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When you drag the url bar from an internet explorer bar to a Windows folder, it creates a shortcut file. When double clicking that file, it should open that internet page in your default internet browser. This happens because by default, the filetype "url shortcut" is associated with your default browser in the registry.

I have here a file with a filetype of "url shortcut":

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My issue is that when I double click a url shortcut filetype, instead of opening an internet browser page, it opens the print dialog:

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Only if I DRAG the file onto an Internet browser page - will it open the linked shortcut in the browser.

I have tried to reset all file associations back to default but that didn't help. In my Windows 10, in the "Choose default apps by file type" I have "Internet Shortcut (.url)" SET to open with "Internet Browser" (with no option to choose the browser, even though CHROME is set as my default browser) but for some reason, instead of opening them in chrome, it opens the print dialog.

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Can someone help with this?

UPDATE:

After playing around with registry keys, I was able to get Windows to ask me what program I wanted to always open this type of file with. If I choose "Internet Browser" it works once but if I double click it again, it will again start to open the print dialog.

But if I choose "Chrome" - it always opens in Chrome BUT only shows the shortcut link as text like so:

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3 Answers 3

Reset to default
5

Have exactly the same issue. Appeared suddenly.

Solved it by deleting with tool RegEdit the LegacyDisable key in:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\IE.AssocFile.URL\Shell\Open

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  • @Blackwood, I posted an answer. Can you upvote my Answer again?
    – Tom Mensink
    Apr 23, 2019 at 13:37
  • As you have edited your post to include an answer, I have deleted my comment. It wasn't me that downvoted your post.
    – Blackwood
    Apr 23, 2019 at 14:00
  • @Tom, I upvoted your answer only because I think that it's a valid suggestion, especially if it worked for you. But I can't mark it as solved as it didn't help me. I temporarily am using a chrome extension "URL Handler" which handles .url files if they open on in Chrome as plain text.
    – Zvi Twersky
    Apr 24, 2019 at 2:46
  • This works for me: Windows 10 Pro & Google Chrome 83.0.4103.97 (Official Build) (64-bit)
    – Io-oI
    Jun 12, 2020 at 2:14
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Do not associate .url directly with an internet browser but with the InternetShortcut 

assoc .url  
.url=**InternetShortcut**

The InternetShortcut shell is realized by statement:

"C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe" "C:\Windows\System32\ieframe.dll",OpenURL file.url

The shell extracts the real url from the given file.url and passes it to the default internet browser e.g. chrome:

Shortly you have to set the association: 

C:\Windows\system32>ASSOC .url=InternetShortcut

And the registry:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\InternetShortcut\shell\Open\Command]
@="\"C:\\Windows\\System32\\rundll32.exe\" "C:\\Windows\\System32\\ieframe.dll\",OpenURL %l"
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  • I checked and my reg string is already set to that. So for now, I just have to use the .URL Handler addon
    – Zvi Twersky
    Oct 13, 2019 at 2:56
  • Doesn't work for me either.
    – Ralf
    Nov 21, 2019 at 18:55
  • How were you able to work out (or maybe "where were you able to find") the rundll32 command-line used?
    – AJM
    Aug 16 at 12:53
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I found a solution (for myself, at least):

I simply switched the default browser in Default Apps (System Settings). It was Firefox. After the first switch, it worked with all browsers. Maybe an issue in the registry, and the key got rewritten by switching ...

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