Clickable Link (file://) problem

[rthx]

Clickable Link (file://) Systemfile-URL opens a cmd window instead of an explorer window as expected.

All paths are opened in a cmd window instead of an explorer window. Exception are only the root paths (C:, D:\ …).

Examples:
file://C:/ -> opens an explorer window as desired
file://C:\ -> opens an explorer window as desired
file://C:/Windows/ -> opens cmd window instead of an explorer window.
file://C:\Windows\ -> opens cmd window instead of an explorer window.
file://C:\Windows -> opens cmd window instead of an explorer window.

Debug-Info
Notepad++ v8.5.4 (32-bit)
Build time : Jun 17 2023 - 20:40:14
Path : C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Command Line :
Admin mode : OFF
Local Conf mode : OFF
Cloud Config : OFF
OS Name : Windows 10 Enterprise (64-bit)
OS Version : 22H2
OS Build : 19045.3086
Current ANSI codepage : 1252

[Alan Kilborn]

@rthx

On my system, ALL of your examples open an Explorer window.

[Coises]

@rthx What happens when you type WindowsKey+R (opening a “Run” dialog box), type file://C:/Windows/ in the box, and press Enter?

If that also opens a command window, then I think there is something unusual in your Windows registry settings.

[rthx]

Addendum1
I have of course, before posting here, tried this on different systems. I have the same phenomenon on 4 physical PCs (all Win10, two of them notebooks) and several VMs (Win10 and Win11) in VirtualBox.

Seems to me already somehow related to the system - but on all of them?

Addendum2
In another application “wikidPad 2.2” all above links open in an explorer window. The same on systems with Windows 7 and Notepad++.

@Coises “Run” (dialog box), file://C:/Windows/ is the same, opens a cmd window. In all the above systems.

@Alan-Kilborn on which system?

[Alan Kilborn]

@rthx said in Clickable Link (file://) problem:

Alan-Kilborn on which system?

Notepad++ v8.5.4 (64-bit)
Build time : Jun 17 2023 - 20:42:45
Path : C:\NotepadPlusPlus\Misc_NoBackup\Releases\npp.8.5.4\npp.8.5.4.portable.x64\notepad++.exe
Command Line : -titleAdd=“8.5.4 64-bit” -multiInst
Admin mode : OFF
Local Conf mode : ON
Cloud Config : OFF
OS Name : Windows 11 Pro (64-bit)
OS Version : 22H2
OS Build : 22621.1992
Current ANSI codepage : 1252
Plugins :
mimeTools (2.9)
NppConverter (4.5)
NppExport (0.4)
PythonScript (3.0.16)

[PeterJones]

@rthx said in Clickable Link (file://) problem:

Addendum1
I have of course, before posting here, tried this on different systems. I have the same phenomenon on 4 physical PCs (all Win10, two of them notebooks) and several VMs (Win10 and Win11) in VirtualBox.

Seems to me already somehow related to the system - but on all of them?

If you set up your OS options the same when you set them up, that is a likely possibility.

Addendum2
In another application “wikidPad 2.2” all above links open in an explorer window. The same on systems with Windows 7 and Notepad++.

Most likely, “wikidPad 2.2” (whatever that is) does its own interpretation of that kind of link, instead of passing the link unedited to the OS to say “run this link as you normally would”.

@Coises “Run” (dialog box), file://C:/Windows/ is the same, opens a cmd window. In all the above systems.

Then that proves that the native interpretation of that kind of link on all the above systems is to open that kind of link in cmd window instead of in Explorer. You will need to find a forum that is good with helping people with generic windows questions, and ask “on my old Win 7 machines, when I would run file://c:/Windows/ from the Windows Run menu, it would open that directory in the windows explorer. But in a bunch of Win 10 and Win 11 machines and VM, if I run that same URL, it opens them in cmd.exe instead. How do I get them to open that file URL in Windows Explorer?”

on which system?

And on mine:

Notepad++ v8.5.4   (64-bit)
Build time : Jun 17 2023 - 20:42:45
Path : C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Command Line : 
Admin mode : OFF
Local Conf mode : OFF
Cloud Config : OFF
OS Name : Windows 10 Enterprise (64-bit)
OS Version : 22H2
OS Build : 19045.3086
Current ANSI codepage : 1252
Plugins : ...

[Coises]

@rthx said in Clickable Link (file://) problem:

“Run” (dialog box), file://C:/Windows/ is the same, opens a cmd window. In all the above systems.

If you are comfortable doing this, open regedit and see what is the default value for the key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\command. On my system it is %SystemRoot%\Explorer.exe. I’m going to guess that it is different on the systems that open a command window.

If the above didn’t make any sense to you, skip it.

The behavior with the Run box is not standard for a Windows 10 system, so something has changed it. What would do that, and why, I can’t guess.

[rthx]

The problem is solved - thanks to all who responded!

Especially the tip from @PeterJones and @Coises has brought me closer to the solution, I now knew where to look.

It was actually registry entries (from “Open Command Prompt here” Context Menu), which I have been using since Windows 7 (without the problem). And since it was so handy, of course I used that on all my systems.

That’s where Win10 behaves differently than Win7.

Source: Enhancing the “Open Command Prompt here” Context Menu experience

After removing these registry entries the problem is solved.