How can I stop IE7 from intercepting FTP commands?

John Corliss

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Jul 10, 2009, 5:17:11 AM7/10/09

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Whenever I click on an ftp link in an email or in a newsgroup post,
Internet Explorer opens. How can I stop this from happening? Yes, I have
Googled extensively and nothing that I found works.

--
John Corliss

Singapore Computer Service

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Jul 10, 2009, 6:03:14 AM7/10/09

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Hello,

Modify what happens on clicking FTP addresses at this registry location

Start > Run > Regedit > HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ftp\shell

Clear the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ftp\shell\open\command key if you want nothing
to happen. Make a backup of the key in case you want to restore it

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"John Corliss" <q34w...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:DI-dnYKNPNGHmsrX...@posted.ccountrynet...

PA Bear [MS MVP]

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Jul 10, 2009, 12:57:35 PM7/10/09

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See
http://blogs.msdn.com/askie/archive/2009/04/16/ftp-and-internet-explorer-what-to-do-what-to-do.aspx
--
IE-specific newsgroup:
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.internetexplorer.general

~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002

John Corliss

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Jul 10, 2009, 1:50:21 PM7/10/09

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Singapore Computer Service wrote:

> John Corliss wrote:
>> Whenever I click on an ftp link in an email or in a newsgroup post,
>> Internet Explorer opens. How can I stop this from happening? Yes, I have
>> Googled extensively and nothing that I found works.
>

> Hello,
> Modify what happens on clicking FTP addresses at this registry location
>
> Start > Run > Regedit > HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ftp\shell
>
> Clear the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ftp\shell\open\command key if you want nothing
> to happen. Make a backup of the key in case you want to restore it

Yes, I tried that one. And what's really strange is that the value for
that key is:

"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -requestPending -osint
-url "%1"

Clearing that value made no difference whatsoever.

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John Corliss

John Corliss

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Jul 10, 2009, 2:24:13 PM7/10/09

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PA Bear [MS MVP] wrote:
John Corliss wrote:
>> Whenever I click on an ftp link in an email or in a newsgroup post,
>> Internet Explorer opens. How can I stop this from happening? Yes, I
>> have Googled extensively and nothing that I found works.
>

> See
> http://blogs.msdn.com/askie/archive/2009/04/16/ftp-and-internet-explorer-what-to-do-what-to-do.aspx

Thanks for pointing me in the direction of the correct newsgroup.

I checked out the info at the link you provided, but there is no
"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\IE.FTP\shell\open\command" location in my registry.

I'm running XP Home SP3 with current updates.

What I would like to see happen would be when I click on a link in an
email or usenet post like this one:

ftp://pcwelt:dl4p...@download.pcwelt.de/downloadfiles/34000/34400/34482/instmv10305.exe

(DON'T click on that link, it's only an example. It's a link to a
defunct program that for use with Hamster, safe download, but not worth
getting)

I would like to see another (non-Microsoft) FTP handler open.

--
John Corliss

Singapore Computer Service

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Jul 10, 2009, 3:08:17 PM7/10/09

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Hello,

I tested it personally for you. At HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ftp\shell\, I deleted
the whole OPEN key. Then I tried to open a URL shortcut with the FTP prefix
and nothing happened.

Clearing the command key had no effect actually and FTP addresses still
opened with IE, so my previous post was wrong.

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"John Corliss" <q34w...@yahoo.com> wrote in message

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Jul 11, 2009, 7:53:20 AM7/11/09

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The solution was to delete (not an easy task, by the way) all copies of
the msieftp.dll file from my hard drive. First though, I made a backup
copy of the file and zipped it, then noted the three locations where I
found the file.

If you try to delete the copies though, the one in C:\WINDOWS\System32
will require the use of an unlocker program because the file is in use
by the system.

When I did this, Windows Explorer crashed, then restarted with no
problems and with that file gone.

This is a tweak not for the feint of heart and I don't recommend it for
others, but it worked for me. Now when I click on an ftp link, it opens
in Firefox the *way it should have from the start*.

Over and out. Thanks to those who tried to help me with the problem.

--
John Corliss

PA Bear [MS MVP]

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Jul 11, 2009, 11:47:37 AM7/11/09

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[crosspost to WinXP General]

WinXP prefers IE to be the default in many cases, John. Have you tried
making IE your default browser?

John Corliss wrote:
> Firefox is and has been the default browser. That's what makes this so
> strange.
>
> Leonard Grey wrote:
>> Whether or not something can get through your firewall is a separate
>> question.
>>
>> Like other web protocols, ftp is handled by the default browser. Make
>> sure that Firefox is the default browser.
>> ---
>> Leonard Grey
>> Errare humanum est
>>
>> John Corliss wrote:
>>> Well, in the past I was able to click on such a link in an email or
>>> usenet post (I use Thunderbird for both) and Firefox would open,
>>> asking me if I wanted to save the file located on the remote ftp
>>> server. Now IE7 opens and it can't get through my firewall. If I start
>>> Firefox and then copy and paste the ftp link into its address field,
>>> Firefox immediately asks me if I want to save the file. However, I
>>> want to be able to avoid having to manually start Firefox. I loath IE
>>> by the way.
>>>
>>> Leonard Grey wrote:
>>>>
>>>> What program would you like to open FTP links?
>>>> ---
>>>> Leonard Grey
>>>> Errare humanum est

>>>>
>>>> John Corliss wrote:
>>>>> Whenever I click on an ftp link in an email or in a newsgroup post,
>>>>> Internet Explorer opens. How can I stop this from happening? Yes, I

>>>>> have Googled extensively and could find nothing that works.
>>>>>
>>>>> TIA.