1302023 - "Make Default" opens the "Set Default Programs" Control Panel instead of "Choose default apps" Settings

Status: VERIFIED FIXED

(Firefox :: Shell Integration, defect)

Description

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

STR:
1. Open about:preferences#general
2. Click "Make Default" button.

RESULT:
Firefox opens the "Set Default Programs" Control Panel instead of "Choose default apps" Settings.

Edge and Chrome open the "Choose default apps" Settings window. I know Firefox used to open "Choose default apps" when I tested Windows 10 (in a VM) last year. But on my new Windows 10 laptop, Firefox opens Windows' legacy "Set Default Programs" Control Panel page with a big empty field and nothing selected. It is a baffling user experience.

I see this with a clean user profile in Firefox 48-51. I'm using a new Windows 10 laptop, though I just upgraded to the Windows 10 Anniversary Update and I have opted into receiving the Windows Insider "Slow Ring" preview updates. So maybe this is a regression in pre-release Windows?

Comment 1

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

Attachment: Choose_default_apps.jpg

Screenshot of the "Choose default apps" Settings page opened by Edge and Chrome.

Comment 2

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

Attachment: Set_Default_Programs.jpg

Screenshot of the "Set Default Programs" Control Panel page opened by Firefox.

Comment 3

[Masatoshi Kimura [:emk]]

(In reply to Chris Peterson [:cpeterson] from comment #0)
> I have opted into receiving the Windows Insider "Slow Ring"
> preview updates. So maybe this is a regression in pre-release Windows?

This is a workaround to avoid a known bug of Windows 10 "Choose default apps".

Comment 4

[Masatoshi Kimura [:emk]]

By the way, can you change the default browser from "Choose default apps" on affected systems?

Comment 5

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

(In reply to Masatoshi Kimura [:emk] from comment #4)
> By the way, can you change the default browser from "Choose default apps" on
> affected systems?

No. The "Choose default apps" UI shows me a list of browsers, but won't let me change the default browser. I can successfully change the default browser using the "Set Default Programs" Control Panel.

Comment 6

[Masatoshi Kimura [:emk]]

Reopening because this still happens on build 14965.

Comment 7

[Masatoshi Kimura [:emk]]

Attachment: Bug 1302023 - Disable a workaround for Windows 10 Default apps on build 14965 or later.

Review commit: https://reviewboard.mozilla.org/r/92366/diff/#index_header
See other reviews: https://reviewboard.mozilla.org/r/92366/

Comment 8

[Masatoshi Kimura [:emk]]

* Stop using the workaround on build >=14965.
* Improve the UX of the workaround on older builds.
  (see <http://stackoverflow.com/questions/32178986/#answer-38805204>)

Comment 9

[Jim Mathies [:jimm]]

Comment on attachment 8809864 [details]
Bug 1302023 - Disable a workaround for Windows 10 Default apps on build 14965 or later.

https://reviewboard.mozilla.org/r/92366/#review92792

Comment 10

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/dfbe2b8688c2
Disable a workaround for Windows 10 Default apps on build 14965 or later. r=jimm

Comment 11

[Carsten Book [:Tomcat]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/dfbe2b8688c2

Comment 12

[Masatoshi Kimura [:emk]]

Comment on attachment 8809864 [details]
Bug 1302023 - Disable a workaround for Windows 10 Default apps on build 14965 or later.

Approval Request Comment
[Feature/Bug causing the regression]: 1251819
[User impact if declined]: Some local (non-MS) account users will have suboptimal default apps UX.
The relevant Windows change will be included in Creators Update. So we should ship the fix before the Creators Update release. The planned release date for Firefox 53 is too late.
[Is this code covered by automated tests?]: No, manually tested.
[Has the fix been verified in Nightly?]: Yes
[Needs manual test from QE? If yes, steps to reproduce]: Yes, STR:
1. Start Windows Insider Program. Make sure to select "Sign in to just this app instead".
2. Update to the latest Insider Preview.
3. If Firefox is already the default browser, (temporary) choose another browser.
4. Run Firefox, go to Options > General, and click "Make Default".
5. If it opens "Choose default apps" Settings, the bug is fixed. If it opens "Set Default Programs" Control Panel, the bug is not fixed.
[List of other uplifts needed for the feature/fix]: none
[Is the change risky?]: No
[Why is the change risky/not risky?]: Only added one line Windows build number test and disable a hack if the build is new enough. Other browsers have never implemented the workaround, so the UX can not be worse than others.
[String changes made/needed]: none

Comment 13

[Julien Cristau [:jcristau] (back April 22)]

Comment on attachment 8809864 [details]
Bug 1302023 - Disable a workaround for Windows 10 Default apps on build 14965 or later.

change "default apps" UX on latest win10, take in aurora52

Comment 14

[Carsten Book [:Tomcat]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla-aurora/rev/3bcabc44afd0

Comment 15

[Sylvestre Ledru [:Sylvestre]]

Let it ride the train from 52.

Comment 16

[Moneshb7]

Attachment: Instead of "set default programs" , the "set program associations" screen appears

As stated in the bug description "choose default apps" screen should appear instead of "Set default programs". But when i tried to reproduce the bug "Set program associations" screen pops up in place of "Set default programs" , possibly making way for a new bug.

Comment 17

[Moneshb7]

[bugday-20170301]

Comment 18

[Masatoshi Kimura [:emk]]

(In reply to Moneshb7 from comment #16)
> As stated in the bug description "choose default apps" screen should appear
> instead of "Set default programs". But when i tried to reproduce the bug
> "Set program associations" screen pops up in place of "Set default programs"
> , possibly making way for a new bug.

1. Are you using Insider Preview?
2. Are you using a local (non-Microsoft) account?
3. If the answer to 2 is "yes", Have you ever switched the account to an Microsoft account and then switched it back to a local account?
4. If you open [Default apps] from [Settings] > [System] (or [Settings] > [Apps] if you are using recent builds of Insider Preview), does it work?

Windows 10 has a bug where [Default apps] does not work under some circumstances. As a workaround, we use [Set Default Programs] control panel when we consider we hit the bug. The bug has been fixed since Insider Preview build 14965.

Comment 19

[Masatoshi Kimura [:emk]]

See comment #18.

Comment 20

[Moneshb7]

(In reply to Masatoshi Kimura [:emk] from comment #19)
> See comment #18.

1.No,im not using an Insider Preview.
2.No,using a Microsoft account and never switched.
4.Yes,the [Default apps] from [Settings] > [System] works.

Comment 21

[Masatoshi Kimura [:emk]]

Hm, then Firefox thinks you are not using Microsoft account even though actually you are.

Could you file a new bug? It is painful to reuse a closed bug due to MozReview limitation.

Comment 22

[Moneshb7]

(In reply to Masatoshi Kimura [:emk] from comment #21)
> Hm, then Firefox thinks you are not using Microsoft account even though
> actually you are.
> 
> Could you file a new bug? It is painful to reuse a closed bug due to
> MozReview limitation.

Yeah sure, I'll look into it.

Comment 23

[Brindusa Tot, Desktop QA]

Could not reproduce this bug on Firefox 51.0.1(build without the fix) using Windows 10 with a local account or a Microsoft account. For both accounts, Firefox opens Settings -> System -> Default apps, and I am able to set Firefox the default Web Browser.

Also, can confirm that issue is not reproducible on Firefox RC 52.0-build2 and latest Aurora 53.0a2, build ID 20170303004003.

Chris, could you please verify if this is fixed on your side?

Comment 24

[Masatoshi Kimura [:emk]]

Currently the steps in comment #0 no longer reproduce the issue. See bug 1251819 comment #35 about STR.

Comment 25

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

I can still reproduce the problem with Firefox 51, but the bug is fixed in Beta 52, Aurora 53, and Nightly 54. They all open the "Default apps" window, as expected.