When you double-click an Internet shortcut in a Microsoft Outlook Express e-mail message, your Web browser may not start or may not connect to the Web page.

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This issue may occur if any of the following conditions is true:

•	Microsoft Internet Explorer is not currently your default Internet browser, and the browser that was the default browser is no longer installed.
•	A short file name (standard 8.3 naming) is used for the program name that is associated with Internet shortcuts.

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To resolve this issue, use one of the following methods depending on the cause.

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Set Internet Explorer as the default browser

To set Internet Explorer to be the default Internet Browser, follow these steps:

1.	Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2.	Double-click the Internet or Internet Options icon, and then click Programs.
3.	Make sure that the Internet Explorer should check to see if it is the default check box is selected, click Apply, and then click OK.
4.	Open Internet Explorer, and then click Yes when you receive the following prompt: Internet Explorer is not currently your default browser. Do you wish to make it the default?

Links in e-mail messages should then open Internet Explorer.

Outlook Express 5 only

Note: This section does not apply to Microsoft Windows 2000. This issue is also resolved for Outlook Express 5 by using the Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 Repair utility. To run the Internet Explorer 5 Repair utility, follow these steps:

1.	Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add/Remove Programs.
2.	In the list of installed programs, double-click Internet Explorer 5 and Internet Tools.
3.	Click Repair Internet Explorer.
4.	When the repair is completed, restart the computer.

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Correct your file association

To resolve the second issue, you must correct your file association. To do this, change the name of the program that is associated with Internet shortcuts to the long file name of your Web browser. Follow the steps for your operating system.

Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows NT

1.	Click Start, point to Programs, and then click either Windows Explorer or Windows NT Explorer.
2.	Click View, click Folder Options, and then click File Types.
3.	In the Registered File Types box, click URL:File Transfer Protocol, and then click Edit.
4.	In the Actions box, click Open, and then click Edit.
5.	The Application Used To Perform Action box may display the path to your Web browser as a short file name. Type the path to your Web browser by using the full file name. For example, the following path may appear in the Application Used To Perform Action box. c:\progra~1\intern~1\iexplore.exe Change the path to the following path: "c:\program files\internet explorer\iexplore.exe" (including the quotation marks).
6.	Click OK, and then click Close.
7.	Repeat steps 3-6 for the following registered file types: • URL:Gopher Protocol • URL:Hypertext Transfer Protocol • URL:Hypertext Transfer protocol with Privacy
8.	Click Close.

Note If you follow these steps, you may receive the following prompt when Internet Explorer starts: Make sure that the Internet Explorer should check to see if it is the default browser check box is not selected under Internet Options, or the issue may occur again.

If you click Yes, the issue may occur again.

Windows 2000

1.	Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer.
2.	Click Tools, click Folder Options, and then click File Types.
3.	In the Registered File Types box, click URL:File Transfer Protocol, and then click Advanced.
4.	In the Actions box, click Open, and then click Advanced.
5.	The Application Used To Perform Action box may display the path to your Web browser as a short file name or as an incorrect path. Type the path to your Web browser with the full file name. For example, the following path may appear in the Application Used To Perform Action box. c:\progra~1\intern~1\iexplore.exe Change the path to the following path: "c:\program files\internet explorer\iexplore.exe" (including the quotation marks).
6.	Click OK, and then click Close.
7.	Repeat steps 3-6 for the following registered file types: • URL:Gopher Protocol • URL:Hypertext Transfer Protocol • URL:Hypertext Transfer protocol with Privacy • URL:Internet Shortcut
8.	Click Close.

Note If you follow these steps, you may receive the following prompt when Internet Explorer starts: Make sure that the Internet Explorer should check to see if it is the default browser check box is not selected under Internet Options, or the issue may occur again.

If you click Yes, the issue may occur again.

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