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computers / alt.comp.os.windows-10 / Re: Regestry key to set a browser as the default handler

SubjectAuthor
* Regestry key to set a browser as the default handlermike
+* Re: Regestry key to set a browser as the default handlerPaul
|+- Re: Regestry key to set a browser as the default handlerVanguardLH
|`- Re: Regestry key to set a browser as the default handlermike
+- Re: Regestry key to set a browser as the default handlerVanguardLH
`* Re: Regestry key to set a browser as the default handlerChar Jackson
 `- Re: Regestry key to set a browser as the default handlermike

1
Regestry key to set a browser as the default handler

<t56gvc$6tcb$1@solani.org>

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From: thi...@address.is.invalid (mike)
Newsgroups: alt.comp.os.windows-10
Subject: Regestry key to set a browser as the default handler
Date: Sun, 8 May 2022 00:53:44 +0530
Message-ID: <t56gvc$6tcb$1@solani.org>
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 by: mike - Sat, 7 May 2022 19:23 UTC

I googled first and there are multiple registry settings so I want to not
do the wrong ones and only do the right ones.

When I type any URL into the Run box using Win+R -> http://whatever.com,
Windows 10 brings up what I consider to be the wrong web browser.

I have a browser that is installed but which doesn't show up as a valid
browser in the Win+I -> Apps -> Default apps -> Web browser choice list.

Why doesn't my browser, which is installed (it's not portable) not show up
in the list I don't know but it's probably because I moved it to where it
is and Windows can't figure that out even though everything else works ok.

Googling for how to manually set the default http/https handler, I found a
few suggestions but that's where I get confused as to which one does what.
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/32354861/how-to-find-the-default-browser-via-the-registry-on-windows-10
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\URLAssociations\(http|https)\UserChoice
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FirefoxURL\Shell\Open\Command
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Chromium(randomstring)\shell\open\command

If I want to set the default browser, which registry key is right?

Re: Regestry key to set a browser as the default handler

<t56kht$s65$1@dont-email.me>

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From: nos...@needed.invalid (Paul)
Newsgroups: alt.comp.os.windows-10
Subject: Re: Regestry key to set a browser as the default handler
Date: Sat, 7 May 2022 16:24:28 -0400
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 by: Paul - Sat, 7 May 2022 20:24 UTC

On 5/7/2022 3:23 PM, mike wrote:
> I googled first and there are multiple registry settings so I want to not
> do the wrong ones and only do the right ones.
>
> When I type any URL into the Run box using Win+R -> http://whatever.com,
> Windows 10 brings up what I consider to be the wrong web browser.
>
> I have a browser that is installed but which doesn't show up as a valid
> browser in the Win+I -> Apps -> Default apps -> Web browser choice list.
>
> Why doesn't my browser, which is installed (it's not portable) not show up
> in the list I don't know but it's probably because I moved it to where it
> is and Windows can't figure that out even though everything else works ok.
>
> Googling for how to manually set the default http/https handler, I found a
> few suggestions but that's where I get confused as to which one does what.
> https://stackoverflow.com/questions/32354861/how-to-find-the-default-browser-via-the-registry-on-windows-10
> HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet
> HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\URLAssociations\(http|https)\UserChoice
> HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications
> HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FirefoxURL\Shell\Open\Command
> Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Chromium(randomstring)\shell\open\command
>
> If I want to set the default browser, which registry key is right?

Microsoft has specifically engineered it so you cannot do that.

The assignment to the registry key, uses crypto to mark whether
the setting was made by an "authentic" Microsoft routine. This
gentleman reverse-engineered the crypto and made a utility. If
he gave too much info on this blog, he would be charged under
DMCA law. Which is why he has to be coy about details.

http://kolbi.cz/blog/2017/10/25/setuserfta-userchoice-hash-defeated-set-file-type-associations-per-user/

There's also some work on SetDefaultBrowser, here. Last update 2020.

https://kolbi.cz/blog/2017/11/10/setdefaultbrowser-set-the-default-browser-per-user-on-windows-10-and-server-2016-build-1607/

Paul

Re: Regestry key to set a browser as the default handler

<13rbvccw9b6u5$.dlg@v.nguard.lh>

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From: V...@nguard.LH (VanguardLH)
Newsgroups: alt.comp.os.windows-10
Subject: Re: Regestry key to set a browser as the default handler
Date: Sat, 7 May 2022 16:32:39 -0500
Organization: Usenet Elder
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Message-ID: <13rbvccw9b6u5$.dlg@v.nguard.lh>
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 by: VanguardLH - Sat, 7 May 2022 21:32 UTC

Paul wrote:

> On 5/7/2022 3:23 PM, mike wrote:
>> I googled first and there are multiple registry settings so I want to not
>> do the wrong ones and only do the right ones.
>>
>> When I type any URL into the Run box using Win+R -> http://whatever.com,
>> Windows 10 brings up what I consider to be the wrong web browser.
>>
>> I have a browser that is installed but which doesn't show up as a valid
>> browser in the Win+I -> Apps -> Default apps -> Web browser choice list.
>>
>> Why doesn't my browser, which is installed (it's not portable) not show up
>> in the list I don't know but it's probably because I moved it to where it
>> is and Windows can't figure that out even though everything else works ok.
>>
>> Googling for how to manually set the default http/https handler, I found a
>> few suggestions but that's where I get confused as to which one does what.
>> https://stackoverflow.com/questions/32354861/how-to-find-the-default-browser-via-the-registry-on-windows-10
>> HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet
>> HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\URLAssociations\(http|https)\UserChoice
>> HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications
>> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications
>> HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FirefoxURL\Shell\Open\Command
>> Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Chromium(randomstring)\shell\open\command
>>
>> If I want to set the default browser, which registry key is right?
>
> Microsoft has specifically engineered it so you cannot do that.
>
> The assignment to the registry key, uses crypto to mark whether
> the setting was made by an "authentic" Microsoft routine. This
> gentleman reverse-engineered the crypto and made a utility. If
> he gave too much info on this blog, he would be charged under
> DMCA law. Which is why he has to be coy about details.
>
> http://kolbi.cz/blog/2017/10/25/setuserfta-userchoice-hash-defeated-set-file-type-associations-per-user/
>
> There's also some work on SetDefaultBrowser, here. Last update 2020.
>
> https://kolbi.cz/blog/2017/11/10/setdefaultbrowser-set-the-default-browser-per-user-on-windows-10-and-server-2016-build-1607/
>
> Paul

I can see SetUserFTA working for filetype associations, like those
Microsoft decided to prevent programmatic definition (and avoid malware
changing filetype associations) on some "important" filetypes (by
figuring out the cryto scheme to define the hash value for the
UserChoice entry), but I don't see how that utility would affect which
are the default *protocol* handlers. SetUserFTA would probably work on
the .url filetype for URL shortcut files, but I don't see it affects the
HTTP protocol handler definitions.

The article on SetDefaultBrowser shows the tool listing the candidate
handlers for HTTP[S]. Those programs registered themselves as handlers
for the protocol(s), so SetDefaultBrowser can list them. However, if
they have registered themselves as candidates (which assigned them an
AppID), wouldn't the Default Programs app also list the same candidates?

"I have a browser" is a deliberately obtuse declaration. The OP chose
not to identify which web browser he installed. If his unidentified web
browser is not in the list in Default Apps, or listed by
SetDefaultBrowser, then there is a problem with that web browser's
installer not registering itself as a candidate for the protocol.

Once the OP identifies the web browser, others may discover there is a
default or deficiency in it not registering itself a candidate protocol
handler.

Re: Regestry key to set a browser as the default handler

<5bcmxlomdkb$.dlg@v.nguard.lh>

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From: V...@nguard.LH (VanguardLH)
Newsgroups: alt.comp.os.windows-10
Subject: Re: Regestry key to set a browser as the default handler
Date: Sat, 7 May 2022 16:32:45 -0500
Organization: Usenet Elder
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 by: VanguardLH - Sat, 7 May 2022 21:32 UTC

mike wrote:

> I googled first and there are multiple registry settings so I want to not
> do the wrong ones and only do the right ones.
>
> When I type any URL into the Run box using Win+R -> http://whatever.com,
> Windows 10 brings up what I consider to be the wrong web browser.
>
> I have a browser that is installed but which doesn't show up as a valid
> browser in the Win+I -> Apps -> Default apps -> Web browser choice list.
>
> Why doesn't my browser, which is installed (it's not portable) not show up
> in the list I don't know but it's probably because I moved it to where it
> is and Windows can't figure that out even though everything else works ok.
>
> Googling for how to manually set the default http/https handler, I found a
> few suggestions but that's where I get confused as to which one does what.
> https://stackoverflow.com/questions/32354861/how-to-find-the-default-browser-via-the-registry-on-windows-10
> HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet
> HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\URLAssociations\(http|https)\UserChoice
> HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications
> HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FirefoxURL\Shell\Open\Command
> Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Chromium(randomstring)\shell\open\command
>
> If I want to set the default browser, which registry key is right?

WHICH web browser?

That is does not show in the list of choices for the default web browser
means that web browser did not register itself as a candidate for the
protocol's handler (HTTP). Default Apps will show a list of candidates,
not every .exe file in the file system.

Re: Regestry key to set a browser as the default handler

<pbud7h5sev29efc5lc8q3599pqbfoqc9je@4ax.com>

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From: non...@none.invalid (Char Jackson)
Newsgroups: alt.comp.os.windows-10
Subject: Re: Regestry key to set a browser as the default handler
Message-ID: <pbud7h5sev29efc5lc8q3599pqbfoqc9je@4ax.com>
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 by: Char Jackson - Sat, 7 May 2022 23:01 UTC

On Sun, 8 May 2022 00:53:44 +0530, mike <this@address.is.invalid> wrote:

>When I type any URL into the Run box using Win+R -> http://whatever.com,
>Windows 10 brings up what I consider to be the wrong web browser.

Here's what I would do.

You clearly have a favorite web browser, so you might already have an
instance of that browser running. If not, launch it. Next, instead of
typing your URL into the Windows Start/Run box, type it into the URL bar
on the browser.

It's not any extra typing, and it ensures that the right browser will be
used.

Re: Regestry key to set a browser as the default handler

<t56u1o$7458$1@solani.org>

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From: thi...@address.is.invalid (mike)
Newsgroups: alt.comp.os.windows-10
Subject: Re: Regestry key to set a browser as the default handler
Date: Sun, 8 May 2022 04:36:52 +0530
Message-ID: <t56u1o$7458$1@solani.org>
References: <t56gvc$6tcb$1@solani.org> <t56kht$s65$1@dont-email.me>
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 by: mike - Sat, 7 May 2022 23:06 UTC

On 08-05-2022 01:54 Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> wrote:

> There's also some work on SetDefaultBrowser

Thank you for your help which solved the problem but not as expected.
Remember I had moved the browser which turned out to be the real problem.
It was multiple steps but setDefaultBrowser told me what the steps were.

These are the three web pages that explained the inner workings.
https://kolbi.cz/blog/2019/01/27/register-a-portable-browser-and-make-it-the-default/
http://kolbi.cz/blog/2017/10/25/setuserfta-userchoice-hash-defeated-set-file-type-associations-per-user/
https://kolbi.cz/blog/2017/11/10/setdefaultbrowser-set-the-default-browser-per-user-on-windows-10-and-server-2016-build-1607/

These are the two executables from those kolbi.cz pages that I downloaded.
http://kolbi.cz/SetUserFTA.zip
Name: SetUserFTA.zip
Size: 25674 bytes (25 KiB)
SHA256: D551295C779BDB3750DDBA8E781C21A3DD42A55578F818E9C789B2BA1B4DCF47
Which unzipped to
Name: SetUserFTA.exe
Size: 60928 bytes (59 KiB)
SHA256: 791DC39F7BD059226364BB05CF5F8E1DD7CCFDAA33A1574F9DC821B2620991C2

And
SetDefaultBrowser.zip
http://kolbi.cz/SetDefaultBrowser.zip
Name: SetDefaultBrowser.zip
Size: 33799 bytes (33 KiB)
SHA256: 6A4EE8731BBE780D547163E8FE17003F66CEADA8B528278E7E74274E71CAA1D8
Which unzipped to
Name: SetDefaultBrowser.exe
Size: 65024 bytes (63 KiB)
SHA256: 21F1E8DE0E8FAF5EB5505CFEF3CC0F14EE3EAB7C3442AB0BB1D1A3E2E3988022

When I ran SetDefaultBrowser with no options, its output surprised me.
SetDefaultBrowser
Which output three browsers.

Installed browsers
HKLM Edge
name: Microsoft Edge
path: C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\MicrosoftEdge.exe

HKLM IEXPLORE.EXE
name: Internet Explorer
path: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe

HKCU OperaStable
name: Opera Stable
path: "C:\Program Files\Opera\72.0.3815.186\opera.exe"

Normally, instructions to set Opera as the default browser would be this.
SetDefaultBrowser.exe hkcu "OperaStable"

But that didn't work because OperaStable isn't where SetDefaultBrowser
thought it was, but SetDefaultBrowser was just reading the registry hives.

So it was the registry hives that didn't have the correct location for the
opera browser, but which hives?

Running a search inside the hives for that old location found multiple
entries, which is always the bane of trying to edit the registry manually
when you don't know what you're doing (I'm sure you know all about that).

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\Opera Stable
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Opera Stable
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\opera.exe

Not knowing which paths to change, I changed them all, and then I reran
SetDefaultBrowser

This time it reported the correct path, so then I reran
SetDefaultBrowser.exe hkcu "OperaStable"

And THAT fixed it.
The test was to run Win+R -> http://www.whatever.com which brought up the
opera browser this time.

I thank you for finding that nice program which lists all your browsers and
the path that the registry THINKS they're installed in (but I move them
after I installed them so the registry is what was wrong all along).

Thank you for solving this problem for me with the SetDefaultBrowser tool.
The SetUserFTA tool might have also worked but I didn't need to use it.

Re: Regestry key to set a browser as the default handler

<t56ulq$74fl$1@solani.org>

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From: thi...@address.is.invalid (mike)
Newsgroups: alt.comp.os.windows-10
Subject: Re: Regestry key to set a browser as the default handler
Date: Sun, 8 May 2022 04:47:34 +0530
Message-ID: <t56ulq$74fl$1@solani.org>
References: <t56gvc$6tcb$1@solani.org> <pbud7h5sev29efc5lc8q3599pqbfoqc9je@4ax.com>
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 by: mike - Sat, 7 May 2022 23:17 UTC

On 08-05-2022 04:31 Char Jackson <none@none.invalid> wrote:

>>When I type any URL into the Run box using Win+R -> http://whatever.com,
>>Windows 10 brings up what I consider to be the wrong web browser.
>
> Here's what I would do.

The problem was clicking on URLs inside of my various editors didn't bring
up the default browser because the default browser was improperly defined.

The Win+R -> http://www.whatever.com was just the simplest foolproof test.

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