Can you force a .url file to open in a browser other than the default Browser?

Question

I have a couple .url shortcuts for some Silverlite material but my default browser (Chrome) can't use Silverlite. Is there a way to force the .url to open specifically in Internet Explorer instead of Chrome?

Solution

You didn't mention which OS you use but you can make an OS shortcut to launch your URL. In nearly all versions of Windows, right-click on the desktop and select new -> shortcut then enter iexplore.exe followed by the URL like so:

That should open in IE just fine.

UPDATE

To make this work with a shortcut key you simply need to assign a shortcut key to it. You do this by right clicking the shortcut and selecting Properties.

You need to pick a shortcut combination that is otherwise unused. The shortcut must also be on the desktop or start menu for this to work.

Alternatively, you can put the shortcut on your quick launch bar. If you do this you must use the key combination of Win + 1 - 0 to launch it depending on it's order in the quick launch bar (the first items is 1 and the 10th is 0).

Comments

[krowe]

You may also look into an extension called 'IE Tab'. It will allow you to open IE windows from within Chrome. It can also be configured to automatically do this everytime you go there (meaning you'd just use a regular .URL file but Chrome would then open an IE tab for this site when visited). chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ie-tab/…

[Xen2050]

Would this work to drag-n-drop other URLs/shortcuts onto this shortcut, opening any of them?

[krowe]

No but if you remove the URL from this and just use iexplore.exe then you can drag URLs to desktop (making a .url file) and then you can drag that onto it and open it.

[Xen2050]

That sounds more generally useful to me, +1

[Patrick vD]

One issue: This isn't allowing me to use any keyboard shortcuts to open it. This was the main reason to create the .lnk in the first place.

[krowe]

@PatrickvD See my update for information about doing that.

[Patrick vD]

Ok, thanks. I had already entered a short-cut, but hadn't put it in the Start menu.