Outlook email links: open links in Firefox automatically

Saturday, January 20, 2007

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UPDATE: if you want to make links in Word, Excel & other Microsoft Office documents open in Firefox, see this post.

I use Outlook 2003 for my email. When you click a link in an Outlook email, it opens in Internet Explorer. After some hunting I found a way to fix it so that Outlook email hyperlinks open in Firefox instead, at least with Windows XP.

If you're a Firefox fan (and if not, do consider trying it sometime: ), try this:

1. Launch My Computer or Windows Explorer.
2. Choose menu 'Tools' -> 'Folder Options'
3. Click the 'File Types' tab.
4. Scroll down to find 'URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol' (under the File Types column) and make sure it's highlighted.
5. Click the 'Advanced' button.
6. In the 'Actions' box make sure that 'open' is highlighted (click on it if necessary)
7. Click the 'Edit' button.
8. Uncheck 'Use DDE', click the Browse button and browse to Firefox.exe on your system, and click OK. [Updated for clarification, sorry about the earlier omission.] If you get a "file not found" message, browse to Firefox.exe and click OK.
9. The path to Firefox.exe should now appear in the 'Application used to perform this action' box.
10. Go to that 'Application used to perform this action' box, and add '-url "%1"' at the end, without the single quotes, so that it reads e.g. (on my computer at least) "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -url "%1" - with the double quotes!
10. Click OK again.
11. Repeat the process with the file type 'URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol with Privacy'

(Found at Experts-Exchange.)

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15 Comment(s):

I guess if Firefox is set as your default browser, all Outlook hyperlink will auto open in Firefox itself.

(By Amit Agarwal, at Sunday, January 21, 2007 4:29:00 AM) Edit Comment

Thanks for your comment Amit, indeed it should.

The steps above might help someone who doesn't have Fox as the default but still wants Outlook links to open in Fox, and anyone who has had problems even when they've set Fox as their default browser.

(By Improbulus, at Monday, January 22, 2007 9:46:00 PM) Edit Comment

"I guess if Firefox is set as your default browser, all Outlook hyperlink will auto open in Firefox itself."
As far as I can tell, the answer is "no". I have been using Firefox for about a year now, as well as Thunderbird for my email. When I open a hyperlink with Thunderbird, it still opens IE.

(By Just Joe, at Thursday, February 01, 2007 12:05:00 PM) Edit Comment

Thanks Just Joe, that's interesting. So setting Fox as your default browser doesn't necessarily open Thunderbird links in Fox? Have you tried the suggested steps above, did that work?

(By Improbulus, at Saturday, February 03, 2007 7:49:00 PM) Edit Comment

Thanks improbulus!
BOTH IE and Firefox would be launched from links in Outlook, much to my consternation. Your solution worked, except all I needed to do was uncheck the 'USE DDE' box, whatever that means (the url business was already there).

ty ty ty

(By TPdot, at Thursday, November 01, 2007 4:57:00 PM) Edit Comment

Thanks for your comment TPDot, glad the post was of help to you!

(By Improbulus, at Sunday, November 18, 2007 8:56:00 PM) Edit Comment

I have tried the steps above using 'my computer' but there doesn't appear to be any options in the 'action' box to select? Would you perhaps know what I am doing incorrectly?

Paul

(By Paul, at Saturday, March 08, 2008 10:56:00 AM) Edit Comment

Thank You!!!! You saved me.
From, Computer Illiterate

(By Anonymous, at Thursday, March 20, 2008 5:13:00 PM) Edit Comment

i have xp and outlook 2007,

for some reason when i change those settings 'apply' is not an option so when i go back the DDE box its still checked! so needless to say its not working!

aargh, driving me mad

Dianne

(By Anonymous, at Monday, March 31, 2008 9:25:00 PM) Edit Comment

Thanks! I don't use Firefox, but I have recently started using Safari and this issue with Outlook was driving me crazy. It's amazing the lengths that Microsoft will to to force people to use IE. I've found that removing it completely is nearly impossible.

This fix worked for me. Thanks to you I should never have to deal with IE again!

BTW-I haven't seen any of the safari blues that some are blogging about elsewhere. Easily twice as fast for me and beautiful as well!

(By Anonymous, at Thursday, April 17, 2008 8:05:00 AM) Edit Comment

Thank you!
I was really getting fed up copying and pasting links into Firefox.
This tip was well written, successful and easy to implement.
I appreciate your time.
cybervin.

(By Vincent, at Wednesday, May 28, 2008 5:01:00 PM) Edit Comment

I cannot get to Outlook Mail from within Firefox; I'm always taken to Google Mail which I don't use. Is there a remedy, please?

(By blythbd, at Friday, May 30, 2008 9:20:00 AM) Edit Comment

Thanks,
your solution did the trick after much searching. D

(By Anonymous, at Friday, June 06, 2008 6:15:00 PM) Edit Comment

hi, this post is quite old so it's unlikely that my comment wiill be read. anyway since i don't find solutions to this anywhere else and you seem to may having it, i'll give it a try.

my problem is the exact opposite of the one takled in the post.

i have just installed intraVnews for Outlook 2003, which adds a Feed Reader to it.
the problem is: every time i click on a link inside an article it opens up in firefox 3 (which is my default browser). how could i view the page linked INSIDE Outlook? i'm sure Outlook can work as a browser and visualize pages inside without the need of opening an external browser. i've seen it doing it! so why can't i get the same feature when clicking on a particular link?

(By maupadddant, at Sunday, June 29, 2008 3:54:00 PM) Edit Comment

Thanks alot! answer is still helping - just fixed my problem and I am using old version (2002) of Outlook

(By Anonymous, at Sunday, August 03, 2008 4:40:00 PM) Edit Comment