I had a strange issue crop up the other day, shortly after (but not immediately
after) I had upgraded Firefox to v2.0.0.3.

Every time I launched a shortcut, or typed a URL from the "run..." line, I got
an error message:

:"Windows cannot find '[full url here]'. Make sure you typed the name correctly,
:and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then
:click Search." [Dialogue button: OK]

The site would launch normally, but the annoying dialogue would always pop up.
If the browser was open already, there was no error message.

Turned out the problem was DDE related, and I fixed it using the workaround at:

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Windows_error_opening_Internet_shortcut_or_local_HTML_file_-_Firefox

Turning off DDE for each registered extension fixed it.

But that fix seems to be for a much older version of Firefox. In fact, I read a
Bugzilla report saying that the code workaround that dealt with that issue was
removed from Firefox (353089).

This hadn't happened while I was using 2.0.0.2, but reverting to 2.0.0.2 after
the 2.0.0.3 upgrade didn't fix the problem.

Is this new a bug? Does anyone have an idea what I could have done to my setup
to break it in the first place? If it is a bug, how do I file a report with
Bugzilla? Should I, or should someone with more technical experience file it?

My guess is that DDE works if Firefox is already open, because the DDE data can
be passed, but if Firefox.exe needs to be launched, the Windows shell no longer
waits long enough to pass its DDE information to Firefox.exe when launching
URLs, and gives up.

Thus the error. Interestingly, changing my default browser to IE fixed the
problem as well, which would be fine if IE itself wasn't a problem.

I'm no programmer, BTW.

Any help?

-- 
Zag

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little 
temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ...Ben Franklin

Zaghadka wrote:
> I had a strange issue crop up the other day, shortly after (but not
> immediately after) I had upgraded Firefox to v2.0.0.3.
> 
> Every time I launched a shortcut, or typed a URL from the "run..."
> line, I got an error message:
> 
> :"Windows cannot find '[full url here]'. Make sure you typed the name
> correctly, :and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start
> button, and then :click Search." [Dialogue button: OK]
> 
> The site would launch normally, but the annoying dialogue would
> always pop up. If the browser was open already, there was no error
> message.
> 
> Turned out the problem was DDE related, and I fixed it using the
> workaround at:
> 
> http://kb.mozillazine.org/Windows_error_opening_Internet_shortcut_or_local_HTML_file_-_Firefox
> 
> 
> Turning off DDE for each registered extension fixed it.
> 
> But that fix seems to be for a much older version of Firefox. In
> fact, I read a Bugzilla report saying that the code workaround that
> dealt with that issue was removed from Firefox (353089).
> 
> This hadn't happened while I was using 2.0.0.2, but reverting to
> 2.0.0.2 after the 2.0.0.3 upgrade didn't fix the problem.
> 
> Is this new a bug? Does anyone have an idea what I could have done to
> my setup to break it in the first place? If it is a bug, how do I
> file a report with Bugzilla? Should I, or should someone with more
> technical experience file it?
> 
> My guess is that DDE works if Firefox is already open, because the
> DDE data can be passed, but if Firefox.exe needs to be launched, the
> Windows shell no longer waits long enough to pass its DDE information
> to Firefox.exe when launching URLs, and gives up.
> 
> Thus the error. Interestingly, changing my default browser to IE
> fixed the problem as well, which would be fine if IE itself wasn't a
> problem.
> 
> I'm no programmer, BTW.
> 
> Any help?
> 

"http://tinyurl.com/ys2h2z"

also see
"http://kb.mozillazine.org/Default_browser#Setting_default_browser_manually"

Zaghadka said the following On 3/26/2007 11:59 PM:
> I had a strange issue crop up the other day, shortly after (but not immediately
> after) I had upgraded Firefox to v2.0.0.3.
> 
> Every time I launched a shortcut, or typed a URL from the "run..." line, I got
> an error message:
> 
> :"Windows cannot find '[full url here]'. Make sure you typed the name correctly,
> :and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then
> :click Search." [Dialogue button: OK]
> 
> The site would launch normally, but the annoying dialogue would always pop up.
> If the browser was open already, there was no error message.
> 
> Turned out the problem was DDE related, and I fixed it using the workaround at:
> 
> http://kb.mozillazine.org/Windows_error_opening_Internet_shortcut_or_local_HTML_file_-_Firefox
> 
> Turning off DDE for each registered extension fixed it.
> 
> But that fix seems to be for a much older version of Firefox. In fact, I read a
> Bugzilla report saying that the code workaround that dealt with that issue was
> removed from Firefox (353089).
> 
> This hadn't happened while I was using 2.0.0.2, but reverting to 2.0.0.2 after
> the 2.0.0.3 upgrade didn't fix the problem.
> 
> Is this new a bug? Does anyone have an idea what I could have done to my setup
> to break it in the first place? If it is a bug, how do I file a report with
> Bugzilla? Should I, or should someone with more technical experience file it?
> 
> My guess is that DDE works if Firefox is already open, because the DDE data can
> be passed, but if Firefox.exe needs to be launched, the Windows shell no longer
> waits long enough to pass its DDE information to Firefox.exe when launching
> URLs, and gives up.
> 
> Thus the error. Interestingly, changing my default browser to IE fixed the
> problem as well, which would be fine if IE itself wasn't a problem.
> 
> I'm no programmer, BTW.
> 
> Any help?
> 
For what it is worth, I've had this start to happen occasionally as 
well? I have some links on my desktop that are FF URL links. I use these 
when I want to go to some specific URL's that I visit often. Otherwise I 
just start FF with many tabs open.

Recently, and I can't pin it down to anything I've been doing, I get the 
same thing you see. However, when this happens, and it has happened 
maybe 3 times in the last 2 weeks since FF was updated, I just reboot 
and it works fine. I never thought it to be DDE?

If it is DDE, then how would re-booting fix it? This is an XP Pro system 
and both Netword DDE services are set to manual. If you look at 
http://www.theeldergeek.com/network_dde.htm it suggests it isn't needed 
at all and should even be disabled?

I'm just wondering if it is DDE or just something else?

On two of the occasions I know my wife was playing a game (I don't know 
which one) and I was on her computer trying to fix something she 
'broke'. Maybe I should find out which one and work from there.

If you hit the problem again, try a reboot and see if that cures it? One 
difference between us is the IE (I use 7) was never set to the default 
browser.

Irv S

On Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:23:16 -0400, in mozilla.support.firefox, Irv Spalten
wrote: 

>Zaghadka said the following On 3/26/2007 11:59 PM:
>> I had a strange issue crop up the other day, shortly after (but not immediately
>> after) I had upgraded Firefox to v2.0.0.3.
>> 
>> Every time I launched a shortcut, or typed a URL from the "run..." line, I got
>> an error message:
>> 
>> :"Windows cannot find '[full url here]'. Make sure you typed the name correctly,
>> :and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then
>> :click Search." [Dialogue button: OK]
>> 
>> The site would launch normally, but the annoying dialogue would always pop up.
>> If the browser was open already, there was no error message.
>> 
>> Turned out the problem was DDE related, and I fixed it using the workaround at:
>> 
>> http://kb.mozillazine.org/Windows_error_opening_Internet_shortcut_or_local_HTML_file_-_Firefox
>> 
>> Turning off DDE for each registered extension fixed it.
>> 
>> But that fix seems to be for a much older version of Firefox. In fact, I read a
>> Bugzilla report saying that the code workaround that dealt with that issue was
>> removed from Firefox (353089).
>> 
>> This hadn't happened while I was using 2.0.0.2, but reverting to 2.0.0.2 after
>> the 2.0.0.3 upgrade didn't fix the problem.
>> 
>> Is this new a bug? Does anyone have an idea what I could have done to my setup
>> to break it in the first place? If it is a bug, how do I file a report with
>> Bugzilla? Should I, or should someone with more technical experience file it?
>> 
>> My guess is that DDE works if Firefox is already open, because the DDE data can
>> be passed, but if Firefox.exe needs to be launched, the Windows shell no longer
>> waits long enough to pass its DDE information to Firefox.exe when launching
>> URLs, and gives up.
>> 
>> Thus the error. Interestingly, changing my default browser to IE fixed the
>> problem as well, which would be fine if IE itself wasn't a problem.
>> 
>> I'm no programmer, BTW.
>> 
>> Any help?
>> 
>For what it is worth, I've had this start to happen occasionally as 
>well? I have some links on my desktop that are FF URL links. I use these 
>when I want to go to some specific URL's that I visit often. Otherwise I 
>just start FF with many tabs open.
>
>Recently, and I can't pin it down to anything I've been doing, I get the 
>same thing you see. However, when this happens, and it has happened 
>maybe 3 times in the last 2 weeks since FF was updated, I just reboot 
>and it works fine. I never thought it to be DDE?
>
>If it is DDE, then how would re-booting fix it? This is an XP Pro system 
>and both Netword DDE services are set to manual. If you look at 
>http://www.theeldergeek.com/network_dde.htm it suggests it isn't needed 
>at all and should even be disabled?
>
>I'm just wondering if it is DDE or just something else?
>
>On two of the occasions I know my wife was playing a game (I don't know 
>which one) and I was on her computer trying to fix something she 
>'broke'. Maybe I should find out which one and work from there.
>
>If you hit the problem again, try a reboot and see if that cures it? One 
>difference between us is the IE (I use 7) was never set to the default 
>browser.
>
Yeah, well, unticking the "use DDE" tab fixed it *permanently* on my system.

I don't know what's happening on yours. Can't see that it's the same issue if a
reboot fixed this for you. Because unticking "use DDE" worked, I'm making the
assumption that it's some kind of DDE error.

The most recent game I've installed is Zoo Tycoon 2.

I only mentioned that setting IE to the default fixes it, because I figured
doing that and then resetting Firefox as the default might reset the HKLM keys.

While the change was made, I tried launching URL shortcuts with IE as the
default browser and it did not have a problem, so it's something with the way
Firefox works. Perhaps MS made a code change in DDE recently?

The keys got reset when I made Firefox my default again (by launching it, since
it's not showing up in "Set Program Access") but it still didn't work right.

Thanks for the feedback.

-- 
Zag

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little 
temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ...Ben Franklin

On Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:47:40 +0530, in mozilla.support.firefox, Nir wrote: 

>Zaghadka wrote:
>> I had a strange issue crop up the other day, shortly after (but not
>> immediately after) I had upgraded Firefox to v2.0.0.3.
>> 
>> Every time I launched a shortcut, or typed a URL from the "run..."
>> line, I got an error message:
>> 
>> :"Windows cannot find '[full url here]'. Make sure you typed the name
>> correctly, :and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start
>> button, and then :click Search." [Dialogue button: OK]
>> 
>> The site would launch normally, but the annoying dialogue would
>> always pop up. If the browser was open already, there was no error
>> message.
>> 
>> Turned out the problem was DDE related, and I fixed it using the
>> workaround at:
>> 
>> http://kb.mozillazine.org/Windows_error_opening_Internet_shortcut_or_local_HTML_file_-_Firefox
>> 
>> 
>> Turning off DDE for each registered extension fixed it.
>> 
>> But that fix seems to be for a much older version of Firefox. In
>> fact, I read a Bugzilla report saying that the code workaround that
>> dealt with that issue was removed from Firefox (353089).
>> 
>> This hadn't happened while I was using 2.0.0.2, but reverting to
>> 2.0.0.2 after the 2.0.0.3 upgrade didn't fix the problem.
>> 
>> Is this new a bug? Does anyone have an idea what I could have done to
>> my setup to break it in the first place? If it is a bug, how do I
>> file a report with Bugzilla? Should I, or should someone with more
>> technical experience file it?
>> 
>> My guess is that DDE works if Firefox is already open, because the
>> DDE data can be passed, but if Firefox.exe needs to be launched, the
>> Windows shell no longer waits long enough to pass its DDE information
>> to Firefox.exe when launching URLs, and gives up.
>> 
>> Thus the error. Interestingly, changing my default browser to IE
>> fixed the problem as well, which would be fine if IE itself wasn't a
>> problem.
>> 
>> I'm no programmer, BTW.
>> 
>> Any help?
>> 
>
>"http://tinyurl.com/ys2h2z"
>
or MID: 1174831465.063903.64930@b75g2000hsg.googlegroups.com

Yup. That's the exact issue he's describing. I prefer Message ID's as I'm an
NNTP user, BTW.

It looks as if Bug 263570 is marked as resolved though, plus I'm an US English
user, and thus have no umlauts, special characters, etc. in my .URL files. It
happens to *all* of them, even those without special characters, plus trying to
launch URL's from the "RUN..." line (even "www.yahoo.com"), if Firefox is not
already open.

So it sounds vaguely "related" to 263570, but not the same, since that bug is
due to "non-ASCII characters."

Unticking DDE in the file properties fixed my problems, so I've got a
workaround for this.

If someone else has the exact same problem as me, then it sounds like we've got
a bug. How do I report it to Bugzilla? Do I need a login there?

(The other link was interesting, but Firefox seems to be properly associated
with all web content.)

-- 
Zag

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little 
temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ...Ben Franklin