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Is a Windows registry error responsible for Firefox opening two browser windows whenever I use a hyperlink from a Word file?

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  • Last reply by pib

pib
pib
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Whenever I use a hyperlink from an MS Word document, Firefox opens two windows instead of one. The first window is the one I need. The second contains a message that the page could not be found and the address bar contains the URL appended with "Firefoxhtml/shell/open/command".

This problem is similar but NOT identical to one in MozillaZine headed "Windows error opening internet shortcut or local HTML file - Firefox". But none of the solutions in that article work for my problem: I've disabled all extensions but that hasn't helped. I've tried editing file types so that the DDE is removed (I'm not a teccie so have no idea what that means), but after following the instructions to the letter it doesn't seem to remove the DDE. Also I read that removing the DDE is not a good idea for people like me who need to open numerous firefox browser windows at one time. Furthermore, the MozzilaZine article refers only to problems opening a URL link in a MS Outlook email when Firefox is NOT running. My problem concerns the opening of URL links in MS Word when Firefox IS running!

I've run countless different virus programmes, rootkit checkers etc but they all come up blank. However, I did come across guidance on this website: http://antivirus.about.com/od/windowsbasics/a/shellopen.htm which suggests that something may have altered the shell open command for two registry keys used by Firefox.

  1. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\htafile\shell\open\command
  2. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\htfile\shell\open\command

The default value for each of these should be "%1" %*. But on my user, the default value reads: (for htafile) c:\windows\system32\mshta.exe "%1"%* (for htfile) c:\programfiles\windowsNT\hypertrm.exe"%1

What should the value be for these two files? 

Can anyone sort this for me please? Bear in mind I'm not a teccie!
Whenever I use a hyperlink from an MS Word document, Firefox opens two windows instead of one. The first window is the one I need. The second contains a message that the page could not be found and the address bar contains the URL appended with "Firefoxhtml/shell/open/command". This problem is similar but NOT identical to one in MozillaZine headed "Windows error opening internet shortcut or local HTML file - Firefox". But none of the solutions in that article work for my problem: I've disabled all extensions but that hasn't helped. I've tried editing file types so that the DDE is removed (I'm not a teccie so have no idea what that means), but after following the instructions to the letter it doesn't seem to remove the DDE. Also I read that removing the DDE is not a good idea for people like me who need to open numerous firefox browser windows at one time. Furthermore, the MozzilaZine article refers only to problems opening a URL link in a MS Outlook email when Firefox is NOT running. My problem concerns the opening of URL links in MS Word when Firefox IS running! I've run countless different virus programmes, rootkit checkers etc but they all come up blank. However, I did come across guidance on this website: http://antivirus.about.com/od/windowsbasics/a/shellopen.htm which suggests that something may have altered the shell open command for two registry keys used by Firefox. # HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\htafile\shell\open\command # HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\htfile\shell\open\command The default value for each of these should be "%1" %*. But on my user, the default value reads: (for htafile) c:\windows\system32\mshta.exe "%1"%* (for htfile) c:\programfiles\windowsNT\hypertrm.exe"%1 What should the value be for these two files? Can anyone sort this for me please? Bear in mind I'm not a teccie!

All Replies (8)

Morbus
Morbus
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Can you please try it in a new (temporary) Firefox profile and see if the issue is still present? See this article to know how to create a new Firefox profile. Please report back the results.

pib
pib Question owner
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Hi Morbus

OK, so I have tried it in a new (temporary) Firefox profile as per your suggestion.

I'm afraid it made no difference at all: the issue is still present in the new profile  :(

What's next please?

Morbus
Morbus
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Well, if the new profile has the same problem, I fear this is not a problem that can be solved from inside Firefox. Try reinstalling Firefox, in any case.

If it's the registry (or even Word), I don't think I can help you, sorry.

cor-el
cor-el
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Try to redo the default browser and make another browser like IE the default browser and then let Firefox do it again.

See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Default_browser and Setting Firefox as the default browser does not work - What to do

pib
pib Question owner
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Did a clean reinstall - but the problem remains. Thanks for trying anyway.

pib
pib Question owner
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Hi cor-el. Not sure I fully understand your suggestion. I made IE my default web browser and then tried hyperlinking from that Word document - and of course it opened up pages in IE rather than Firefox, as IE was set to be the default.

Interestingly, IE encountered more serious problems than FF when hyperlinking from Word. Like FF, IE opened "duplicate" windows. But the duplicates did NOT contain the "shell/open/command" message. Instead, I got this MS Data Execution Prevention message: "To help protect your computer, Windows has closed this programme: Internet Explorer"!

I think it would be helpful to know what Mozilla expects the shell open command for those two registry keys to typically be, please?

cor-el
cor-el
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Do a malware check with a few malware scan programs.
You need to use all programs because each detects different malware.
Make sure that you update each program to get the latest version of the database.

See also "Spyware on Windows": http://kb.mozillazine.org/Popups_not_blocked and What to do when searches take you to the wrong search website

pib
pib Question owner
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Hi Corel .. I've scanned for malware with every one of the programmes you suggested in Windows safe mode plus a few more as well (Avira,Housecall, McAfee, CCleaner).

The problem is still there. Thoughts on next steps?