Windows 10: BrokenURL prevents URLs being opened in the default browser automatically

BrokenURL is a free software program for Microsoft Windows devices designed to give users a choice when it comes to the opening of URLs opened externally (outside the browser).

If you are a Windows user, you may have noticed that certain events, the installation or uninstallation of programs, a click on an URL in a messenger app or email client, open the target URL in the default system browser by default.

While that is the desired action at times, it may not be all the time. Windows comes without any option to change the behavior, e.g. by displaying a browser choice dialog.



BrokenURL implements such a dialog on the system. Whenever you activate a link manually outside of the browser, or when a program does so automatically, its dialog is displayed. The program display the installed browsers and you may select one for that particular link. It has built-in functionality to unshorten shortened links according to the settings, but it may not work with all link shorteners. It did not work with Twitter links during tests.

Besides regular browser instances, it may also be used to open these links in private windows and in new browser windows. The private windows option may be useful in certain situations, e.g. to limit or eliminate some forms of tracking.

Downside to using BrokenURL is that you get the dialog for manually opened links as well. Good news is that the developer thought of that. The "save this choice" option provides the functionality.

Check it before selecting a browser to display a second configuration dialog.



You may configure automatic behavior based on the process the link was opened from or based on the hostname. The screenshot that you see above highlights the choice.

A click on a link on the desktop or in any folder on the system provides the option to make all Windows Explorer links open in the selected browser, or only URLs that match the hostname.

Once done, links will get automatically in the selected browser; this takes care of shortcuts and links that you want to open in a specific browser all the time.

URLs that come from different sources, e.g. a different application, will still prompt the browser choice dialog.

BrokenURL comes with settings and options to modify actions that you have saved in the past. You need to open the program from the Start Menu as it does not place an icon in the taskbar or system tray area.



The two actions displayed at the bottom are used to manage saved choices and to manage the list of browsers.

Manage Browsers displays the list of detected browsers on the system. There is no option to add browsers that have not been detected, e.g. portable ones, but you can disable certain browsers to reduce the size of the menu.

Managed Saved Choices displays all automatic actions that you set up in the past. You may delete those again from the menu.

Other options provided in the settings include disabling the automatic check for updates and showing a program window in the taskbar for easier management of the settings,

Closing Words


BrokenURL is a handy program for Windows that acts as a proxy for URLs opened outside of browsers. You can set up default actions for some programs or link targets to speed things up and bypass the dialog, or handle URLs on a case by case basis instead.

Now You: Do you open URLs in the default browser?

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Unable to set default browser

• Does this issue happens while you try to set other browser as default too or is it specific to specific browser?

Any browser.

Already did the steps you suggested. It's some kind of bug where it's impossible to set a default browser at all.

I heard elsewhere from one other user that it seems to be a problem with upgrading to 10 on the SP3. Sounds very specifc.

 

Show can i prevent a software to open a url automatically ?

Hi. I want to prevent the software to open automatically the Browser with the specified url.

Like i want to show first all the Browsers installed dialog ("How do you want to open this?") and if i want to not open i just press outside the dialog.

 

default browser starts opening automatically

Hi

I have this problem. It started a week back. Whenever i connect charger to my laptop, default browser starts opening automatically, like over 50 times in a minute. i cant work on anything as focus of frame keeps changing to new window (of
browser).

Also the URL resets to homepage in same time amount. I cant search anything on browser. This issue is observed in both Edge and google chrome OS, (whichever is default, or open).

I have wiped my HDD, and installed clean image(multiple times, msdn subscription image), i still have the issue.

I have scanned for rootkit and virus, but found nothing. Problem continues on windows 10 as well as windows 8.1.

• issue not found in Linux , but i really need to work with windows, and this issue is creating problem.
• Checked for keyboard errors, no key found to be pressed.

Need help with this problem.

***Post moved by the moderator to the appropriate forum category.***