489254 - [MSFT-12109] Standard User installation misreports whether Firefox is the default browser when run

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(Firefox :: Installer, defect)

Description

[Al Billings [:abillings - ex-MoCo]]

Description of the Problem: When Firefox is installed as a Standard user and set as the default browser then Firefox erroneously says it's not the default browser every time it's launched.

Detailed Steps to Reproduce the Problem:  
1.	Install Windows 7
2.	Add a standard user account
3.	Log in as the standard user.
4.	Install Firefox as the Standard user (don't elevate the installer).  You'll have to choose a location other than C:\Program Files\ to install to.
5.	Open Firefox.
6.	Click "Yes" on the dialog that asks you if you want to make it your default browser.
7.	Close Firefox.
8.	Open Windows Explorer.  Enter www.cnn.com in the address bar and hit Enter.
9.	Actual Result - Firefox will open, but it will present the message again that "Firefox is not currently set as your default browser ..."

Tester/Developer Notes: 

Firefox was installed by a Standard User and set as the default browser.  Entering "www.cnn.com" in Windows Explorer opens www.cnn.com in Firefox (indicating it was successfully set as the default browser), but a dialog appears that says, "Firefox is not currently set as your default browser ..."
"Control Panel\Programs\Default Programs\Set Default Programs  --> Internet Explorer --> Choose defaults for this program" shows Firefox as the default for .htm, .html, ftp, http, and https, but it shows Internet Explorer as the default for .mht, .mhtml, and .url.

One theory from the testers: the problem could be that the application is un-elevated, the keys needed to be default aren't written.  The registration requires elevation. Firefox should always ask for elevation on install in order to ensure these keys are written.

Reproduced in:
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.8) Gecko/2009032609 Firefox/3.0.8

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.1; en-US; rv:1.9.1b4pre) Gecko/20090420 Shiretoko/3.5b4pre

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2a1pre) Gecko/20090420 Minefield/3.6a1pre

Comment 1

[Jim Mathies [:jimm]]

This sounds pretty bad, although I wonder about that step 4 - doesn't our install require elevation? I'm also wondering if our registration in code might not be working for some reason under a standard user. In any case, if we throw that dialog up all the time after a "typical" install I would think this should block 1.9.1.

Rob, any thoughts?

Comment 2

[Robert Strong (they/them - no direct email)]

It currently request elevation only when the user is a member of the administrator group. Once Bug 404541 is fixed it will always request elevation but allow fallback to installing as a regular user. The problem is that we want to allow regular users to install but it isn't possible to register as a default handler on Vista without admin rights. I've got a patch that covers most of what's needed to fix Bug 404541 and will hopefully have it done tomorrow.

Removing the qawanted keyword... I've got a good handle on what is needed here.

Comment 3

[Michael Kohler [:mkohler]]

This is a mass change. Every comment has "assigned-to-new" in it.

I didn't look through the bugs, so I'm sorry if I change a bug which shouldn't be changed. But I guess these bugs are just bugs that were once assigned and people forgot to change the Status back when unassigning.

Comment 4

[Robert Strong (they/them - no direct email)]

We haven't seen any bug reports for this so Resolving -> Incomplete. Please reopen if it can be reproduced.