233291 - shellex function not launching mozilla, possible due to bad MS documentation.

Status: RESOLVED EXPIRED

(SeaMonkey :: UI Design, defect)

Description

[Lint Hasenpfeffer]

User-Agent:       
Build Identifier: mozilla/5.0 (windows, U, windows NT 5.0, en-us, rv 1.6) gecko/20050113

while using a programs that launches its html based documentation (namely gforce from 55ware.com 
using the 'shift-h' function) I discovered that explorer/IE launched instead of mozilla, which is the 
default browser. Upon consultation with the develop it was discovered that he is using the standard 
shellexecute() function to launch the file. Futher checking reveals that although mozilla has properly 
registered itself as the default browser as laid out in http://support.microsoft.com:80/support/kb/
articles/Q224/8/16.asp. Namely the keys of 

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.htm 
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.html HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http\shell\open\command  
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http\shell\open\ddeexec\Application 
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ftp\shell\open\command  
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ftp\shell\open\ddeexec\Application 
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\gopher\shell\open\command  
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\gopher\shell\open\ddeexec\Application

There seems to be an omission in the documentation there. It goes on to say "This causes ShellExecute 
to  view HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.htm, which leads to  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\htmlfile\shell\open. " 

hkcr\htmlfile\shell\open is not changed by mozilla and still points to IE. in fact if the key is removed IE 
will recreate it with its own file info when it runs to set itself as the default browser.

oddly however, .htm//html files launched from explorer and from "run" launch mozilla correctly. An 
adhoc changing of the data in the htmlfile key failed to resolve the issue. this may also be related to 
bug number 165934.

Reproducible: Always
Steps to Reproduce:
1.
2.
3.

Comment 1

[Darin Fisher]

is this something for uriloader/exthandler?

Comment 2

[Christian :Biesinger (don't email me, ping me on IRC)]

this seems to just be a bug in how mozilla registers itself as defautl browser
(xpfe/components/winhooks).

Comment 3

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

> is this something for uriloader/exthandler?

Not at all.  This is about other apps failing to launch mozilla via
ShellExecute() or something.

Comment 4

[Lint Hasenpfeffer]

I have just been informed that the developer was using createproces() instead of shellexecute() at this 
time i am unsure what, if any, effect this will have. Of course the undocumented changing of hkcr/
htmlfile still exists otherwise.  thanks.

Comment 5

[timeless]

please provide a log from regmon <http://sysinternals.com>

Comment 6

[Lint Hasenpfeffer]

Regmon log attached

Comment 7

[Lint Hasenpfeffer]

Attachment: Requested regmon log (compressed)

Requested regmon log

Comment 8

[timeless]

i think you're misinterpretting the spec. could you please provide the code
that's actually performing the magic?

Comment 9

[Lint Hasenpfeffer]

Its not mine, i dont have access to it.

Comment 10

[timeless]

ask or contact the developer. i'll kill this bug unless i get some evidence that
shows to my satisfaction that mozilla is doing something wrong. I also invite QA
to kill this bug if this bug goes for 45 days without information from a non
mozilla developer.

Comment 11

[Gervase Markham [:gerv]]

This is an automated message, with ID "auto-resolve01".

This bug has had no comments for a long time. Statistically, we have found that
bug reports that have not been confirmed by a second user after three months are
highly unlikely to be the source of a fix to the code.

While your input is very important to us, our resources are limited and so we
are asking for your help in focussing our efforts. If you can still reproduce
this problem in the latest version of the product (see below for how to obtain a
copy) or, for feature requests, if it's not present in the latest version and
you still believe we should implement it, please visit the URL of this bug
(given at the top of this mail) and add a comment to that effect, giving more
reproduction information if you have it.

If it is not a problem any longer, you need take no action. If this bug is not
changed in any way in the next two weeks, it will be automatically resolved.
Thank you for your help in this matter.

The latest beta releases can be obtained from:
Firefox:     http://www.mozilla.org/projects/firefox/
Thunderbird: http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/releases/1.5beta1.html
Seamonkey:   http://www.mozilla.org/projects/seamonkey/

Comment 12

[Gervase Markham [:gerv]]

This bug has been automatically resolved after a period of inactivity (see above
comment). If anyone thinks this is incorrect, they should feel free to reopen it.