How to replace the inactive [Open in IE] button in Opera

[egrabrych]

Greetings!

I'm a user of the Opera web browser, working in Windows 98 SE + KernelEx 4.51. My Opera has the additional button [Open in Internet Explorer] placed on the toolbar, that allows to open the currently visible site in the Internet Explorer (mine is in 6.0 SP1 version). This button is implemented by a notation in the Opera standard_toolbar[...].ini file: "Open in Internet Explorer"="Execute program, "iexplore", "%u", "Open in Internet Explorer"".

Up until the version 11.01 of the Opera, the button functioned properly. Unfortunately, after actualizing the Opera to 11.10 version, the button ceased to function completely - even though in the same version of the Opera, but installed in the Windows XP Professional SP3 executive system, it does still work (however, the button applies to the Internet Explorer 8 there).

I don't have the knowledge vast enough to fix the problem by myself. I noticed, however, that clicking the right mouse button on a website window displayed by the Opera opens a context menu, in which one of the entries is command "Open with - Firefox" (I also have the Firefox 3.6). I was thinking, that perhaps I could try to place the entry "Open with - Internet Explorer" in there too. In order to do that, I used the notation placed in Windows XP Registry in the key [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet] through the Internet Explorer 8 installer. This notation, after importing it to the Windows 98 SE Registry, I abridged of the sub keys irrelevant to this matter, finally leaving it in this very shape:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\IEXPLORE.EXE]

@="Internet Explorer"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\IEXPLORE.EXE\DefaultIcon]

@="C:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe,0"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\IEXPLORE.EXE\shell]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\IEXPLORE.EXE\shell\open]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\IEXPLORE.EXE\shell\open\command]

@="C:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe"

The import.reg

file contains such an abridged notation.

After executing all this, in the context menu suddenly appeared the expected "Open with - Internet Explorer", that functions properly in the Opera 11.10 (11.11) operating in the Windows 98 SE + KernelEx 4.51.

I must add, that placing in the:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet]

key the @="IEXPLORE.EXE" value causes the entry "Open with - Internet Explorer" to be placed the highest in the context menu (without this value, the alphabetical order (of browsers' names) is in effect).

The import_plus.reg

file contains such a notation, with that value as well.

Thanks to using the aforesaid solution, the lack of functioning [Open in Internet Explorer] button is no longer severe to me and I removed it from the toolbar.

Of course, if anybody knows how to fix the problem properly, let him give it away to the other Opera users, including me .

Edited May 20, 2011 by egrabrych

[loblo]

That's the only known workaround I am afraid and I did mention it in another thread (without going in such great details though).

I think it's worth mentioning that, using the template you provided, one can easily create other entries for other suitable applications to appear in the Opera "Open With" menu.

[rilef]

There appears to be two compatibility issues at work here.

First, for Windows 98, "StartMenuInternet" is in the following Windows Registry key:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Clients\StartMenuInternet\ ...

On the other hand, beginning with Windows XP, "StartMenuInternet" is in the following Windows Registry key:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\ ...

Apparently, Opera 11's "Open With" menu no longer looks in the "Software" registry key for "iexplore.exe", but only in the "SOFTWARE" Windows Registry key. Thus, manually entering new "SOFTWARE" registry keys, for IE and other browsers, fixes the problem.

Second, Windows 98 handles long file names somewhat differently than Windows XP and above. For example, a lookup of the application path for "iexplore.exe" shows this result in my Windows 98:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\IEXPLORE.EXE]

@="C:\\PROGRA~1\\INTERN~1\\iexplore.exe"

"Path"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\INTERN~1\\;"

"set"="8"

Again, Opera 11 may no longer lookup "IEXPLORE.EXE" in the "Software" Windows Registry key, only in the

"SOFTWARE" Windows Registry key. And, Opera 11 may no longer handle Windows 98 long filename notation. So try changing your custom IE button in the Opera standard_toolbar[...].ini file from:

"Open in Internet Explorer"="Execute program, "iexplore", "%u", "Open in Internet Explorer"".

to this:

"Open in Internet Explorer"="Execute program, "C:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe", "%u", "Open in Internet Explorer"".

[egrabrych]

So try changing your custom IE button in the Opera standard_toolbar[...].ini file from:

"Open in Internet Explorer"="Execute program, "iexplore", "%u", "Open in Internet Explorer"".

to this:

"Open in Internet Explorer"="Execute program, "C:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe", "%u", "Open in Internet Explorer"".

I tried, does not work

That's the only known workaround I am afraid and I did mention it in another thread (without going in such great details though).

I think you're right.

Edited May 22, 2011 by egrabrych