Set default web browser (Mozilla FireFox)?

Infopackets Reader Russell F. writes:

" Hi Dennis!

I have two questions that I'm hoping you can help me with. First: I do not have Internet Explorer set as my default web browser, yet any link I click outside of Internet Explorer always launch in IE. How can I get the default changed to Mozilla Firefox? And, secondly: about two weeks ago all the links in Internet Explorer quit working. I looked everywhere, but could not find an answer. Can you help? "

Side note: Mozilla Firefox is a new streamlined web browser which features tabbed browsing, a built in PopUp blocker, and a google search toolbar (and much more). Details.

My response:

According to the Mozilla FireFox FAQ:

Solution #1: Set default browser to FireFox (manually). To do this:

Go to your Desktop; Open My Computer; Click Tools -> Folder Options; Go to the File Types tab, and assign the following things to Firefox: URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol URL:Protected HyperText Transfer Protocol URL:File Transfer Protocol HTML File HTM File (optional); When complete, load FireFox, click Tools -> Options, and click 'Set Default Browser'.

Solution #2: SetBrowser (freeware)

Try a freeware utility called SetBrowser to force your system to use Netscape, IE, or Opera. From the web site:

" [SetBrowser is] a very simple program that lets you set the default web browser in Windows. Select the browser you want, and the program will modify the required registry settings. Can now also automatically locate the browser. A valuable tool for anybody who uses more than one web browser on their system (e.g. if you switch between Netscape Navigator / Communicator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Opera and others). Warning: Since most web browsers have the ability to make themselves default (and automatically set all the proper registry settings), only use SetBrowser in situations where browsers don't recognize the current settings. 'Forcing' the default browser, as SetBrowser does, is really a last resort. "

http://www.pc-tools.net/win32/freeware/setbrowser/

RE: About two weeks ago all the links quit working in Internet Explorer.

The suggested fix for this is to repair IE and reset your URL monitor, as previously discussed in our newsletter.

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