How to set portable Firefox as my default browser on Windows 7. I have found a program that could do this on Windows XP but i recently switched to Windows 7 and the program doesn't work any more.
What is the way to make Firefox default browser on Windows 7?
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Though I never tested the following recommended solution, there seems to exist a simple way for setting the portable Firefox as the standard browser.
But keep in mind, that with these simple procedure surely you create some entries in the registry of the host computer. Accordingly it's necessary, that the Firefox Launcher must be adapted for maintaining of the portability.
EDIT: Furthermore you can reach the goal by using the operating system of the host computer. And in the mozillaZine article Default browser you can find in the section "Windows" under the paragraph "Setting default browser manually" a third possibility for Windows 7. But once again don't forget, that all these alterations affect the portability negative.
Thanks. I also found this two programs to set portable Firefox as default browser:
http://changedefaultbrowser.com/
http://code.google.com/p/padp/downloads/detail?name=DefaultMyFFP-1.5.zip
I've always used this one - http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/register-firefox-portable-with-default... - which works for any portable browser.
Of course you can find a lot of possibilities for the solution of your problem. But apparently you overlooked a very important feature. Namely the portability of the Firefox browser. Because I already have mentioned in my previous comment, all that different variants have one main disadvantage. In every case some stuff will be remain on the host computer (e.g. some registry entries). And this fact contradict clearly the portability of Firefox.
The one mentioned by Sicknero:
http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/register-firefox-portable-with-default...
and its XP equivalent:
http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/how-to-set-firefox-portable-as-the-def...
are the way to go. They address Firefox Portable specifically so there are no portability issues.
I've been happily using the XP one for years. Probably too many...
I have not checked the portability of the file "RegisterFirefoxPortable.exe" until now. Consequently the first question is, if this program by itself is portable on all Windows OS?
A few days ago I've performed on my computer with the OS Windows 8 the steps 1 - 4 , which I've explained in this comment. As a result of this action are created 2 entries regarding the Firefox browser, which you can see in the following 2 screenshots:
screenshot1 and screenshot2
(sreenshot1 is the resulting window of the steps: Control Panel -> Programs -> Default Programs -> Associate a file type or protocol with a program. Afterwards click on the ".htm" protocol and click on the button named "Change program..."
screenshot2 is the resulting window of the steps: Control Panel -> Programs -> Default Programs -> Set your default program).
Assuming I am able to remove these both entries (which I can't remove until now as I reported in my thread regarding to this topic).
My second question is now, if these both entries again appear after the usage of the file "RegisterFirefoxPortable.exe"?
And if so, then this will be a clear indication, that this program isn't portable.
Making registry entries, or writing data to Appdata for example, does not disqualify a program from being called portable, in my view.
A portable program to me, is one that can be run without being installed, and can be moved to another machine and still run whether from flash drive or IDE.
Your criteria of no registry entries or traces of any kind, is what makes a program "stealth portable", which to me is a different class of portable software.
Obviously if you want Firefox Portable to be the default browser then this involves making registry entries... as far as I know this is unavoidable, but to me doesn't make it any less portable. Any degree of integration with a host machine, whether being a default file handler or just having a context menu item, involves registry changes. The program is still portable though, as these changes are a matter of choice and convenience for the user, and aren't a requirement for the program to function.
Thus while "RegisterFirefoxPortable" is in itself a portable application, of course it writes to the registry when doing what it does. This is its entire purpose - it would otherwise be a completely pointless program.
As regarding the other posts that you've linked to, I have examined quite recently exactly what registry changes it makes (because of a project of my own).
You could do the same by using some kind of registry snapshot application, such as the one that's built in to System Explorer, or Regshot which is a standalone snapshotter. All you need to do is take a "pre-" snapshot, then run RegisterFirefoxPortable, then take a "post-" snapshot and compare the two. This will show you exactly what registry changes have been made and thus what needs to be removed to reverse the changes.
For a meaningful communication it is first necessary, that people use clear and unambiguous definitions concerning certain issues. Without such strict definitions we talk past each other literally.
With respect to a portable program exists a lot of different criteria. And one significant criterion is, that when you unplug the device, none of your personal data is left behind on the host computer. And only in connection with the fulfillment of these criteria were meant my explanations.
Of course you can make your own determinations regarding portable programs. But I've assumed, that you have turned to this forum, because you are interested at portable programs in the sense, which I described above.
Sicknero wrote ...
This statement is incorrect. Another team of programmers called winPenPack team has made a portable version of Firefox (called X-Firefox), whereas this portable version can act as the default browser without that some registry entries are created.
It is impossible for a browser to act as default for the whole OS without creating registry entries, at least temporarily. Fully technically impossible. For these situation, you can use Portable File Associator, which will temporarily make these associations which work across all apps. The registry is the only way to make a browser default across all apps.
For situations where you only need double-clicked files like URL files to be associated, you can use something like eXpresso, which intercepts double-clicks in Windows Explorer and some other Windows and can open the file you choose to have associated. Note that this does not change the Windows default browser in any way and links from within other apps like clicking Help and then Homepage in an application window will still open the default browser. It will similarly not work on many other URLs launched from other app Windows.
X-Firefox has no such functionality included. It's available via another app called Cafe, based on the work of several developers including PortableApps.com developers. Cafe served as the basis for the more up-to-date eXpresso I mentioned above. Also, note that X-Firefox does not have permission to use the Mozilla Firefox registered trademark.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
With respect to X-Firefox I must correct my statement. Indeed it's possible, that I can change some settings in the winPenPack configuration menu with respect to the http / https protocols. But the effect of these changes is probably the same, as you have explained in the first sentence of the second paragraph of your comment. But as you have noted in the second sentence of the second paragraph of your comment, it's necessary that a default browsers must open links from within every other apps. And this is impossible with the X-Firefox browser. Therefore the X-Firefox browser can't act as a default browser.
If it's really so as you've claimed, why then forwards the Mozilla Foundation no legal steps against that unauthorized use of its trademark? And from where do you derive the conclusion, that here is no permission?
I know of WinPenPack, I've used their site quite a lot. It's very good.
However, perhaps I'm missing something here but using X-Firefox Options to set it as the default browser, it creates exactly the registry entries you'd expect it to.
e.g. (from System Explorer snapshot); Reg Val Added HKCU\Software\Classes\FirefoxURL\shell\open\command\ "D:\Portable Apps\Internet\X-Firefox\Bin\Firefox\firefox.exe" -osint -url "%1" and several more. Try it yourself using the snapshot methods I described earlier.
Hopefully somebody will correct me if I'm wrong here, but I'm pretty sure that there's no way to make any program the default handler of anything, without creating registry entries. I guess there might be a conceivable exception with apps like AutoHotKey but I'm not sure about that.
I think you are right, there is no way without creating registry entries.
In Windows 7 is no way to do it with any program, simply http NOT exist as anything, as long as the user or some application attempt to open it !!!
Confusing, Yes, Old hidden Windows bugs and jokes !!!
If really somebody successfully open http in Firefox as default browser, Please let me know, It´s will be publish worldwide !!!
email and phone removed by mod JTH. not permitted here.