InfoWorld
Lead with Knowledge
HOME/ SITEMAP
SUBJECT INDEXES
App Development
Broadband
Business Intell.
Business News
Business Strategies
Careers & Mgmt
Collab. Software
Content Mgmt
CRM
Database
E-Business
End-User Apps
End-User Hardware
Enterprise Apps
Ethics
Government
Licensing
Middleware
Mobile Computing
Networking
Online Community
Operating Systems
Processors
Security
Servers
Storage
Telecomm.
Web Services
Web Technologies
Wireless
XSPs
NEWS
CTO ZONE
TEST CENTER
FEATURES
COMMUNITY
OPINIONS
RESEARCH
EVENT
WEBCASTS
ABOUT InfoWorld
ABOUT US
About InfoWorld
Services
Advertise
Contact us
Employment
WHITE PAPERS

Learn to secure your PCs from new and unknown hacker attacks.

Free IDC White Paper - Discover Secure File Sharing for the Enterpriseattacks.
SEARCH:  
Home  //  Article
Print Article    Email Article
Window Manager
Brian Livingston
Force e-mail programs to launch as many Internet Explorer windows as you like

ONE OF THE great things about today's email programs is that messages can contain live links to Web pages. Instead of sending me a long document, my pen pals can simply include a link in their message. Clicking the link opens a browser window and displays the document.

In Microsoft's Outlook, Outlook Express, and other e-mail programs, however, there's a problem. I like to open a browser window on a document then leave it open to read the document later after I've gone through my other e-mail messages. But if I happen to click a link in a second message, the contents in the browser window are replaced by the second link. I'd rather have each Web page remain open for my perusing pleasure.

For a while, I put up with this irritating behavior. But now I've fixed it so that each link opens and remains open in its own browser window. If you use Internet Explorer (IE) as your browser, you can easily fix this, too.

Originally, I thought this might involve a visible IE configuration setting. This setting determines whether IE opens a new window or reuses an existing window when a URL is launched. (To find this setting in IE, pull down its Tools menu, then click Internet Options, Advanced, Reuse Windows For Launching Shortcuts.)

But Outlook seems to ignore this setting. That's why a fix is needed to allow you to open multiple IE windows from your email package.

To make this change, there are different procedures you must use for Windows 2000 and for Windows 95/98.

The steps for Windows 2000 are as follows:

Step 1. Start Windows Explorer.

Step 2. Click Tools, then Folder Options.

Step 3. In the dialog box that appears, select the File Types tab.

Step 4. In the Extensions box, scroll down the list to the N/A section, then select N/A URL: HyperText Transfer Protocol. Click the Advanced button.

Step 5. Select the action called Open, then click the Edit button.

Step 6. In the dialog box that appears, there is a Use DDE section. For backup purposes, write down the commands that appear in this section. Then turn off the check box that says Use DDE (the commands permanently disappear). Turning this check box off causes email programs to run IE from its command line rather than the now-deleted DDE strings, which reuse the same window.

Step 7. Click OK, then Close; then close Windows Explorer.

Step 8. Close all instances of IE (if you have any open).

The steps for Windows 95/98 are as follows:

Step 1. Start Windows Explorer.

Step 2. Click View, then Folder Options.

Step 3. In the dialog box that appears, select the File Types tab.

Step 4. Scroll down the alphabetical list to URL, then select URL: HyperText Transfer Protocol. Click the Edit button.

Step 5. Select the action called Open, then click the Edit button.

Step 6. In the dialog box that appears, there is a Use DDE section. For backup purposes, write down the commands that appear in this section. Then turn off the check box that says Use DDE (the commands permanently disappear). Turning this check box off causes email programs to run IE with the command line shown in the Application Used To Perform Action box rather than the now-deleted DDE strings, which reuse the same window.

Step 7. You must now add a space and %1 to the end of the command line in that box. After you type this in, the command will look like the following, all on one line (the path may be different on your machine):

"C:\Progra~1\Intern~1\iexplore.exe" -nohome %1

Step 8. Click OK, then Close, then Close.

Step 9. Close Windows Explorer.

Step 10. Close all instances of IE (if you have any open).

After taking these steps in Windows 2000 or Windows 95/98, it shouldn't be necessary to restart Windows. You should be able to open your e-mail program and immediately launch multiple IE windows when you click different Web links in your messages.

If you don't like this effect and you want to undo the change, simply retrace your steps. But this time, turn on the Use DDE check box and retype the original DDE commands you wrote down. (In Windows 95/98, you should also remove the space and %1 you added to the IE command line.)

For more information on reversing the change if you want to undo it, see support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q256/9/53.asp.

Get Livingston free via e-mail

You can now get this column every Monday, via e-mail. Go to www.iwsubscribe.com/newsletters and click Window Manager.


Brian Livingston 's latest book is Windows 2000 Secrets (IDG Books). Send tips to brian_livingston@infoworld.com. He regrets he cannot answer individual questions.



RELATED SUBJECTS

Operating Systems
MORE >
SUBSCRIBE TO:    E-mail Newsletters  InfoWorld Mobile InfoWorld Magazine
Home  //  Article Print Article    Email Article
Back to Top
 ADVERTISEMENT
 

SPONSORED LINKS

Introducing Primus Quick Resolve. Click to download a fact sheet.
Download the J.D. Edwards CRM white paper. Visit jdedwards.com/crmpaper
Gateway: Your Reliable IT Provider of Business Technology Solutions
Learn to secure your PCs from new and unknown hacker attacks.
Get FREE Hurwitz Report: Control Your App Dev Costs with TogetherSoft!

SUBSCRIBE
E-mail Newsletters
InfoWorld Mobile
Print Magazine

Web-based training
ABOUT INFOWORLD  |  SITE MAP  |  EMPLOYMENT  |  PRIVACY  |   CONTACT US

Copyright 2001 InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.