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This topic was redirected on 05/28/09. Click here to see the most up-to-date information.

 

Thunderbird does not open links if IE or Firefox is already open

If I click on a link in an e-mail in Thunderbird, and my default browser is not open, the browser will open and display the desired page properly. This works with either Firefox or IE as the default browser.

However, if my default browser is open (again, with either Firefox or IE 7 as the default), and I click on a link in Thunderbird, nothing happens. Also, selecting Help->Release Notes in Thunderbird gives no response when the browser is already open.

I don't think this is an OS/Firefox issue, since an open Firefox session will open a new tab properly if I click on a desktop internet shortcut. Also, if I open a command window and type "start http://www.cnn.com", my open Firefox session opens a new tab and shows cnn just fine. In other words, sending external requests to Firefox seems to be fine on my system.

I am using Thunderbird 2.0.0.21, Firefox 3.0.10, and Windows XP Home with Service Pack 3 installed.

Thanks for any advice -
 
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  • Thomas EMPLOYEE
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    Thomas, Official Rep, replied on May 29, 2009 03:09
    Your complaint was:

    The topic I originated is not the same problem as in the redirected topic. My problem involves not just Thunderbird and Firefox, but also Thunderbird and IE, and therefore cannot be a Firefox problem as was suggested in the redirected thread. In my case, Thunderbird also is able to open Firefox when Firefox is closed, which is also different from the problems cited in the topic I was redirected to. I gave quite detailed information in my note about my problem, including additional information about what works and what doesn't work, and exact versions of the programs I'm using. I understand it may be a difficult problem to solve, and that's OK with me, but please don't redirect the question to a clearly not-associated problem. Thanks - Dave


    I guess you saw the first response I made, even though it didn't help the Original Poster, and decided the threads were so dissimilar that they shouldn't be merged?

    There are multiple threads about links in Thunderbird not working, so should we attack them all as completely separately caused problems, or try to see what's common between them, find the real issue, and solve it?

    Firefox does not launch when a http link is clicked in Thunderbird.
    http://getsatisfaction.com/mozilla/to...

    How can I make Thunderbird open email links in Firefox
    http://getsatisfaction.com/mozilla/to...

    Links don't work!
    http://getsatisfaction.com/mozilla/to...

    Problem clicking on links in Thunderbird.
    http://getsatisfaction.com/mozilla/to...

    One of the reasons I redirected your thread is because the firefox issue mentioned in the first reply is common with the issue you describe: It doesn't happen when Firefox is closed. Firefox has to be open for a while for it to happen.

    SECONDLY:

    Also, if I open a command window and type "start http://www.cnn.com", my open Firefox session opens a new tab and shows cnn just fine.


    is very similar to

    I hadn't seen it for a while, then noticed if
    I use TweetDeck.app to open a link, it opens in a new firefox window (despite
    the setting being to open in a new tab). Then links from other apps, like
    Mail.app, don't work. But, links from TweetDeck.app still work!


    as Thunderbird can't open links, but Run can, and Mail.app couldn't open links, but TweetDeck could. This is why I thought they might be similar.

    I don't really have any other suggestions because I was mainly doing Firefox support before Mozilla Messaging decided to officially recognize Get Satisfaction without providing any new helpers (they eventually did, but they are inactive). You might have better luck searching the previous support forums, the mozillazine forums, for an answer. I'm not having much luck, and I'm not at your computer so I couldn't test any potential solutions.
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  • OKKEP
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    OKKEP replied on September 10, 2009 08:35
    Hi there,
    i could not open links from TB (2.0.0.23) (Win XP pro) either.
    Here's the solution that worked for me. (I adopted it from the following ubuntu forum https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/...)

    1, Go to Menubar: Tools/Options/Advanced tab/Config editor...
    2, Be careful!
    3, Seek for network.protocol-handler.external.http set the value to TRUE.

    That made me the trick.

    If you don't have this line, you should add a new boolean with this name: network.protocol-handler.external.http and set it TRUE.

    I hope it'll help you out.
     
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