html links from Outlook emails

[la vache!]

Until a few days ago, I could just click on any html link in my e mails. Now if I try and do it, the url seems to be blocked and I have to copy and paste it into the browser instead. It isn't a huge problem, but it is easier just to click on a link. I'm not sure if it is something that my anti virus AVG has introduced or something else. I haven't (knowingly) changed any settings in Outlook myself, so am at a bit of a loss as to what has happened

[Normandy Cow]

I think I had a similar problem, and I think the answer was to do ctrl-click or alt-click or something and then it worked.
Not sure if that is the answer for you, but worth a try...

[la vache!]

Thanks NC, but that doesn't work!

[e-richard]

I hate it when things like this happen. Its probably due to some auto-update that happened whithout your permission

To help diagnose:

a) What actually happens when you click on a link (in detail) ?
Does the browser open and give you a message or do you get an outlook error or what exactly ?
What is your default browser ? The one that used to open, when you clicked.
b) Are you using Outlook or Outlook express ?
c) When you hover the mouse over a link in the email, does it show a url in the little yellow tooltip ?

[la vache!]

Hi Richard!

I hate it when things like this happen. Its probably due to some auto-update that happened whithout your permission

To help diagnose:

a) What actually happens when you click on a link (in detail) ?
Does the browser open and give you a message or do you get an outlook error or what exactly ?
I get the box coming up looking for an internet browser in amongst all my files
What is your default browser ? The one that used to open, when you clicked.
Firefox
b) Are you using Outlook or Outlook express ?
Outlook
c) When you hover the mouse over a link in the email, does it show a url in the little yellow tooltip ?
Yes it does.

[e-richard]

a) What actually happens when you click on a link (in detail) ?
Does the browser open and give you a message or do you get an outlook error or what exactly ?
I get the box coming up looking for an internet browser in amongst all my files

Thats the clue I was looking for, but fixing it may be a lot more tricky, so I'll suggest a heavy handed, but simple approach:

Assuming you still have IE somewhere on your computer...

Uninstall Firefox completely (Start/Control Panel/Add-remove programs, delete Firefox).
Using IE, go to http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all.html#en and download and re-install Firefox from scratch. If/when it asks you to make FF your default browser, say yes.

Close all browsers, close Outlook and reopen Outlook.

If this does not fix it, then try asking an expert

[la vache!]

Well, I've tried that and it and it hasn't worked, unfortunately, Richard. How strange. It must be something to do with outlook. I've never been able to click on e mail addresses before, but urls have always worked. Or maybe it is AVG - I've been thinking of changing to Avast

[vrooje]

Does Outlook have a section in the preferences where you can specify the web browser used to open links? If so, you may have to go in and manually specify Firefox.

If that doesn't work, I'd check AVG's preferences. Surely this is something you can enable/disable or perhaps only toggle for tagged-spam messages.

[la vache!]

OK, I've sorted the problem - I was doing a clean up of my laptop last week or programs and also deleted the orange software so something must have changed the configuration. I have windows XP and if you go to the configure programs by default on the start up menu, then personalise, you have the option to set the default browser there.

[e-richard]

While researching a completely unrelated problem, I can across this. It may help to explain what happened to LV and/or could be useful to others when updating or changing any security software/firewalls.