default browser strangeness

OS is XP Pro SP2

I have my bookmarks file saved on my desktop as an html file and until
today whenever I clicked on it, the default browser would open it.

I have a total of 3 browsers installed: the latest release of Firefox
(2.0.0.13), and Firefox 3 beta 5.

I rarely use the release version of Firefox, preferring the beta Firefox as
my default browser most of the time.

I have both Firefox beta 5 and IE7 configured so that they will alert me if
they are not the default browser when opening. Both browsers subsequently
respond correctly depending on my choice at the prompt.

What's started happening is this: even when IE7 is set as my default
browser, when I click on my bookmarks link, Firefox beta 5 opens it. I've
tried using "Set Program Access and Defaults" from the Start Menu and even
went so far as to uncheck the box beside Firefox beta 5 so that it wouldn't
theoretically be available.

However, the bookmarks file continues to load in Firefox beta 5.

I just tried setting Firefox 2.0.0.13 as my default browser, and then
switched over to IE7.

The bookmarks file loads in Firefox 2.

How has Firefox managed to hijack the default browser settings and yet
still report that it is not the default browser after I've set it to IE7?
The only way I can now use IE7 as my browser is to open it manually (home
page in all browsers is set to the bookmarks file), and then select a link
from the list.

Interestingly, this anomaly seems to only affect the bookmarks file. If I
open a URL from anywhere else, the correct default browser is invoked.

Color me confused.

Tom

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Tom Hall <aria1946@gmail.com.spoo> wrote in
news:9n9nv3ppecb786edgcrnpbbld8aareh4hc@4ax.com:

> OS is XP Pro SP2
>
> I have my bookmarks file saved on my desktop as an html file and
> until today whenever I clicked on it, the default browser would
> open it.
>
> I have a total of 3 browsers installed: the latest release of
> Firefox (2.0.0.13), and Firefox 3 beta 5.
>
> I rarely use the release version of Firefox, preferring the beta
> Firefox as my default browser most of the time.
>
> I have both Firefox beta 5 and IE7 configured so that they will
> alert me if they are not the default browser when opening. Both
> browsers subsequently respond correctly depending on my choice at
> the prompt.
>
> What's started happening is this: even when IE7 is set as my
> default browser, when I click on my bookmarks link, Firefox beta 5
> opens it. I've tried using "Set Program Access and Defaults" from
> the Start Menu and even went so far as to uncheck the box beside
> Firefox beta 5 so that it wouldn't theoretically be available.
>
> However, the bookmarks file continues to load in Firefox beta 5.
>
> I just tried setting Firefox 2.0.0.13 as my default browser, and
> then switched over to IE7.
>
> The bookmarks file loads in Firefox 2.
>
> How has Firefox managed to hijack the default browser settings and
> yet still report that it is not the default browser after I've set
> it to IE7? The only way I can now use IE7 as my browser is to open
> it manually (home page in all browsers is set to the bookmarks
> file), and then select a link from the list.
>
> Interestingly, this anomaly seems to only affect the bookmarks
> file. If I open a URL from anywhere else, the correct default
> browser is invoked.
>
> Color me confused.
>
> Tom
>

Since you are using Beta 5, you are obviously a Beta Tester.
When problems occur with Beta version software, all beta testers know
that the proper procedure is to notify the Beta community of the
problem so that they can fix it before it goes public.

Report the problem to Firefox Beta Software team.

HTH,
John

On Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:20:36 -0600, Tom Hall <aria1946@gmail.com.spoo>
wrote:

>OS is XP Pro SP2
>
>I have my bookmarks file saved on my desktop as an html file and until
>today whenever I clicked on it, the default browser would open it.
>
>I have a total of 3 browsers installed: the latest release of Firefox
>(2.0.0.13), and Firefox 3 beta 5.
>
>I rarely use the release version of Firefox, preferring the beta Firefox as
>my default browser most of the time.
>
>I have both Firefox beta 5 and IE7 configured so that they will alert me if
>they are not the default browser when opening. Both browsers subsequently
>respond correctly depending on my choice at the prompt.
>
>What's started happening is this: even when IE7 is set as my default
>browser, when I click on my bookmarks link, Firefox beta 5 opens it. I've
>tried using "Set Program Access and Defaults" from the Start Menu and even
>went so far as to uncheck the box beside Firefox beta 5 so that it wouldn't
>theoretically be available.
>
>However, the bookmarks file continues to load in Firefox beta 5.
>
>I just tried setting Firefox 2.0.0.13 as my default browser, and then
>switched over to IE7.
>
>The bookmarks file loads in Firefox 2.
>
>How has Firefox managed to hijack the default browser settings and yet
>still report that it is not the default browser after I've set it to IE7?
>The only way I can now use IE7 as my browser is to open it manually (home
>page in all browsers is set to the bookmarks file), and then select a link
>from the list.
>
>Interestingly, this anomaly seems to only affect the bookmarks file. If I
>open a URL from anywhere else, the correct default browser is invoked.
>
>Color me confused.
>
>Tom

Do you have any spyware programs that would stop any changes ?