Default Browser not set

nineworlds · Post by **nineworlds** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 10:56 am

Hi.

I'm deploying FFCE to a group of PCs so that it installs on reboot, but I'm finding on large numbers that FF is now asking users whether they want it to be the default browser. I thought that it did that itself on install?

Unfortunately, these users don't seem to have permission on the crucial registry key to be able to change the system default browser so it silently fails and leaves them with no default browser

Any suggestions welcome...

Thanks,

Iain.

Post by **DraconPern** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 5:25 am

issue noted, i'll get back to you with a solution.

Antti · Post by **Antti** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 7:56 am

With all accounts LUA, users can't set the default. That would be just fine here, since the computers are often used by many people, and IE must be the default for several reasons, for now at least. Well, now both browsers are asking the users about setting the default. Both state not being the default. Any simple way to make your Firefox install to not ask and more importantly to not touch the setting?

nineworlds · Post by **nineworlds** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 8:11 am

@Antti: You might need this thread:
http://forums.frontmotion.com/viewtopic.php?t=385

cuicui · Post by **cuicui** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 4:18 am

If you're deploying with a script, just launch Firefox (just after the installation) with:

Code: Select all

-silent -nosplash -setDefaultBrowser

nineworlds · Post by **nineworlds** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:04 am

Unfortunately, this is from an AD deployment. Can I do that after the MSI has been pushed out from a startup script, though? Also, I'm unclear as to whether the default browser is a per-system or per-user setting. Sites and documentation I've read seem a little confused on the issue...

cuicui · Post by **cuicui** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 8:00 am

nineworlds wrote:Unfortunately, this is from an AD deployment. Can I do that after the MSI has been pushed out from a startup script, though?

If the script is run with admin/system privileges, yes. If it's under a user account, firefox won't complain but the setting won't be remembered on logout.

Also, I'm unclear as to whether the default browser is a per-system or per-user setting. Sites and documentation I've read seem a little confused on the issue...

Basically it's per system even though a lot of registry keys are altered on the "CURRENT_USER" branch when the default browser is changed.

In fact that's why i prefer using the INSTALLLEVEL parameter of the Frontmotion package or the "setDefaultBrowser" arg of firefox.exe: that's way more simple than trying to script it and deal with the registry...

Phreak · Post by **Phreak** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:14 am

I think default browser for firefox is a user based setting, and for IE it's system based, which causes confusion.

I found it was rather simple to allow a local user ability to define their default browser and have it stick.

Looking at my GPO, I believe the only key you have to give users full control of is HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main

Once they had the ability to change that key (unless there was another step I'm forgetting, but I think that was it) then they can set the default browser successfully and it will stay even with logout/login.

cuicui · Post by **cuicui** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 5:06 pm

DraconPern wrote:issue noted, i'll get back to you with a solution.

BTW, is this problem solved in the 2.0.0.3 release??

All the best,

Antti · Post by **Antti** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 3:38 am

I'm test deploying FFCE. I've set INSTALLLEVEL to 3 with ORCA. Problems: there is no default browser, but XP seems to default to IE when there is none defined, which is almost OK. Internet shortcut icons changed to FFCE style (blue globe)! That's a bit too much to bear.

I will probably give the users a choice whether they want to have Firefox as the default or not (two MSIs and GPOs). I would like to have FFCE installed on every machine, but that isn't possible now because the icons change. Well, no thing is perfect.

FrontMotion

Default Browser not set

same here, I guess