Get 'Action Cancelled' When Click Email Link from IE Browser 1

[JohnBates]

hi experts,

I'm trying to help my dad with his problem long-distance, which makes it even more difficult.

He has IE 6 and Outlook Express on Win XP SP1.

When he clicks a link to an email address, a message pops up "Action cancelled - Internet Explorer will not connect"

Is there a setting in IE that could cause this?
Or mal-ware perhaps?

Thanks for any ideas. John

 

[smah]

Sounds like the mailto: file associations might be messed up. In IE, Internet Tools, Protrams tab, make sure Email is set to Outlook Express. Next, in OE, Tools, Options, General tab, make sure that OE is set to be the default mail handler. If that is OK or doesn't help, try the IEFix

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/IEFIX.htm

 

[JohnBates]

thanks smah. I'll post back with the result. John

 

[JohnBates]

oops... here is a more accurate description of the error message he receives:


"was unable to link to the web page you requested. The page might be temporarily unavailable."

But the link is actually to an email address, so I dont know why IE would say "was unable to link to the web page you requested" ?

John

 

[smah]

For some reason, IE is trying to open it - the mailto: hyperlink attribute is not registered correctly.

 

[smah]

I'm curious - is there any news about this?

 

[JohnBates]

thanks for reminding me smah.

I'm falling down in my job as Tech Support for my dad

You said "For some reason, IE is trying to open it - the mailto: hyperlink attribute is not registered correctly."


This happens on every email link he clicks, not just 1 or 2.

I will have him check his program tab in IE to check which Email program is the default.

I did look at the windowsxp .. fix page - it doesn't seem to relate to this problem.


more later.
Thanks, John

 

[smah]

Yes, it would happen with every e-mail link. There is a more manual way to fix this, but check the 'Programs tab of Internet Options, then try the IE Fix tool next. The IE Fix tool re-registers several key .dll files. I'm not sure if this will acutally fix the problem, but it won't hurt anything. If that doesn't work, I'll tell you how to manually fix it.

For some quick info:
There are several different types of hyperlinks. Some open an html web page, some open an ftp (file transfer protocol) folder, some open your mail program. If you look at the html of a web page that contains an e-mail hyperlink, it will look like:

mailto:address@domainname

 

[smah]

Oops, trying to preview and ended up posting. To finish what I was saying....

For some reason, the 'mailto:' association on that computer is wrong or mixed up. It should be opening OE, but it's not.

 

[JohnBates]

ok... He isn't using Outlook or Outlook Express.

The Program Tab says 'Yahoo Mail'. This is a web-based email service he has used for years, until recently.

What now?

Thanks, John

 

[smah]

Hmmm, I hadn't thought of that. There may not be a cure, but I'll check my daughter's computer tonight (she uses web based mail only). In the mean time, open My Computer, Tools, Folder Options, File Types tab and scroll down to and select URL:MailTo Protocol. Check (but don't change anything) and post back with what you find under the Advanced button.

 

[JohnBates]

smah,

This is what his File Types show:

There is only 1 File Type of URL - it is URL Internet Shortcut


He doesn't have URL:MailTo Protocol and here at work on my XP pc it doesnt have that either

His pc has Win XP if that might make a difference.

Thanks for your help, John

 

[smah]

With the file extension of None, there should be several - the XP machine that I'm currently at has 13, but you might not have all of these. Make sure that you're using an account with administrative priveledges. At the very least you should have: URL:File Transfer Protocol, URL:Hypertext Transfer Protocol, URL:MailTo Protocol as well as several others.

 

[smah]

Well I finally checked my daughter's computer and MailTo: links open OE, even though she only uses web based mail.