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I have a custom application that I'd like to use in order to handle default browser requests; how do I configure Windows to use my application instead of the current default browser?

3 Answers 3

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I'm also rather interested in knowing the answer to this. I've been looking for an app or some script that I can stick in as the 'default browser' that intercepts links and then prompts me what to do (open with browser A, B, or C, run custom app, etc). That would be so awesome.

According to this article, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/224816

When you select Make this the default browser in Internet Explorer and in later versions of Netscape, the browser registers itself into all of the following keys to make itself the default browser (among other entries that are written).
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.htm HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.html HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http\shell\open\command HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http\shell\open\ddeexec\Application HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ftp\shell\open\command HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ftp\shell\open\ddeexec\Application HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\gopher\shell\open\command HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\gopher\shell\open\ddeexec\Application

EDIT

I have since found this awesome tool for windows: http://browserchooser.codeplex.com/

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  • Hah, turns out I accidentally wrote a clone of Browser Chooser, though mine wasn't nearly as good. github.com/nbolton/chweb May 3, 2015 at 2:02
  • You can use Browser Tamer, which is more modern and less resource hungry. It supports custom browser registration like you need, and modern browser profiles, including Chrome, Firefox, Edge etc.
    – Ivan G.
    Nov 21, 2022 at 16:40
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Looks like this is what I needed: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd203067(VS.85).aspx

Update: I hacked together a quick registry script for this: http://pastebin.com/KPYyGcaV

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  • Hmm, actually no. I was close; but this is just for the start menu. What I need is the system-wide default browser. Apr 13, 2010 at 23:49
  • You forgot to define FoobarHTML under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.
    – lilydjwg
    Jan 9, 2018 at 11:47
  • Any chance you have (or have found) a Windows 10 version of this reg script? I have a browser that isn't showing up in the default programs list but so far can't get your script working in Windows 10 (keeps reverting back to Edge) May 15, 2019 at 9:48
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See File Types and File Associations and Registering an Application to a URL Protocol.

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