Closed Bug 455244 Opened 17 years ago Closed 9 years ago

With Firefox set as the default browser Expression Web states it isn't the default html editor

Categories

(Firefox :: Shell Integration, defect)

Product:
Firefox
Component:
Shell Integration
Platform:
x86
Windows Vista
Type:
defect
Priority:
Not set
Severity:
normal

Tracking

()

Status:
RESOLVED WONTFIX

People

(Reporter: theperformingwriter, Unassigned)

References

(
URL
)

Details

User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.1) Gecko/2008070208 Firefox/3.0.1 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729) Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.1) Gecko/2008070208 Firefox/3.0.1 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729) When opening the MSFT Program "Expression Web" it continuously told me it was not the default HTML Editor. After checking numerous registry settings, one user at that forum discovered it was an issue with Firefox's "check if default" browser mechanism, which he said set an improper value in the registry. A full discussion of this issue (with more info) can be found here: http://social.expression.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/web/thread/d6c26768-77cb-4e07-8b37-5061cc519a53#page:3 Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. Have Expression Web, Firefox 3, IE7 and Vista installed (Adobe Contribute is also installed, but assumed unrelated as it is not opened after EW) 2. During FF 3 install, have it set itself as the default browser. 3. Open EW Actual Results: Expression Web continuously asks to be set as the default HTML editor, even after setting it so several times. Expected Results: It should be the default HTML editor. Visit this link for latest updates and a full description of the issue: http://social.expression.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/web/thread/d6c26768-77cb-4e07-8b37-5061cc519a53#page:3
(Note that this is posted from an XP computer, not the Vista one)
Component: General → OS Integration
QA Contact: general → os.integration
This has also been duplicated by another user at the forum link I gave.
It isn't clear which key is being set incorrectly from the thread. Can you provide this info?
You're right - I asked the user that was helping me that. (Am waiting for response) Meanwhile, I guess he was referring to this: So I beleive that the HKCU key's may not be incorrect, but the utilization of HKCR htmlfile and HKCU FirefoxHTML and HKLM FirefoxHTML need some kind of massage.
Couple of notes HKLM\Software\Classes and HKCU\Software\Classes are aggregated into HKCR. To set as the default .htm and .html file handler MS states that we should set the default value of the .htm and .html keys to our file handler which is FirefoxHTML.
That guy that was helping me doesn't seem to be that much of an expert in this, and I am more of a beginner as well, so I'm not sure how much help we'd be. The last four posts he made seemed to sum up his findings: Ok, Since the original question is "Why" not "How do I make it stop", Here's your answer. When you install FF (at least 3.0 is all I checked) It's "Check if default browser" mechanism set an improper value in the windows registry. THe fix was to use the windows tools to set FF as the default browser and not have the FF CHeck utility handle it. The registry entries that cause your issue can be found here: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes Firefox changes the ".htm and .html" entries to "Default FirefoxHTML". They need to remain set at "Default htmlfile". Then the: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\ Entries for the same set, set at FirefoxHTML can point the operation to the FirefoxHTML class root for open instructions. Hope thats good. Burr More on this for the trackers who understand this setting better. Normally, when you right click an html file, "Edit" is an option along with the others. When FF 3 is installed, and the above "workaround" is applied, when IE is the default browser, EDIT has been removed as an option. When FF is the Default Browser, EDIT returns. More later. Ok More... So, If you set FF as the default browser, and EDIT is now available, a dialog asks which you would like to associate, set EW with the "always use this" checkbox. The htm then becomes associated with the "edit htm icon" and works with the edit selection from right click, as intended. If you set IE as the default browser this functionality is lost. Should the FirefoxHTML class be useing EDIT at all? and for what? Could someone please look at these registry class settings that can iron out where the defect is? Thanks, (Although be sure I'll continue to plinker) Burr My last input, as from here its just a shot in the dark for me. when I set IE back as the default, the HKCU and HKLM class settings stay at the FirefoxHTML setting "Even with EW set as the editor". The HKCR settings seem to change but are overidden by the others and break the chain somewhere. Someone is setting something they dont need to or shouldnt set in this chain. Good luck. Well, Not as smart as I think I am! Looking at it further (On vista only) I created a new user, and tested all the same settings (after my proposed "fix"). Both FF and IE can be interchanged with no affect on the default editor issue. Even the FF "Am I default" mechanism can be used with no effect on EW now. However, FF "ICON" for html files when it is set as the default browser is lost. A simple white placeholder now. So I beleive that the HKCU key's may not be incorrect, but the utilization of HKCR htmlfile and HKCU FirefoxHTML and HKLM FirefoxHTML need some kind of massage. Maybe you can point an FF dev person at this thread to look at this further. MAYBE, an EW dev person needs to look at this and discover EW is looking at these values wrong!! They may all be running from IKE at the moment.
Note that we solved EW's constant warning this way: (Beforehand) Ive been gone awhile, but I'm sure you didnt miss me! I just replicated your issue and fixed it. Lets see if it works for you. I downloaded and installed contribute cs3. No affect on EW. I downloaded and installed FF 3.0 and set as Default during install, and guess what....EW not default editor. I cant figure out why yet. To get the message to go away, I went to start-Default Programs-Set Program Access and Computer Defaults. I expanded custom and selected IE as my default browser. Presto, Message disapperaed! I returned to this area and chose FF as browser, and IE remained as the open for htm. I went to start-Default Programs-Set Your Default Programs and selected FF and hit the Set This Program As Default Button. FF returns as Default Browser, No more EW message of not the default. Please see if this works for you. Burr
Thanks! I'll try out Expression Web and try to determine what is going on.
Summary: firefox's "Check if default browser" mechanism set an improper value in the windows registry → With Firefox set as the default browser Expression Web states it isn't the default html editor
It doesn't seem to be happening on XP, just Vista.
(Though I just think that because I'm not getting the message)
The person that was assisting said: Yeah there we have it. There are a few places that go back and forth in I think 3 different way's. I dont have the time to research the protocol for makeing these settings in complience, and I'm afraid it would have to be colloaborative between MS and MOZ because the MOZ bug guy will say jsut that "MS says its supposed to be this way"! So, Either you or I need to be able to explain to MOZ the "exact" place the communication gets broken, or now we need an MS dev to look into it, "RE-CREATE" it as I certainly havnt pinned it down either, then spend the time to go to MOZ dev and explain "their" reasoning and see if some kind of agreement can be reached short of "MICROSOFT is so screwed up" which is where many like to take it. For now, it works for you. There is one thing I didnt do yet that may be good for you. If you WANT to keep FF as the default browser. then the only thing broken is the ICON for the htm html extension. You can set this with a "properties - change icon" setting. Then all thats broken is IE (Apparently anyway"). I would wonder what else may now be broken as MS uses IE for many things! Maybe this is enough of a reason that MS Dev should look into it further as many, like yourself, who love microsoft products also use FF. I may dabble a bit later to see if I can plot it out so you can respond to MOZ properley. Remember, some of what I posted earlier was incorrect info and needs to be reviewed by qualified parties, so some of the key listings mentioned earlier I'm sure ar legit. Good luck Oliver, Burr
(In reply to comment #11) > The person that was assisting said: > > Yeah there we have it. There are a few places that go back and forth in I think > 3 different way's. I dont have the time to research the protocol for makeing > these settings in complience, and I'm afraid it would have to be colloaborative > between MS and MOZ because the MOZ bug guy will say jsut that "MS says its > supposed to be this way"! Ackhemmm... I never said any such thing and never would. I did say (In reply to comment #5) > Couple of notes > > HKLM\Software\Classes and HKCU\Software\Classes are aggregated into HKCR. > > To set as the default .htm and .html file handler MS states that we should set > the default value of the .htm and .html keys to our file handler which is > FirefoxHTML. If we are in fact setting it per MS's recommendation / documentation then it is a bug with Web Expressions. If we are not then it is a bug in our code. I will do as I stated to determine this (In reply to comment #8) > Thanks! I'll try out Expression Web and try to determine what is going on. This isn't meant in a mean way... at this point you aren't providing any useful information and I would appreciate it if the noise level was kept down so there is less to read in order to understand what is going with this bug.
Sorry, Robert.
I started from scratch with no FF and IE set as default everything. I installed FF as Default and produced the error. Firefox has no right click edit feature. I opened hkcr and went to FirefoxHTML and manually added Edit with the command ""C:\Program Files\Microsoft Expression\Web 2\Office12\msohtmed.exe" %1" which I had grabbed from the hkcr_htmlfile_edit_command. Firefox as default browser now has right click edit, which launches EW. I can also properley switch back and forth through the 2 default browser choices, retain right click edit, and open EW with no issue. (this seems like it should be) What I have left to check, are things like a restart, a New user and such. I dont know the aggregation path... however... If they just add the edit to the hkcr key "how will it know how to set the editor" when selected? Will windows handle this with only this key and not all the others? I see they have the edit in the hklm and such. I'll post back. Please mention this to him.
The FirefoxHTML in HKLM/Software/Classes contains an EDIT command with the EW settings in them. I did not set this. (Seems proper. The FirefoxHTML in HKCU/Software/Classes Contains no EDIT command. I manually added the EDIT key to the HKCR FirefoxHTML and produced desired functionality, though the setting was not dynamic with the IE edit selector. Hope that helps. Seems it's not getting the editor setting from the HKLM key, though this is being set by windows properly. Can this be dynamically set with the HKCU containing the same key? or how? I'll manually check this also.
(Here I go from scratch for the MOZ DEV guy. Started with no FF and did a complete reset of IE. (No default editor set***) Installed FF with no issue except for expression complaint (re this thread) No edit key for FirefoxHTML in HKLM. Right click edit works for IE. Bounce back and forth with only issue being When FF sets itself as default the EW complaint. (Can fix the complaint by setting ie as default with windows tools, then setting FF as default with windows tools with no complaint from EW) Then, With FF as default, Went to IE Properties-Set default Editor for IE to use, and set EW as editor. Edit key added to HKLM FirefoxHTML and HKCR FirefoxHTML. Now, Edit works for IE, Edit is available for FF but produces the "open with" dialog, and the ICON for HTML pages while FF is default is blank paper. Can switch between the 2 defaults with no complaint from EW. The only other difference I can see is the EDIT in the HKLMand HKCR htmlfile has this: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Expression\Web 2\Office12\msohtmed.exe" %1 and the EDIT in the HKLM and HKCR FirefoxHTML has this: "C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\WEB2~1\WEBDES~1\msohtmed.exe" %1 Probably the last test for me to do would be to see if i change the IE editor setting while IE is the default, and see what happens to FF. Then the question would be, how and when is FF getting its value to use in EDIT as a Correct value here produces expected results. (FF wants to figure out how to change dynamically with this value I assume) Burr Update: I manually set the HKCR Firefox Edit command to the fully qualified path: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Expression\Web 2\Office12\msohtmed.exe" %1 As opposed to the tilde version and the EDIT also works from FF, launching EW. with only the ICON paper issue I dont know about.)
How are we doing on this? If it's a Web bug, I can report it through their system, I just need to know first.
I have a couple of Firefox 3.1 bugs that have priority over this bug. I will be able to look into this after I have those bugs fixed. Feel free to also report this to MS.
Expression Web was discontinued in 2012, so this can probably be closed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Expression_Web Closing as WONTFIX. If someone disagrees, feel free to set to UNCONFIRMED.
Status: UNCONFIRMED → RESOLVED
Closed: 9 years ago
Resolution: --- → WONTFIX
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