Edge

I almost never use Edge; instead I use FireFox, which I think is a much
better browser.

There are two situations in which I use Edge:

1. When a web site doesn't work correctly in FireFox.

2. I use Outlook.exe for e-mail. Sometimes, in some message, if I click
on a link it contains, the web site opens in Edge (even though FireFox
is set as my default browser).

I can't do anything about number 1, but I have a question about number
2. Why? And does anyone here know a way to stop this from happening? I
haven't found a way. And I don't know why it happens irregularly.


--
Ken

On 05/08/2020 17:36, Ken Blake wrote:
I almost never use Edge; instead I use FireFox, which I think is a
much better browser.

There are two situations in which I use Edge:

1. When a web site doesn't work correctly in FireFox.

2. I use Outlook.exe for e-mail. Sometimes, in some message, if I
click on a link it contains, the web site opens in Edge (even though
FireFox is set as my default browser).

I can't do anything about number 1, but I have a question about number
2. Why? And does anyone here know a way to stop this from happening? I
haven't found a way. And I don't know why it happens irregularly.


Maybe the link contains info to open in a certain browser a bit like

https://www.computerworld.com/articl...yperlinks.html

In article , Ken Blake
wrote:

I almost never use Edge; instead I use FireFox, which I think is a much
better browser.

There are two situations in which I use Edge:

1. When a web site doesn't work correctly in FireFox.

2. I use Outlook.exe for e-mail. Sometimes, in some message, if I click
on a link it contains, the web site opens in Edge (even though FireFox
is set as my default browser).

I can't do anything about number 1, but I have a question about number
2. Why? And does anyone here know a way to stop this from happening? I
haven't found a way. And I don't know why it happens irregularly.

https://github.com/da2x/EdgeDeflector
EdgeDeflector is a small helper application that intercepts URIs
that force-open web links in Microsoft Edge and redirects it to the
system¹s default web browser. This allows you to use Windows features
like the Cortana assistant and built-in help links with the browser
of your choice instead of being forced to use Microsoft Edge. With
EdgeDeflector, you¹re free to use Firefox, Google Chrome, or whatever
your favorite web browser might be!

Ken Blake wrote:

I almost never use Edge; instead I use FireFox, which I think is a much
better browser.

There are two situations in which I use Edge:

1. When a web site doesn't work correctly in FireFox.

Try using Firefox in its safe mode to eliminate interference caused by
whatever add-ons you installed into Firefox. Remember that the purpose
of adblockers is to break web pages to block you from seeing some
content. If that doesn't work, Firefox has its own adblock blacklist
from Disconnect.me. It's a small blacklist, but it can interferes with
some sites. Go to aboutreferences#privacy under Enhanced Tracking
Protection section, select Custom, uncheck all protections, and restest
visiting the problematic web site.

2. I use Outlook.exe for e-mail. Sometimes, in some message, if I click
on a link it contains, the web site opens in Edge (even though FireFox
is set as my default browser).

Depends on the hyperlink on which you are clicking. While a hyperlink
cannot specify which web browser is used as the handler for a URL, the
protocol can be one specific to the Edge web browser.

To see the various protocols, go to the Default Apps settings panel,
click on "Choose default apps by protocol", and scroll down to see which
protocols were assigned to Edge as their handler. For example, you'll
see the URL:microsoft-edge is assigned to Edge.


For example:

http://apple.com

takes you to Apple's site using whatever is the default web brower.
However:

microsoft-edge:http://apple.com

also takes you to Apple's site but using the Edge web browser.

Not possible to be more specific because you were not. You did not
provide an exhibit of the code for a hyperlink in an HTML-formatted
e-mail to know how the URL was coded.

On 8/5/2020 3:11 PM, VanguardLH wrote:
Ken Blake wrote:

I almost never use Edge; instead I use FireFox, which I think is a much
better browser.

There are two situations in which I use Edge:

1. When a web site doesn't work correctly in FireFox.

Try using Firefox in its safe mode to eliminate interference caused by
whatever add-ons you installed into Firefox. Remember that the purpose
of adblockers is to break web pages to block you from seeing some
content. If that doesn't work, Firefox has its own adblock blacklist
from Disconnect.me. It's a small blacklist, but it can interferes with
some sites. Go to aboutreferences#privacy under Enhanced Tracking
Protection section, select Custom, uncheck all protections, and restest
visiting the problematic web site.


Thanks. I'll try that the next time I get the problem.


2. I use Outlook.exe for e-mail. Sometimes, in some message, if I click
on a link it contains, the web site opens in Edge (even though FireFox
is set as my default browser).

Depends on the hyperlink on which you are clicking. While a hyperlink
cannot specify which web browser is used as the handler for a URL, the
protocol can be one specific to the Edge web browser.

To see the various protocols, go to the Default Apps settings panel,
click on "Choose default apps by protocol", and scroll down to see which
protocols were assigned to Edge as their handler. For example, you'll
see the URL:microsoft-edge is assigned to Edge.


For example:

http://apple.com

takes you to Apple's site using whatever is the default web brower.
However:

microsoft-edge:http://apple.com

also takes you to Apple's site but using the Edge web browser.


There's nothing prefixed with microsoft-edge there.



Not possible to be more specific because you were not. You did not
provide an exhibit of the code for a hyperlink in an HTML-formatted
e-mail to know how the URL was coded.



I know. I would have liked to have been more specific, but I didn't have
any examples at hand. If your suggestion above doesn't work, I'll try to
post with an example the next time it happens.


--
Ken

On Wed, 5 Aug 2020 09:36:00 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:

And does anyone here know a way to stop this from happening?

Dunno the answer offhand, but I saw other answers, so I just want to add
you can _test_ the blockers/deflectors by using quick commands to open up
either Microsoft Edge (both can be installed concurrently) on demand.

Start Run commands:
o Win+R microsoft-edge:// == gives you a choice of Edge browsers if both
o Win+R microsoft-edge: == brings up the current Edge browser if one
o Win+R iexplore == brings up Internet Explorer (if enabled)
o Win+R microsoft-edge:about:blank == opens default edge to a blank page
o Win+R http://google.com == brings it up in the default browser
o Win+R microsoft-edge://google.com == brings it up in the default Edge
o Win+R cmd start microsoft-edge: == brings up the default Edge
o Win+R cmd start microsoft-edge:http://google.com == opens that page
o Win+R powershell start microsoft-edge: == brings up the default Edge
o Win+R explorer microsoft-edge: == Windows file explorer address bar
o Win+R shell:AppsFolder\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8 bbwe!MicrosoftEdge
o Win+R %windir%\system32\cmd.exe /c "start microsoft-edge:http://google.com"
o Win+R %comspec% /c start shell:AppsFolder\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8 bbwe!MicrosoftEdge http://google.com
etc.

Note: Those latter entries are useful to create TARGETs to specific
web-page shortcuts, (where you can combine commands to quickly open any
number of web pages):
o What syntax combines 2 commands into a single shortcut TARGET line?
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.msdos.batch/azQbz6D_v0Y

You can even create an "edge" command to enable "Win+R edge", e.g.,
o Win+R shell:appsfolder
o Create a System32 (path) shortcut named "newedge" and "oldedge".
o Win+R newedge == you can also add to the "app paths" registry key

See details in:
o Tutorial to set up 3 Microsoft web browsers to work concurrently
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.comp.freeware/fZlJTYRxYFg

And in:
o Over 250 Start Run commands (please improve this Start Run commands list)
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/cc1lGn3ty0E
--
Every post to Usenet archives should help someone now & in the future.

Ken Blake wrote:

For example:

http://apple.com

takes you to Apple's site using whatever is the default web brower.
However:

microsoft-edge:http://apple.com

also takes you to Apple's site but using the Edge web browser.

There's nothing prefixed with microsoft-edge there.

Be sure to look at the raw source of the HTML-formatted e-mail to see
what is specified for the href attribute in the A HTML tag. Don't go
by what the rendered display of the HTML message shows you.

Also, since you are using MS Outlook to read your e-mail, perhaps the
sender is also using Outlook to compose their e-mail. As of version
2007, Outlook changed from using its own integral editor to instead
using a stub of Word (whether Word is installed or not). Messages
composed with Outlook (that use the Word stub) will insert a ton of crap
HTML-like directives that only Word (and Outlook via Word stub) can
understand. The directives are worthless to every other e-mail client.
They add information that is usable *only* by Outlook which uses Word.
I've never delved into deciphering what all those Word-specific headers
can do. It's been awhile since I last used Outlook, but there probably
is an option to disable Outlook from inserting all those Word-specific
headers. They're meaningless to anyone not using Outlook.

Word can be used to write e-mails:
https://group-mail.com/html-email/ho...icrosoft-word/

And Outlook changed to using a Word stub as its new-message composer:
https://www.lifewire.com/use-word-as...utlook-1173710

Actually there was an option before OL2007 to use Word as the editor,
but users got forced to use Word as of OL2007.

For example, in an e-mail that a sender composed using Outlook, I see
the following HTML code:

/* Client-specific Styles */
* {
-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;
-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;
}
#outlook a {
padding: 0;
}

and a whole bunch of other crap HTML code that is Word-specific. I
would have to see the e-mail to determine if the A tag's href
attribute used a protocol, like microsoft-edge, or if some Word coding
effected a hyperlink. You might want to ask the sender if they simply
typed in or pasted in a string for the URL into their message, or if
they used some menu in Outlook to Insert a hyperlink.

When using Outlook to send e-mails, a ton of Word-specic HTML crap code
gets inserted in the outbound message that has meaning ONLY to
recipients that also use Outlook. If the sender used Outlook, and since
you used Outlook, perhaps Microsoft decided that hyperlinks could be
implemented using their Word-specific HTML directives. I stopped using
Outlook a while ago, so my e-mail clients will only use the hyperlinks
defined within an A tag.

On 8/6/2020 9:19 AM, VanguardLH wrote:
Ken Blake wrote:

For example:

http://apple.com

takes you to Apple's site using whatever is the default web brower.
However:

microsoft-edge:http://apple.com

also takes you to Apple's site but using the Edge web browser.

There's nothing prefixed with microsoft-edge there.

Be sure to look at the raw source of the HTML-formatted e-mail to see
what is specified for the href attribute in the A HTML tag. Don't go
by what the rendered display of the HTML message shows you.


OK, thanks again. Will do the next time this happens.


--
Ken

VanguardLH wrote:
Ken Blake wrote:

For example:

http://apple.com

takes you to Apple's site using whatever is the default web brower.
However:

microsoft-edge:http://apple.com

also takes you to Apple's site but using the Edge web browser.

There's nothing prefixed with microsoft-edge there.

Be sure to look at the raw source of the HTML-formatted e-mail to see
what is specified for the href attribute in the A HTML tag. Don't go
by what the rendered display of the HTML message shows you.

Also, since you are using MS Outlook to read your e-mail, perhaps the
sender is also using Outlook to compose their e-mail. As of version
2007, Outlook changed from using its own integral editor to instead
using a stub of Word (whether Word is installed or not). Messages
composed with Outlook (that use the Word stub) will insert a ton of crap
HTML-like directives that only Word (and Outlook via Word stub) can
understand. The directives are worthless to every other e-mail client.
They add information that is usable *only* by Outlook which uses Word.
I've never delved into deciphering what all those Word-specific headers
can do. It's been awhile since I last used Outlook, but there probably
is an option to disable Outlook from inserting all those Word-specific
headers. They're meaningless to anyone not using Outlook.

Word can be used to write e-mails:
https://group-mail.com/html-email/ho...icrosoft-word/

And Outlook changed to using a Word stub as its new-message composer:
https://www.lifewire.com/use-word-as...utlook-1173710

Actually there was an option before OL2007 to use Word as the editor,
but users got forced to use Word as of OL2007.

For example, in an e-mail that a sender composed using Outlook, I see
the following HTML code:

/* Client-specific Styles */
* {
-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;
-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;
}
#outlook a {
padding: 0;
}

and a whole bunch of other crap HTML code that is Word-specific. I
would have to see the e-mail to determine if the A tag's href
attribute used a protocol, like microsoft-edge, or if some Word coding
effected a hyperlink. You might want to ask the sender if they simply
typed in or pasted in a string for the URL into their message, or if
they used some menu in Outlook to Insert a hyperlink.

When using Outlook to send e-mails, a ton of Word-specic HTML crap code
gets inserted in the outbound message that has meaning ONLY to
recipients that also use Outlook. If the sender used Outlook, and since
you used Outlook, perhaps Microsoft decided that hyperlinks could be
implemented using their Word-specific HTML directives. I stopped using
Outlook a while ago, so my e-mail clients will only use the hyperlinks
defined within an A tag.

Thanks for posting this, VanguardLH. I've been wondering for quite a
while why email from people using Outlook is such a mess when I look at
the message's source code. Your reply explains why this is the case.

--
John C.

Ken Blake wrote:

I almost never use Edge; instead I use FireFox, which I think is a much
better browser.

There are two situations in which I use Edge:

1. When a web site doesn't work correctly in FireFox.

2. I use Outlook.exe for e-mail. Sometimes, in some message, if I click
on a link it contains, the web site opens in Edge (even though FireFox
is set as my default browser).

I can't do anything about number 1, but I have a question about number
2. Why? And does anyone here know a way to stop this from happening? I
haven't found a way. And I don't know why it happens irregularly.

I found a solution that nullifies the microsoft-edge: protocol prefix.
Go into Default Apps, select "Choose default apps by protocol", scroll
down and find the microsoft-edge: protocol. By default, Edge is
selected. That means any prefixed URL of the format:

microsoft-edge:URL

will use Edge to load the URL. If you click on the selection for that
protocol, you get a popup list of available handlers that are registered
for that protocol. If you use the link to search Microsoft's Store,
some apps are listed, but none are free. I found the following one
which is free:

https://github.com/da2x/EdgeDeflector

During its install, it's supposed to show some prompt to let you change
the default for the microsoft-edge: protocol. I didn't see it; however,
because Windows 10 protects those choices, many programs that have an
option to make themself the default won't work (there'll be no registry
edit to effect a change to that program as the handler), or they just
dump you into the Defaults Apps wizard, and you have to figure out how
to use that wizard. After installed EdgeDeflector, go into the Default
Apps wizard, select the "Choose default apps by protocol", and now click
on the selection for the microsoft-edge: protocol. If EdgeDeflector
isn't already selected, click on the current choice and select
EdgeDeflector which now appears as a choice for that protocol handler.

Afterward, any microsoft-edge:URL string will open the URL in
whichever is the currently configured default web browser instead of
forced to use Edge. EdgeDeflector is a helper app that redirects the
URL to the default web browser hence nullifying microsoft-edge: using
just the Edge web browser. Of course, if Edge is the default web
browser then that's the one that gets the URL from EdgeDeflector.

It's been over a week when I happen to run across this gem. I was
actually trying to figure out how to get Windows 10 in its Search (or
the address toolbar that I added to the taskbar) to use the default web
browser instead of always using Edge. Still haven't figured out that
one, but I happened upon this tool that converts microsoft-edge:URL to
just the URL passed to whichever is the default web browser.

VanguardLH wrote:

Ken Blake wrote:

I almost never use Edge; instead I use FireFox, which I think is a much
better browser.

There are two situations in which I use Edge:

1. When a web site doesn't work correctly in FireFox.

2. I use Outlook.exe for e-mail. Sometimes, in some message, if I click
on a link it contains, the web site opens in Edge (even though FireFox
is set as my default browser).

I can't do anything about number 1, but I have a question about number
2. Why? And does anyone here know a way to stop this from happening? I
haven't found a way. And I don't know why it happens irregularly.

I found a solution that nullifies the microsoft-edge: protocol prefix.
Go into Default Apps, select "Choose default apps by protocol", scroll
down and find the microsoft-edge: protocol. By default, Edge is
selected. That means any prefixed URL of the format:

microsoft-edge:URL

will use Edge to load the URL. If you click on the selection for that
protocol, you get a popup list of available handlers that are registered
for that protocol. If you use the link to search Microsoft's Store,
some apps are listed, but none are free. I found the following one
which is free:

https://github.com/da2x/EdgeDeflector

During its install, it's supposed to show some prompt to let you change
the default for the microsoft-edge: protocol. I didn't see it; however,
because Windows 10 protects those choices, many programs that have an
option to make themself the default won't work (there'll be no registry
edit to effect a change to that program as the handler), or they just
dump you into the Defaults Apps wizard, and you have to figure out how
to use that wizard. After installed EdgeDeflector, go into the Default
Apps wizard, select the "Choose default apps by protocol", and now click
on the selection for the microsoft-edge: protocol. If EdgeDeflector
isn't already selected, click on the current choice and select
EdgeDeflector which now appears as a choice for that protocol handler.

Afterward, any microsoft-edge:URL string will open the URL in
whichever is the currently configured default web browser instead of
forced to use Edge. EdgeDeflector is a helper app that redirects the
URL to the default web browser hence nullifying microsoft-edge: using
just the Edge web browser. Of course, if Edge is the default web
browser then that's the one that gets the URL from EdgeDeflector.

It's been over a week when I happen to run across this gem. I was
actually trying to figure out how to get Windows 10 in its Search (or
the address toolbar that I added to the taskbar) to use the default web
browser instead of always using Edge. Still haven't figured out that
one, but I happened upon this tool that converts microsoft-edge:URL to
just the URL passed to whichever is the default web browser.

Oh, and when hunting around to kill Windows 10 using just Bing from a
search/address bar (not solved yet), the article I hit to nullify the
microsoft-edge: protocol was found at:

https://www.howtogeek.com/226638/mak...stead-of-bing/

It mentions Google Chrome in the title, but what it really does is parse
out the URL from the microsoft-edge:URL string and pass URL to
whichever is the currently configured default web browser.

If I now use microsoft-edge:https://www.apple.com, the result is the
same as if I used https://www.apple.com. The default web browser loads
the URL, and not Edge (unless it's the default).

Still working on how to extricate Windows 10 from using Bing for its
searches. Might not happen. The integration is tenacious.

On 14/08/2020 20:57, VanguardLH wrote:
VanguardLH wrote:

Ken Blake wrote:

I almost never use Edge; instead I use FireFox, which I think is a much
better browser.

There are two situations in which I use Edge:

1. When a web site doesn't work correctly in FireFox.

2. I use Outlook.exe for e-mail. Sometimes, in some message, if I click
on a link it contains, the web site opens in Edge (even though FireFox
is set as my default browser).

I can't do anything about number 1, but I have a question about number
2. Why? And does anyone here know a way to stop this from happening? I
haven't found a way. And I don't know why it happens irregularly.

I found a solution that nullifies the microsoft-edge: protocol prefix.
Go into Default Apps, select "Choose default apps by protocol", scroll
down and find the microsoft-edge: protocol. By default, Edge is
selected. That means any prefixed URL of the format:

microsoft-edge:URL

will use Edge to load the URL. If you click on the selection for that
protocol, you get a popup list of available handlers that are registered
for that protocol. If you use the link to search Microsoft's Store,
some apps are listed, but none are free. I found the following one
which is free:

https://github.com/da2x/EdgeDeflector

During its install, it's supposed to show some prompt to let you change
the default for the microsoft-edge: protocol. I didn't see it; however,
because Windows 10 protects those choices, many programs that have an
option to make themself the default won't work (there'll be no registry
edit to effect a change to that program as the handler), or they just
dump you into the Defaults Apps wizard, and you have to figure out how
to use that wizard. After installed EdgeDeflector, go into the Default
Apps wizard, select the "Choose default apps by protocol", and now click
on the selection for the microsoft-edge: protocol. If EdgeDeflector
isn't already selected, click on the current choice and select
EdgeDeflector which now appears as a choice for that protocol handler.

Afterward, any microsoft-edge:URL string will open the URL in
whichever is the currently configured default web browser instead of
forced to use Edge. EdgeDeflector is a helper app that redirects the
URL to the default web browser hence nullifying microsoft-edge: using
just the Edge web browser. Of course, if Edge is the default web
browser then that's the one that gets the URL from EdgeDeflector.

It's been over a week when I happen to run across this gem. I was
actually trying to figure out how to get Windows 10 in its Search (or
the address toolbar that I added to the taskbar) to use the default web
browser instead of always using Edge. Still haven't figured out that
one, but I happened upon this tool that converts microsoft-edge:URL to
just the URL passed to whichever is the default web browser.

Oh, and when hunting around to kill Windows 10 using just Bing from a
search/address bar (not solved yet), the article I hit to nullify the
microsoft-edge: protocol was found at:

https://www.howtogeek.com/226638/mak...stead-of-bing/

It mentions Google Chrome in the title, but what it really does is parse
out the URL from the microsoft-edge:URL string and pass URL to
whichever is the currently configured default web browser.

If I now use microsoft-edge:https://www.apple.com, the result is the
same as if I used https://www.apple.com. The default web browser loads
the URL, and not Edge (unless it's the default).

Still working on how to extricate Windows 10 from using Bing for its
searches. Might not happen. The integration is tenacious.

Don't know why "tenacious", changing it is easy.

Go to "Privacy and services" then "Address bar".
Make sure the first option (Search engine used in the address bar) is
set to Google (or whatever).
Set the second option (Search on new tabs uses search box or address
bar) to address bar.

On 8/14/2020 12:50 PM, VanguardLH wrote:
Ken Blake wrote:

I almost never use Edge; instead I use FireFox, which I think is a much
better browser.

There are two situations in which I use Edge:

1. When a web site doesn't work correctly in FireFox.

2. I use Outlook.exe for e-mail. Sometimes, in some message, if I click
on a link it contains, the web site opens in Edge (even though FireFox
is set as my default browser).

I can't do anything about number 1, but I have a question about number
2. Why? And does anyone here know a way to stop this from happening? I
haven't found a way. And I don't know why it happens irregularly.

I found a solution that nullifies the microsoft-edge: protocol prefix.
Go into Default Apps, select "Choose default apps by protocol", scroll
down and find the microsoft-edge: protocol. By default, Edge is
selected. That means any prefixed URL of the format:

microsoft-edge:URL

will use Edge to load the URL. If you click on the selection for that
protocol, you get a popup list of available handlers that are registered
for that protocol. If you use the link to search Microsoft's Store,
some apps are listed, but none are free. I found the following one
which is free:

https://github.com/da2x/EdgeDeflector

During its install, it's supposed to show some prompt to let you change
the default for the microsoft-edge: protocol. I didn't see it; however,
because Windows 10 protects those choices, many programs that have an
option to make themself the default won't work (there'll be no registry
edit to effect a change to that program as the handler), or they just
dump you into the Defaults Apps wizard, and you have to figure out how
to use that wizard. After installed EdgeDeflector,


OK, I installed EdgeDeflector.


go into the Default
Apps wizard, select the "Choose default apps by protocol", and now click
on the selection for the microsoft-edge: protocol. If EdgeDeflector
isn't already selected,


It's not.


click on the current choice


Edge.


and select
EdgeDeflector which now appears as a choice for that protocol handler.


No, it doesn't appear. What might I be doing wrong?


Afterward, any microsoft-edge:URL string will open the URL in
whichever is the currently configured default web browser instead of
forced to use Edge. EdgeDeflector is a helper app that redirects the
URL to the default web browser hence nullifying microsoft-edge: using
just the Edge web browser. Of course, if Edge is the default web
browser then that's the one that gets the URL from EdgeDeflector.

It's been over a week when I happen to run across this gem. I was
actually trying to figure out how to get Windows 10 in its Search (or
the address toolbar that I added to the taskbar) to use the default web
browser instead of always using Edge. Still haven't figured out that
one, but I happened upon this tool that converts microsoft-edge:URL to
just the URL passed to whichever is the default web browser.



--
Ken

On 8/15/2020 8:36 AM, Ken Blake wrote:
On 8/14/2020 12:50 PM, VanguardLH wrote:
Ken Blake wrote:

I almost never use Edge; instead I use FireFox, which I think is a much
better browser.

There are two situations in which I use Edge:

1. When a web site doesn't work correctly in FireFox.

2. I use Outlook.exe for e-mail. Sometimes, in some message, if I click
on a link it contains, the web site opens in Edge (even though FireFox
is set as my default browser).

I can't do anything about number 1, but I have a question about number
2. Why? And does anyone here know a way to stop this from happening? I
haven't found a way. And I don't know why it happens irregularly.

I found a solution that nullifies the microsoft-edge: protocol prefix.
Go into Default Apps, select "Choose default apps by protocol", scroll
down and find the microsoft-edge: protocol. By default, Edge is
selected. That means any prefixed URL of the format:

microsoft-edge:URL

will use Edge to load the URL. If you click on the selection for that
protocol, you get a popup list of available handlers that are registered
for that protocol. If you use the link to search Microsoft's Store,
some apps are listed, but none are free. I found the following one
which is free:

https://github.com/da2x/EdgeDeflector

During its install, it's supposed to show some prompt to let you change
the default for the microsoft-edge: protocol. I didn't see it; however,
because Windows 10 protects those choices, many programs that have an
option to make themself the default won't work (there'll be no registry
edit to effect a change to that program as the handler), or they just
dump you into the Defaults Apps wizard, and you have to figure out how
to use that wizard. After installed EdgeDeflector,


OK, I installed EdgeDeflector.


go into the Default
Apps wizard, select the "Choose default apps by protocol", and now click
on the selection for the microsoft-edge: protocol. If EdgeDeflector
isn't already selected,


It's not.


click on the current choice


Edge.


and select
EdgeDeflector which now appears as a choice for that protocol handler.


No, it doesn't appear. What might I be doing wrong?


I found what I was doing wrong. I was using the already opened Control
Panel. I closed Control Panel, reopened it, and started over. This time
EdgeDeflector appeared and I selected it.

Thanks very much. I'll see what happens over the next few days and post
back about it.


--
Ken

Ken Blake wrote:

On 8/15/2020 8:36 AM, Ken Blake wrote:
On 8/14/2020 12:50 PM, VanguardLH wrote:
Ken Blake wrote:

I almost never use Edge; instead I use FireFox, which I think is a much
better browser.

There are two situations in which I use Edge:

1. When a web site doesn't work correctly in FireFox.

2. I use Outlook.exe for e-mail. Sometimes, in some message, if I click
on a link it contains, the web site opens in Edge (even though FireFox
is set as my default browser).

I can't do anything about number 1, but I have a question about number
2. Why? And does anyone here know a way to stop this from happening? I
haven't found a way. And I don't know why it happens irregularly.

I found a solution that nullifies the microsoft-edge: protocol prefix.
Go into Default Apps, select "Choose default apps by protocol", scroll
down and find the microsoft-edge: protocol. By default, Edge is
selected. That means any prefixed URL of the format:

microsoft-edge:URL

will use Edge to load the URL. If you click on the selection for that
protocol, you get a popup list of available handlers that are registered
for that protocol. If you use the link to search Microsoft's Store,
some apps are listed, but none are free. I found the following one
which is free:

https://github.com/da2x/EdgeDeflector

During its install, it's supposed to show some prompt to let you change
the default for the microsoft-edge: protocol. I didn't see it; however,
because Windows 10 protects those choices, many programs that have an
option to make themself the default won't work (there'll be no registry
edit to effect a change to that program as the handler), or they just
dump you into the Defaults Apps wizard, and you have to figure out how
to use that wizard. After installed EdgeDeflector,

OK, I installed EdgeDeflector.

go into the Default
Apps wizard, select the "Choose default apps by protocol", and now click
on the selection for the microsoft-edge: protocol. If EdgeDeflector
isn't already selected,

It's not.

click on the current choice

Edge.

and select
EdgeDeflector which now appears as a choice for that protocol handler.

No, it doesn't appear. What might I be doing wrong?

I found what I was doing wrong. I was using the already opened Control
Panel. I closed Control Panel, reopened it, and started over. This time
EdgeDeflector appeared and I selected it.

Thanks very much. I'll see what happens over the next few days and post
back about it.

Control Panel and the Settings app do not automatically refresh on
changes in the registry. Hell, even changes in the registry don't
automatically get reflected elsewhere, so you have to hit F5 for a
refresh. There is no refresh in Control Panel or Settings apps. You
have to walk away from the screen where you made the change and walk
back to the prior screen to see the change.

Tis easy to test if the helper tool works to subvert Microsoft's attempt
to define their own proprietary (Edge) protocol. Create a URL shortcut
on your desktop that points to:

microsoft-edge:https://www.apple.com/

and another URL shortcut that points to:

https://www.apple.com/

When you double-click on either, the default web browser should load and
connect to the Apple site (or whatever URL you specified). This fix
only affects URLs that are prefixed with microsoft-edge:. As I
mentioned, I haven't bother delving into the Word-specific HTML tags to
see if it is possible to define hyperlinks there instead of using the
standard A href="url" ... HTML tag.