Aug 10 2011

Last update:

How Do I Set Default Browser for Outlook?

Filed under: Software » Email, Web Browsers » Firefox,

Open Outlook Links in Firefox?

By default, when you click on a link in an Outlook email it opens in Internet Explorer. What if you prefer a different browser and would like these links to open in your favorite browser, Firefox for example?

Windows 7

Type "default programs" in the Start menu (bottom left of your screen) search box. This should bring up a screen that will let you select program defaults as well as default file types. You'll want to set your favorite web browser as the default, which should force it to open your email links. If that still doesn't work, select "Associate a file type or protocol with a program" and associate ""URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol" with your web browser of choice. Repeat for file types "HyperText Transfer Protocol with Privacy" and FTP.

Windows XP

Open Explorer (any folder in Windows XP)
Select Tools -> Folder Options -> File Types
Click on an entry and type "URL" to jump down to the file type "URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol" (Extensions: None)
Click Advanced -> Edit File Type -> Open -> Edit
Clear the check (no check) for DDE and click OK

Repeat the above steps for file types "HyperText Transfer Protocol with Privacy" and FTP.

Firefox 5+

Browse to Firefox (orange button in top left corner) > Options > Advanced > General tab > check "Always check to see if Firefox is the default browser on startup" (under the "System Defaults" section). You can also click the "Check Now" button to perform an immediate check. Finally, you can also visit Options > Applications to set application defaults for individual programs.

Firefox 3.5+

As one of our readers pointed out, a simpler method to set Firefox as your default browser is to open Firefox, then browse to Tools -> Options -> "Main" tab. At the bottom you'll see an area labeled "System Defaults". Click on the "Check Now" button. This will perform a check to see if Firefox is set to be your default browser. If it's not, you'll be given the option to make it the default.

Troubleshooting

If you still can't get any of this to work, please comment below and we'll do our best to help!

View Comments

I think, if you take a look

Submitted by a web rocker (not verified) on March 24, 2012 - 6:23am.

I think, if you take a look at the associated file types in whatever browser your browsed emails are opening in, (START, SEARCH 'default programs') that there are certain file types that are listed which cannot be opened with Firefox.

To change specific ones go to | START | and in the search box TYPE 'Association' | SELECT 'Make a file type always open in a specific program' | ARRANGE the list by program by clicking the 'Current Default' column | Find the unwanted associations and change them to your chosen browser.

As a heads up, the files which Firefox wasn't being associated with in my setup were:

.mht, .mhtml, .partial, .svg, .url and .website

Some of these may not open with firefox, so it's an idea to research them first as I haven't

You can manually set the

Submitted by Outlook Setting (not verified) on March 20, 2012 - 8:18am.

You can manually set the default browser by selecting it as the the default program for individual file types and protocols.

Thank you!!!

Submitted by a web rocker on February 14, 2012 - 7:15am.

Awesome, this is exactly what I needed. I was so tired of having my computer decide what browser links should open in (especially when I already had one open and it constantly insisted on starting a new browser session, which would subsequently slow down my PC).

Thank you!

Submitted by a web rocker on November 21, 2011 - 10:32pm.

Fixed my problem of accessing URL links from Outlook. Not sure what removed the function in the first place. Happy I have it back though. Thanks.

Change Outlook browser

Submitted by a web rocker on November 3, 2011 - 5:20am.

First, make sure that IE and Outlook are closed. Then, in Chrome, click on the settings icon (wrench) and go to "Options." Once there, click on "Make Google Chrome my default browser."

How Do I Set Default Browser for Outlook?

Submitted by a web rocker on September 2, 2011 - 5:45am.

Thanks a lot for this tip! Very useful!

Default web browser

Submitted by a web rocker on August 4, 2011 - 12:35pm.

I currently have Firefox set as my default web browser. I currently use Outlook 2010 for email. When I click a link within an email it opens in Internet Explorer 8. I tried "The Solution" above but when I access 'Tools', 'Folder Options' is not an option. PLEASE HELP!

Article updated

Submitted by We Rock Your Web on August 10, 2011 - 4:09pm.

Hi there, we've updated the article to include the latest O/S (Windows 7) and version of Firefox (5). To answer your question, in Windows, type "default programs" in the Start search box. You'll be taken to a page where you can set program defaults as well as file type defaults. You should be able to follow the remainder of the instructions above from here, but if you get stuck, please post back! Either way, let us know how it goes.

Outlook links open in Firefox again

Submitted by a web rocker on September 4, 2011 - 5:57am.

Thank you so much - very helpful. I had the same problem - when I used to open links in Outlook it used to open them in Internet Explorer instead of Firefox. After setting Firefox as the default program it works alright.

Firefox as default browser

Submitted by a web rocker on May 20, 2011 - 3:39am.

I know how to make Firefox my default browser. But, my default browser is Avant, instead of Firefox.

Fantastic!

Submitted by a web rocker on February 9, 2011 - 4:41pm.

Thanks. Silly Outlook somehow was linked to Chrome (which I never use). Much happier to have it linked to Firefox now.

An easy solution

Submitted by a web rocker on February 11, 2010 - 5:13am.

It's also possible doing it the following way. Open Firefox Tools -> Options -> "Main" tab. At the bottom you see an area "System Defaults". Click on the "Check Now" button. It is then asked if Firefox has to be your default browser...

Getting Outlook to go to an alternate browser

Submitted by a web rocker on June 10, 2010 - 6:58pm.

The solution to set Firefox as the default browser within Firefox worked, all other techniques failed.

Thanks for the solution, friend!!

Update

Submitted by a web rocker on August 4, 2010 - 9:20pm.

'System Defaults' is now located in Advanced tab....Worked well and much easier. Thanks!

Another option

Submitted by a web rocker on February 1, 2010 - 2:21pm.

If you want to set the default browser to IE...

Open IE
Go to Tools > Internet Options > Programs
Click the 'Make default' button

Also check the file settings for htm and html files

Submitted by a web rocker on August 10, 2009 - 10:26pm.

For me, the url settings did nothing, but changing the htm and html file settings fixed it...

No, just changing default browser didn't do it for me

Submitted by a web rocker on February 20, 2009 - 2:37pm.

I repeatedly changed the default to Mozilla Firefox, even rebooted, made sure it said Mozilla Firefox, checked to make sure Firefox itself thought it was the default browser, but links inside Outlook still opened in IE.

I had to use the File Type procedures above to change the program called from the URL for the file types listed. When I did that, clicking on a link inside Outlook finally opened a tab inside Firefox.

Can't you just change your default browser.

Submitted by a web rocker on May 4, 2008 - 12:33pm.

Example, open Firefox> Tools> Options> Check to see if Firefox is default> Set as Default? The hyper links in outlook should now open with Firefox.

Question, Will this work for

Submitted by a web rocker on March 7, 2008 - 10:33am.

Question,

Will this work for Outlook 2003?

Is it possible to have a 'choice' of browsers, rather than either / or?

What I would like to find is a way to customize the context menu when doing a right click on the hyperlink. It would be nice to have the choice of opening whatever browser you choose at that point?

Is this 'easily' doable?

Thanks for your help.

Outlook Context Menu

Submitted by We Rock Your Web on March 11, 2008 - 11:50am.

Hi there,

It's probably possible using Windows/ Outlook programming or a third party utility. I haven't heard of such a feature but will post back if I do.

Cheers