Creating an internet shortcut fails

[Sebastian42]

MY Edge, I.E. Chrome and Firefox all fail - in various ways - to produce valid internet shortcuts. The shortcut I get [if I succeed in making one] is to a 'Print Queue', NOT to a webpage. I believe I have the correct PROCEDURE off pat, but that there is some blockage that needs to be removed. e.g. in Chrome, 'make a shortcut' is greyed out. I have looked at File Association (but am happy to do so again). I suspect some registry key needs to be tweaked - but don't know which or how.

 

[Bighorn]

I have no problem having a "shortcut" to a Web page but I simply click on the tiny icon at the left end of the URL/Address and drag it to the Desktop or any Folder desired. The issue is that it does not work the same as creating a shortcut to a program's .exe/executable file.

Another difference is the 'path' to a file on the computer uses the \ backslash while addresses on the Web uses the / forward slash.

 

[Sebastian42]

"The issue is that it does not work the same as creating a shortcut to a program's .exe/executable file.'
MY issue is that it opens a printer page instead of a webpage. I have no further demands on it w.r.t behaving as an executable file.

Use of back- and forward- slash is interesting, but I can not see its relevance to a failing automated procedure.

 

[Bighorn]

failing automated procedure

That makes a whole different scenario and suggests more problems could exist.

 

[Beingdinu]

How do you exactly creating the shortcut, can you share a screenshot. and did you try creating a shortcut in safemode with networking.

 

[Sebastian42]

I dragged the lock icon to the left of the URL onto a bare patch of desktop. There is at least one other method which gives the same faulty result. I have attached the screen shot you asked for - of the shortcut and of its properties. The shortcut itself is not visible to the attaching mechanism, so can not be attached.

 

[davehc]

We all have our "traditional" methods , i guess.
What I do is, initially, right click the desktop and, under "new" . select shortcut.
A windows will pop up with a space, requesting and address. I right click the internet address from the url , and copy and past it into the requested space. Click "next" and give it a recognisable name. - Done.

The lock you are clicking is only info for the site, so will open at a default - in your case to print.

 

[Sebastian42]

The method you listed above is one of the several methods I have tried- which ALL end up creating a shortcut to a print dialog box.

I have also set the 'internet default' to be a browser, but all to no avail.

 

[davehc]

I believe your problem may be in the printer properties++ Open the control panel and the "Devices and printers" Somehwere in the preferences, you have a misconfiguration. I would suggest you set all back to default, but maybe someone more printer savvy can give better info.
Unless you have previously been in that area, don't, under any circumstances start altering anything in the registry.

 

[Sebastian42]

I've looked at the Properties of the printer - starting from Control Panel - actually there are two different Printer Properties - and one of them does have a Preferences button. In its Advanced tab 'Device Options' is the most promising avenue (out of 5 options), but its 8 categories do not seem to offer anything relevant to to problem.

 

[davehc]

Jus had another thought! If you go into settings - Apps and select Apps for websites - what do you have there

 

[Sebastian42]

I hope this satisfies your request.

 

[davehc]

Sure does - nothing there!

 

[Sebastian42]

There has been a turn of events. I do not know why. Even though dragging the lock icon from the address bar onto the desktop does not create a viable shortcut to a URL, I've been able to create one from the context menu of the desktop - for Chrome. So the mystery remains, but my need has been met.

 

[davehc]

One more try !!
Settings - Apps - Default Apps. Scroll down to "Choose default applications by file type"
What have you got against URL? It Should say "Internet Browser"

 

[Sebastian42]

Neither URL nor Internet Browser are listed - please see the screen shot.
My up-to-date Chrome keeps giving a shortcut to printer dialog box if I drag the lock icon to the desktop. But I do get a viable Chrome shortcut from 'More Tools'. It suits me to keep Firefox at v50, and that may explain why I can't get a viable Firefox shortcut. So..... I've now succeeded in getting the internet shortcut I needed, but there is obviously something wrong in that dragging the lock icon results in a shortcut to a printer dialog box for different browsers.

 

[davehc]

OK. I guess I'm finished, finally. I suppose you have that because you have made FF your default, but, for the test, I made FF my default and the option remained "Internet Browser."

 

[Sebastian42]

Than k you. Job done
Unless you want to delve into the printer dialog box anomaly. I had that come up from a different inappropriate trigger too - the Restart.

 

[davehc]

You could, of course, in the settings path already mentioned, Set thr defaults all back to the original MS recommendations. But you seem ok now, so best left!

 

[Sebastian42]

There is a downloadable program called Default Programs Editor, which if negotiated correctly, leads to dialogs like the attached, which give a glimmer of hope that PRINT might be able to be decoupled from Internet Shortcut, but I don't know HOW to do that.