407224 - Error message 'Windows cannot find (web page address) before Firefox loads

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(Toolkit :: Startup and Profile System, defect)

Description

[Robin Mitchell]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11

I have desktop shortcuts for a handful of websites I access frequently. Following latest Firefox update, the following happens:

(1) Click on icon.

(2) The following error message appears:

"Windows cannot find (web page address and instructions to check the address and  type it in correctly)"

and the system pauses.

(3) Firefox and the selected web page then loads.

Have deleted the icons from before the Firefox update and dragged fresh ones to the desktop post update. Problem remains.

Have checked the obvious including file associations. Firefox is the default for everything.

Any ideas about what settings the Firefox update might have changed?

Thanking you in anticipation,

Robin Mitchell

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Simply click on the desktop icon (webpage address
2.
3.
Actual Results:  
As stated above, system pauses and the Windows error message appears. Firefox then loads the selected page.

Comment 1

[Ria Klaassen (not reading all bugmail)]

See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Windows_error_opening_Internet_shortcut_or_local_HTML_file_-_Firefox

Comment 2

[Brian]

This bug is a dupe of so many of the same bugs it is getting crazy. It has happened for me ever since 2.0.0.0 (maybe before). 

It is most definitely NOT fixed.... Stop closing the bugs as "verified fixed"

Every other dupe (this one included) of this bug suggests deleting the ddeexec keys from the registry entries below, but this is only a temporary fix. After your Firefox installation "auto upgrades" it breaks the registry keys again!

The problem is recreated when the upgrade adds the ddeexec keys with the (default) string value of "%1",,0,0,,,,

To fix (temporary, will break again on update or reinstall), remove the ddeexec entries from the following keys:

HKCR\HTTP\shell\open
HKCR\htmlfile\shell\open
HKCR\htmlfile\shell\opennew
HKCR\ftp\shell\open
HKCR\gopher\shell\open
HKCR\https\shell\open
HKCR\FirefoxHTML\shell\open
HKCR\FirefoxURL\shell\open

(May be more keys, but this is all I could find so far)

This is a verified issue with both Windows XP and Windows Vista (all versions)

Comment 3

[Val Huber]

This is a serious bug, I urge the priority to be raised very high since the work arounds are impractical for normal people.  I found the following instructions on a google search:

	   1.  Open Windows Explorer (or My Computer).
	   2. Go to Tools -> Folder Options -> File Types
	   3. Select Extension: "(NONE)" File Type: "URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol"
	   4. Click "Advanced". In the "Edit File Type" window, select "open" and click "Edit"
	   5. Uncheck "Use DDE" (the dialog should then hide the lower part)
	   6. Click OK for that dialog and the next one (afterwards the DDE message box will be cleared, as shown here)
	   7. Repeat for Extension: "(NONE)" File Type: "URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol with Privacy" (and any other protocols you want to fix)
	   8. Repeat for Extension: "(NONE)" File Type: "Firefox URL"  <===
   	   9. Repeat for Extension: "HTM" (or "HTML") File Type: "Firefox Document" (for the open cmd)

Comment 4

[Rosa Green]

OK heres what happens for me, ANY link, shortcut, or other means of opening a window when firefox isn't already open i get this error

Windows cannot find "_____" (URL). Make sure you typed the name correctly and try again.


This doesn't open 2 firefox windows for me, just first the error and a split second later the webpage comes up.

Comment 5

[Brian]

Bug 389502 is a tracking bug for issues related to this problem.

Comment 6

[Luke]

The "Windows cannot find 'http: " error message still pops up in the latest 
Mozilla Firefox 3 Beta 5 ( Build 2008032620 )
when you click on a short cut in Windows XP when Firefox is not running.

Comment 7

[Matthias Versen [:Matti]]

Is this still a problem ?