Hyperlinks - How To Open Using Another Browser

[RDN]

I have an Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (mostly for keeping track of money matters) and I have added hyperlinks in each worksheet to the appropriate bank's web site so I can go to the appropriate site and update the worksheet.

The problem is that I prefer to use Firefox and so have set it as my default browser, but some of the bank web sites are not 100% compatible with Firefox, so I want to use Internet Explorer to view them.

What I really would like to know is can I modify the hyperlink to specify which browser to use to open it? I tried right-clicking on the link, but there's no "Open with..." option - it always opens with the system default browser.

Any ideas gratefully received.

P.S. If I get a problem with a web page, I use the "View this page in IE" extension, but I'd rather go straight into IE for sites that I know are not best viewed using Firefox.

[astral]

Have you tried changing the File Explorer - Tools/Folder options/File types

so that all html files are opened by Firefox?

I use Opera as my default browser, only going to IE for pages that play up,

which is not very many.

[Firefoxx]

Err... that's what he's done astral. What he wants is for the links in Excel (and only the links in Excel) to be opened by IE, which is not the default. I really have no solution.

[RDN]

Have you tried changing the File Explorer - Tools/Folder options/File types

so that all html files are opened by Firefox?

I use Opera as my default browser, only going to IE for pages that play up,

which is not very many.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Astral - as Firefox says in his post, what you suggest is precisely what I've done, and it works great! Except for the fact that my banking URLs (in my Excel spreadsheet) also run Firefox, which has not been catered for by my bank (ignorant/lazy buggers!).

Err... that's what he's done astral.  What he wants is for the links in Excel (and only the links in Excel) to be opened by IE, which is not the default.  I really have no solution.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What I was thinking was along these lines...

When I make a shortcut to a folder, the address specified as the "target" when you look at the shortcut's properties, is something like "C:\Documents and Settings\Default\Desktop\foldername".

But if I change that target to "C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe /e,"D:\Documents and Settings\Default D\Desktop\foldername"", I get a different icon for the shortcut (just like the "My Computer" icon) AND I get the folder view in the left side pane. (Before XP SP2, you did not get the folder view unless you went to the "Menu/View" options).

OK, so now (that XP SP2 is here) these two ways of specifying the "target" in shortcuts doesn't make much difference, but I was just thinking what IF the link itself (in my spreadsheet) could refer to IE and pass the URL as a parameter... , e.g "IExplore.exe /url".

I'll have a play and see what I can come up with Any other inspirations gratefully received!

[sajal]

yr solution is here http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=238245

i use excel for only some simple charts n sheets...

but i believe your goal is achievable using macro.

u can use the shell command to open up other programs.

detailed explanation (makes not much sense to me as im not that much of a macro guy)

in your case is u wanted to link to http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=28580 , ud have to execute "c:\program files\internet explorer\iexplore /www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=28580"

the shell execute is your solution if u can manage to create a function in VB like open(url)...

then in the function u can specify

ShellExecute(hwnd, "open", "C:\Program files\internet explorer\iexplore \" & url, "", _

"C:\", )

[RDN]

Thanks for your pointers, guys. I've done some research too - thanks to Google - and wrote this macro which does the job perfectly. It runs IE and goes to Krung Thai bank web site:

Sub RunIE()

URL = "https://www.ktb.co.th/ibanking/fr_home?profile=0#A "

Shell "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Iexplore.exe " & URL, vbNormalFocus

End Sub

Now I just have to figure out how to get the macro to run when I want - it would be nice to have a button within the worksheet that triggers it. This is fun!

Cheers

RDN.

[sajal]

i dunno abt how to call the macro function....but ive made a small modification.....

been 2 yrs since i touched VB so pls mind my syntax but i guess ull get my point.

Sub RunIE(URL as text)

Shell "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Iexplore.exe " & URL, vbNormalFocus

End Sub

then u would need to call

RunIE("https://www.ktb.co.th/ibanking/fr_home?profile=0#A") or RunIE("any url u wanna open")

this helps in case u have to call a lot of diferent urls from your sheet....u would not need to write a diferent function for each url.

[RDN]

Thanks for your suggestions. I've now got it sorted, apart from one small point which I'll write about later on.

So what I've done is write a lot of similar VB macros by going to Tools / Macro / Visual basic Editor, and just have a different URL in each macro.

Then, back in Excel, I right-click in the toolbar area and click Customise / Toolbars / New. This generates a new toolbar - edit the new toolbar name, click OK, close the Customise window and drag the new toolbar to join the original toolbars at the top of the page.

Then I right click in the toolbar area again, click on Customise / Commands / Macros and now I can start adding buttons to the new toolbar and assigning the macros I've written to the new buttons....

You drag the Custom Button image to the new toolbar, right click on it and the other window shown above appears. This allows you to assign a macro to the button, change the button's name and even edit the image - I edited mine to be "KT", "NW", etc, not too pretty but enough to remind me what they are for. And they work!

The only wrinkle is that this toolbar is only available in this spreadsheet and subsequent edits of it. But that's not so important anyway.

So, thanks for all your help guys - especially devil_dog for the links.