Change default program for .html

[kenw232]

I need .html files when I click them in explorer to open in Firefox. Win7 64bit.

If I turn on "check to make sure firefox is default browser" it will check and ask and I can set it. Problem solved.

But I need to make firefox open with "-profile whatever" when I double click a .html file in explorer. How can I modify the firefox association/program/whatever to append the profile on the command line. I have no idea where to do this.

Thanks.

 

[seavixen32]

Navigate to Start>Control Panel>Default Programs>Set Associations.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9154-default-programs-associate-file-type-protocol.html

 

[kenw232]

yes, I see that. "Firefox" is there and I can select it. But I need to change Firefox to add a "-profile whatever" so when it runs it runs properly. Right now "Firefox" is just firefox.exe probably. How can I append a switch to it? I see no where I can actually change what "Firefox" is actually executing. I can only select it.

 

[Ztruker]

seavixen32, that won't allow him to specify which user to automatically connect with, no way to add -P profilename.

I don't know of any way to do this? I always get the Profile Manager screen with my default preselected but I still need to click OK for it to continue.

Edit: I wonder if you could select a batch file then have the batch file start Firefox with the -P info and the web site to open?

Edit#2: Nope, that doesn't work, just tried it.

 

[kenw232]

I could probably do a batch file thing, but thats ugly. I can't believe I can't just add a switch to the program's command line. Anyone know where exactly in the registry this command line can be found for .html?

 

[Ztruker]

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.html but the info there point to a CSID, not a program name and there is no way to add a parameter.

 

[kenw232]

I found where it is.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FirefoxHTML\shell\open\command

But when I try to add -profile c:\users\whatever it doesn't like it. It only wants a path to an exe for some reason. I tried all kinds of various double quote attempts.

 

[Corazon]

You found the right registry key. On my system it looks like this:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\FirefoxHTML\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Mozilla Firefox\\firefox.exe\" -requestPending -osint -url \"%1\""

If you change the line at the end to read
-requestPending -osint -profile \"full path to your profile here\" -url \"%1\""
it should work correctly, once you save this as a .reg file and merge it in.

If you want to make the edit yourself using regedit, simply insert -profile "full path to your profile here" between the -osint and -url parameters.
Note that in this case, the quote marks do not have preceding backslashes.

EDIT: I just realized there are two occurrences of the FirefoxHTML key, one under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes and one under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT. You can choose to edit both simultaneously, or try just one and see if it's the one that sticks.

 

[kenw232]

I tried this, it didn't work. Can you copy/paste your REG_SZ value for HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FirefoxHTML\shell\open\command ?

I didn't use regedit to import. I'm trying to edit the registry directly.

 

[Ztruker]

Won't this cause a problem if someone else is using the computer? They double click on a html file and your Firefox profile starts.

 

[Corazon]

Please elaborate on what you mean by "it didn't work." Exactly how did you proceed?


The REG_SZ string as it appears in my Registry reads as follows (I did a direct copy/paste from regedit):

"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -requestPending -osint -url "%1"

You should change this as follows:

"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -requestPending -osint -profile "full path to your profile here" -url "%1"

for example, if your profile is in C:\Users\Me\Some\Path, the string would read:

"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -requestPending -osint -profile "C:\Users\Me\Some\Path" -url "%1"

 

[kenw232]

I've attached the errors I get when I click a .url file. I was actually working with FirefoxURL. THe path to the profile is fine, I use it in shortcuts now.

 

[Corazon]

Could you show me the exact string you put into your Registry for the FirefoxHTML-etc. key?

 

[kenw232]

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox 7\firefox.exe" -requestPending -osint -profile "C:\Users\MyName\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ya51kf7t.default" -url "%1"

 

[Corazon]

OK, the registry key is perfect. That's not the problem. Somehow Firefox just won't load your profile using this method; I don't know why - perhaps you can ask on Mozilla's forums and get an answer there.

There is another option according to this page:

Command - Result - Example

profile "<path>" - Starts with profile located at the given path - firefox.exe -profile "E:\myprofile"

P "<profile name>" - Starts with a given profile name (case sensitive) - firefox.exe -P "Joel User"

Try using the -P option instead of -profile. Does that work?

I wonder what the -requestPending and -osint switches do, I can't find any info about them. Perhaps they conflict somehow.

 

[kenw232]

I gave up and made the files open in IE instead. Thanks for your help anyway.

 

[JackG5]

Solved

I realize this is a ridiculously old thread, but I did a decent amount of searching on two different occasions and this is the only place I could find that mentioned the specific issue I was dealing with.

Now that I finally determined a solution, I figured I would post it here for anyone else who finds this thread:

All I had to do was change the order of the profiles as listed in the profiles.ini...

So you navigate to:

C:\Users\MyName\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox

And there should be a "profiles.ini"

Just open that in Notepad and swap the info of the current profile that opens HTML files with the info of the profile that you want.

[General]
StartWithLastProfile=1

[Profile0]
Name=default
IsRelative=1
Path=Profiles/lkweHj43.default
Default=1

[Profile1]
Name=MyCustomProfile
IsRelative=1
Path=Profiles/kjwudkfm.MyCustomProfile

With this configuration, the default profile handles HTML files.
Just swap the relevant info and put the profile you want under "[Profile0]" and above "Default=1"...

[General]
StartWithLastProfile=1

[Profile0]
Name=MyCustomProfile
IsRelative=1
Path=Profiles/kjwudkfm.MyCustomProfile
Default=1

[Profile1]
Name=default
IsRelative=1
Path=Profiles/lkweHj43.default

Now "MyCustomProfile" will open HTML files.