Utility to set default browser in Windows7

joby_toss · **Posted:** Sat Mar 10, 2012 10:13 am

Does anyone know of any utility like this?

I know I can set an installed browser as default application, but I'd like to set a portable (not installed) app as the default browser.
It's odd, I know, but I really want this.
I know I can tweak the browser's settings, but Opera's "Set as default..." setting is broken if installed as USB app, and I'd also like to try another app as default browser: FBL4.

For XP there are utilities like Change Default Browser and DefaultBrowser, but they don't work in my Windows 7.

I'm using Browser Chooser for now, but I'm not happy with an intermediate app (requires another mouse click and it's a bit laggy).

Any suggestions?

tproli · **Posted:** Sat Mar 10, 2012 12:21 pm

As a last resort you can try Assox:

http://sites.google.com/site/assoxhome/

It is not fully Windows 7 compatible but chances are this feature would work. I can send you an example ini if you need.

joby_toss · **Posted:** Sat Mar 10, 2012 12:30 pm

I do have Assox, but I never used it. I'll take a look.
If you would be so kind and send me that .ini...
Thanks!

Edit: there is an Opera9.ini file under Assox1000\plugins\Protocols. Is it OK to use that? Or Opera9.vbs?

Edit2: tried it. No luck. No errors, it just doesn't change the protocols handler...
I found this article where it says that registry keys for this are changed dramatically in Win7 compared to XP: http://newoldthing.wordpress.com/2007/0 ... t-browser/

tproli · **Posted:** Sat Mar 10, 2012 12:52 pm

Copy Assox.exe to a directory where there is no Assox.ini file. Launch it and click OK to create a new Assox ini. In this ini, uncomment the line

;Browser=$EXEDIR\..\plugins\OperaPortable\OperaPortable.exe; "file://%1"

Modify the path, save and launch Assox, then hit Apply. You can also restore by choosing REMOVE from the GUI.

joby_toss · **Posted:** Sat Mar 10, 2012 1:02 pm

Nope, doesn't change the default browser.

Midas · **Posted:** Sat Mar 10, 2012 1:30 pm

Is there a reason for Assox not to be listed in the database? It seems it has been discussed plenty here at TPFC... :?:

tproli · **Posted:** Mon Mar 12, 2012 3:14 am

Not really. Development stopped and (partial) incompability with the newcomer windows7 made the case even worse.

I see no obstacles of adding it to the DB. There is a chance Assox will go opensource/get a new developer, so you may hear from it in the future.

Midas · **Posted:** Mon Mar 12, 2012 6:16 am

Thanks, tproli.

My remark was motivated by surprise, since Assox seems to be a portable app covering a rather poorly cared for area of OS management -- Win Seven compatibility is a non-issue, since most my rigs still run XP.

Great to hear it may be going OSS. I'm curious: have you had anything to do with that decision?

Cheers,

tproli · **Posted:** Mon Mar 12, 2012 7:30 am

No, it was a user request/suggestion. In fact we are in search for a capable developer to make Assox shine

Midas · **Posted:** Tue Mar 13, 2012 8:19 am

Sorry, developing skills here only go as far as batch files... but I'm sure Assox will find someone.

ZioZione · **Posted:** Tue Mar 13, 2012 11:06 am

Hi to all,
waiting for some news about Assox, maybe you can follow another way...

Due to the fact that it must work under Windows 7, you can also give a try to our winPenPack.Net menu launcher http://www.winpenpack.com/en/download.php?view.1303 .
You can add your preferred browser to the menu as follows: open wPP.Net menu; click a category folder (i.e. "Internet") into the configuration window, then press F4; from the Properties window, add your preferred portable browser, browsing for its executable.
In the same Properties window, you can also find two interesting panels: "File Associations" and "Protocols".
Click on "File Associations", then add the following extensions: ".html", ".htm" (plus other that you want to associate to your browser).
Click on "Protocols" and check the checkbox "Http/https": the related text field is automatically filled with the name of your executable, plus other parameters (that at this moment we can ignore).
Finally, click OK to confirm all the options.
From this moment on, until the wPP.Net menu is active, every time you double click on an html (or htm) file, and/or click on a link into a mail (or other program that allow that), your portable browser opens with the file or the link selected: exactly as your portable browser was the predefined one.
When you close wPP.Net menu, the Windows 7 default browser returns back. This gives you a little overhead (but also Assox, I think...), but with some interesting (IMHO) pros...

Hope this helps! Please, tell me if you need additional info.
Best Regards
ZioZione

joby_toss · **Posted:** Tue Mar 13, 2012 11:41 am

Just tried it...doesn't launch my portable Opera. It changes something, though, as my default browser is not working while WPP menu is running...it's just that Opera is not able to start also...

So very strange...I'm curious if it's only my machine. I'd really like to know if this works for someone else using win7 and portable Opera (the official set-up using the usb option).

ZioZione · **Posted:** Tue Mar 13, 2012 12:14 pm

Hi joby_toss,
I am working on Windows 7 Home Premiun (32bit).
I wasn't able to find the usb option for the official setup (can you help me?) so I decided to start to test the latest Opera@USB.
I downloaded it and installed "Opera.exe" into wPP.Net menu, performing the associations and assigning the protocol depicted above.
Double clicking on an html file, it opens into Opera, as expected.
Maybe the problem could be on your version of Opera? Now I am quite curious...
Best Regards
ZioZione

EDIT: I verified that if opera is not into a subfolder of the menu structure, the menu could resolve a wrong path for the Protocol option, is setted contextually with the menu item... Please can you recheck Properties|Protocol of menu item "Opera"? Just to be sure that the path to opera.exe is still correct after saving; if not, please correct it and retry...

ZioZione · **Posted:** Tue Mar 13, 2012 1:48 pm

Hi joby_toss,
finally I found how to install official setup of Opera on usb (is was so easy that I couldn't imagine it at first sight... just click "Options" button during setup...).
So I installed it into (wpp.Net menu folder)\winPenPack\Bin\Opera, then assign to it again html, htm extensions and also http/https protocol. Then I closed and reopened the menu.
From that point on, Opera behaves exactly as it was the default browser.
Hope this helps. Let me know eventually what step causes you problems.
Best Regards
ZioZione

joby_toss · **Posted:** Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:03 am

I refuse to believe that my setup is at fault here, until someone else using win7x64 tests this as well.

It's not just Opera, no other portable browser can be made "default" on my system using WPP launcher method, or Assox.

Utility to set default browser in Windows7

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