1870895 - MSIX Nightly build not setting http and https file associations on newer windows

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Firefox :: Installer, defect, P1)

Description

[Michael Hughes]

On newer builds of Windows, when Microsoft has enabled new "functionality", the Set to default process in Firefox sets the handlers for http, https, .htm and .html but then afterwards, Windows goes and changes the handler for http and https to Edge. Windows thinks Firefox is doing something it shouldn't, so resets just those handlers to the system default (Edge).

This results in a janky experience, such that the clicking on links in email programs or Slack will launch Edge, but double clicking on .html files will launch Firefox.

This bug is basically the reverse of this slightly older bug:
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1870047

This bug came about as a result of changing MSIX builds to do 1-click set to default via Powershell.

See the a GIF showing the repro, captured by @atrif for for Bug 1870047, here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EvKlg45LmsehGQExh-O7N2tTsH7w51yJ/view?usp=sharing

Comment 1

[BugBot [:suhaib / :marco/ :calixte]]

Set release status flags based on info from the regressing bug 1818418

Comment 2

[BugBot [:suhaib / :marco/ :calixte]]

The bug is marked as tracked for firefox122 (beta) and tracked for firefox123 (nightly). However, the bug still has low priority and has low severity.

:Amir, could you please increase the priority and increase the severity for this tracked bug? Given that it is a regression and we know the cause, we could also simply backout the regressor. If you disagree with the tracking decision, please talk with the release managers.

For more information, please visit BugBot documentation.

Comment 3

[AmirH [:Amir]]

Increased priority and severity.

Comment 4

[Donal Meehan [:dmeehan]]

:mhughes can you clarify if anything is pending here?
Now that Bug 1870047 was fixed in Fx122 and Fx123

Comment 5

[Michael Hughes]

This should effectively be fixed now, in all versions of Firefox.

Comment 6

[Michael Hughes]

Repro steps for this bug:

Note that they will only show the problem on a newer build of Windows 10 or 11, with certain invisible to the user Microsoft changes enabled. No, we can't currently tell you anything more specific about the MS changes; we don't know what they are.

• with an MSIX build of Firefox with the changes here reversed (https://phabricator.services.mozilla.com/rMOZILLACENTRAL897f98487b4f519ad88a844fb2a77b86df2972bc)

• Open the Default Apps window on Windows

• Type Chrome or any installed browser browser other than Firefox and Edge

• Set that browser as the default

• Open Firefox

• Go to about:preferences

• Click on the Set Default button

• Possibly note a popup system notification telling you that something changed the registry and Windows has reset it to default (Edge).

• Go back to the Windows Default Apps window and note that Edge is now set as the handler for http and https.

If you do not see the change back to Edge, you are not testing on a Windows system with the problematic Microsoft changes enabled.