Does anyone know how to fix this problem?:
If I double-click on a Windows .URL ("Internet Shortcut") file, Firefox opens without my profile settings loaded (as though I was opening Firefox for the first time).
However if Portable Firefox is already open and I double-click on a Windows .URL file, the URL launches in a new window with all my profile settings loaded. What gives?
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You can't set Portable Firefox as your default browser without manually hacking the registry. If you set FF to be the default browser within PFF, it will just set that copy of FF as the default. Double-clicking on a URL icon will launch that copy of FF as normal, which uses the local profile.
The exception is if FF is already running. In that case, FF detects that and just passes the URL off to the already running copy (using your portable profile).
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Thanks John,
I figured it was exactly as you say. So what's the registry hack? I tried hacking the registry once before to make this work but was not succesful and ran out of time so gave up.
Hi John,
Sorry to bug you about this again. Are you sure there is a way to do this by hacking the registry and if so, can you tell me how? I attempted to alter the registry before to get this to work but was unsuccessful. Thanks a lot.
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\HTTP\shell\open\command]
@="X:\\PathToPortableFirefox\\PortableFirefox.exe -url \"%1\""
The paths and filenames may need to be in 8.3 format (PROGRA~1)
This hack is not supported in any way and you use it at your own risk. If anyone reading this doesn't know what the above lines mean or how to merge them into the registry, then you shouldn't be doing it.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
That works fine - simple solutions for simple folks!
I'm attempting to make Portable Firefox (running from C:\) act as a default browser, but using the 'Open with' dialog I am unable to open a .html file with either of the portable firefox .exe files, and the 'Inbox' link in Google Talk is also inactive with no default browser set. I'd like to use Portable FireFox as opposed to the installed version for easy backup, as well as the obvious portability, but some of these 'default browser' features would be missed. Any help?
I've found this program:
http://www.pc-tools.net/win32/setbrowser/
Which allows you to pick a .exe and it sets all the registry keys associated with the default browser for you. So you may want to use this if you like the idea of your home browser being portable.