Explorer & Mime Types

Setting Up File Types (MIME)
for Right Click in Explorer.

This web page contains information on how to set up your Explorer so that you can right click on a file with .htm or .html and choose which browser you want to view the html file with.

Notes
  1. Launch your file Explorer.  (ex: start, programs, Win NT Explorer)
  2. View, Options, File Types
  3. This next part is difficult and tedious.  You need to scroll through the registered file types Extensions (under the "file type details" section)  looking for extensions:  htm, html.
    • If IE is your default browser, look for following: "Microsoft HTML 
      Document 5.0" or HTML Document.  If you don't have one of these you will have to go through each of the file type one by one - good luck!!!
  4. Next, Click on "Edit".
  5. Look at the "Actions" section.
  6. Look at the action "open".  This is probably your default action and will load your default browser.  Select the action and press "Edit".  Look at the settings.
  7. Now you can create a new action.  Click "New".  Depending on your environment and software loaded the following information will change.
    • Win 2000
      • You can organize by Ext or Description.  Plus it is easy to change the program that loads the extension.
    • Win NT 4.0 (MS IE settings)
      Action:  Open w/IE
      Application used to perform this operation:  "C:\PROGRA~1\Plus!\MICROS~1\iexplore.exe" -nohome
      Use DDE: checked
      DDE Message: "file://%1",,-1,,,,,
      Application: IExplorer
      DDE Application not running: <leave empty>
      Topic: WWW_OpenURL
    • Win NT 4.0 (Netscape settings)
      Action:  Open w/IE
      Application used to perform this operation:  "C:\Program Files\Netscape\Communicator\Program\netscape.exe" -browser
      Use DDE: <leave empty>
  8. Now select the action that you want to be the default and click on "Set Default"
  9. Test your changes.
    • In windows Explorer locate a HTML/HTM file.  Select the file.  Now right click with the mouse.  You should see the 2 new options.  Click on the browser you want to open the file with.

Testing does not work.  What should I do next?

If one of the actions does not work I'll give you some pointers on how to figure out what the properties should be set at.

  1. Start, Settings, Taskbar, Start Menu Programs, Advanced.
  2. This next part changes depending on your OS version and configuration.  You will want to find the file that loads the browser your having problems with. 
    • Hint for Win NT 4.0.  Under the parent directory "Profiles" click on the directory "All Users", "Start Menu", "Programs".
    • Next locate for example "Netscape".  Now select the file "Netscape Navigator".
    • Next right click and choose properties, then click on the tab "Shortcut".  Now look at the "target" property.  This value is what you want to use when configuring the file type in the prior section above.  Copy this value into the property "Application used to perform this operation:"
 

My Notes on Other Registered File Types

File Extension  Possible Description of Type
.html See the section above.
.js JScript
.java Java File
.xml XML Document
.bat MS-DOS batch file