shortcuts in that folder. Then, right-click a website shortcut, click Send To, and open the link in a non-default browser.<\/p>\n
    <\/p>\n
    Editor’s note:<\/strong> Some browsers, such as Google Chrome, open the URL file as a text file instead of opening the web address mentioned in the file. This is because they don’t include a .URL handler registered by default. It’s a known issue, reported in their official forum: Issue 114871 – chromium – Chrome doesn’t recognize .url files properly<\/a>. Here is how it looks when you use one of the above two methods to open a .URL using Chrome.<\/em><\/p>\n
    <\/p>\n
    Alternatively, you can use Method 1<\/strong> or 2<\/strong>\u00a0in this article to avoid the above problem.<\/em><\/p>\n
    Featured image by Isabel R\u00f3denas from Pixabay<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
    Double-clicking a .url file (Website shortcut) always launches it using the default browser. But, there are situations where you need to open different website shortcuts in various browsers. Adding browser choices to the right-click menu for .url files allows you to choose a non-default web browser from the list and launch the website in it. … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9769,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7],"tags":[441,480],"class_list":["post-1427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-windows","tag-registry","tag-scripts"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/web-browsers-featured.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":26942,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/internet-shortcuts-open-print-dialog-web-doc-tab-missing\/","url_meta":{"origin":1427,"position":0},"title":"Internet Shortcuts Open Print Dialog; Web Document Tab Missing","author":"Ramesh","date":"July 26, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"When you right-click an internet shortcut (.URL file), the \"Print\" command is the default (shown in bold letters) action. As a result, double-clicking on internet shortcuts will open the Print dialog. And, the Web document tab may be missing in the property sheet for Internet Shortcut (.URL) files. Additionally, the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows"","block_context":{"text":"Windows","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"web document tab missing url properties","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/webdoctab-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1130,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/pinned-site-shortcuts-open-default-browser\/","url_meta":{"origin":1427,"position":1},"title":"How to Open Pinned Site Shortcuts Using Your Default Browser (Registry Hacks)","author":"Ramesh","date":"May 23, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"With the Pinned Sites feature introduced in Internet Explorer 9, you can add your favorite websites to the Taskbar and\/or the Start menu. We've seen that in article IE9 Lets You Pin Website Shortcuts to the Windows 7 Taskbar. Clicking the Pinned site shortcut opens the website using Internet Explorer,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Internet Explorer"","block_context":{"text":"Internet Explorer","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/internet-explorer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/archived\/ie9-pinsite-diff-brwsr-3.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4654,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/pin-website-shortcut-start-screen-windows-10\/","url_meta":{"origin":1427,"position":2},"title":"Pin a Website Shortcut to the Windows 10 Start Menu","author":"Ramesh","date":"November 23, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"If you've been using desktop shortcuts to open your favorite websites, you can instead pin those websites to the Windows 10 Start menu to make your desktop clutter-free. Moreover, pinning websites to the Start screen helps you get to those sites quickly especially when your Windows 10 device is in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Internet Explorer"","block_context":{"text":"Internet Explorer","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/internet-explorer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"pin website shortcuts to start screen windows 10","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/pin-website-start-screen-11.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/pin-website-start-screen-11.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/pin-website-start-screen-11.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/pin-website-start-screen-11.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3469,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/microsoft-edge-url-shortcut\/","url_meta":{"origin":1427,"position":3},"title":"Create Website Shortcuts (.URL) that Open in Edge","author":"Ramesh","date":"July 12, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"This page lists some of the command-line switches for the new Microsoft Edge (chromium) browser. Microsoft Edge (Chromium) command-line switches The new Microsoft Edge (Chromium) is a classic desktop app that supports command-line arguments as Chrome does. Here are some examples: To start Edge in private mode: msedge --inprivate To\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Microsoft Edge"","block_context":{"text":"Microsoft Edge","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/edge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"edge url shortcut","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/edge-url-shortcut-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1177,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/fix-error-protocol-http-registered-program-internet-shortcuts\/","url_meta":{"origin":1427,"position":4},"title":"Protocol HTTP Does Not Have a Registered Program When Opening Internet Shortcuts","author":"Ramesh","date":"September 1, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"When you double-click an internet shortcut (.URL) file or click on a hyperlink in your mail client, you may encounter the error Unable to open this Internet Shortcut. The protocol \"http\" does not have a registered program. This is akin to saying \"hey! you haven't configured a web browser as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows"","block_context":{"text":"Windows","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"http protocol fix default browser","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/default-apps-http-protocol-error.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/default-apps-http-protocol-error.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/default-apps-http-protocol-error.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/default-apps-http-protocol-error.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1049,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/ie-extension-open-web-page-different-browser\/","url_meta":{"origin":1427,"position":5},"title":"Internet Explorer Extension to Open Current Page in Chrome, Firefox or Edge","author":"Ramesh","date":"May 19, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"I'd like to share the extensions I made for Internet Explorer, to open current web page in a different browser such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge (Windows 10). This extension works fine in all versions of Windows, including Windows 10.After adding this extension, you'll see the following\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Internet Explorer"","block_context":{"text":"Internet Explorer","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/internet-explorer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"open with browser extension for IE","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/ie-extensions-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/ie-extensions-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/ie-extensions-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1427","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1427"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1427\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}