How do I open alternative webbrowser (Mozilla or Firefox) and show the specific url?

Question

I know there is built-in Internet explorer, but what I'm looking for is to open Firefox/Mozilla window (run the application) with specified URL. Anyone can tell me how to do that in C# (.nET) ?

Do you mean you want to open "user's default" browser or something else? — Ilya Ryzhenkov, Oct 21 '08 at 20:02
Yes and no. -> the application i code is for my use only, however it'd be nice to know how to open different one. — Skuta, Oct 21 '08 at 20:22

score 17 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 23 '11 at 08:05

17

You can do this:

System.Diagnostics.Process.Start("firefox.exe", "http://www.google.com");

answered Mar 23 '11 at 08:05

Bruno Le Duic

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score 12 · Accepted Answer · edited Mar 05 '13 at 07:59

12

This will launch the system defined default browser:

string url = "http://stackoverflow.com/";
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(url);

Remember that Process.Start(url) might throw exceptions if the browser is not configured correctly.

edited Mar 05 '13 at 07:59

Kiquenet

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answered Oct 21 '08 at 20:14

Hallgrim

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Note that this might fail if there is something wrong with the browser configuration. Make sure you catch the appropriate exceptions. I've just had this reported to me using automated crash reports, no good way to solve it except catching the correct exceptions. – Vegard Larsen Mar 03 '09 at 18:20
Sure mime types have to be managed. Hallgrim's snippet works for me. It even makes a new tab in my open Firefox session. Love it. It can also do e.g. file://k:\\test.pdf – Goodies Aug 09 '18 at 19:34

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Oct 21 '08 at 20:03

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See ProcessInfo.UseShellExecute

answered Oct 21 '08 at 20:03

Ilya Ryzhenkov

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score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Oct 21 '08 at 20:03

0

Use the Process class (System.Diagnostics) using the URL as the process name. This will use the system default browser to open the URL. If you specify a browser, you run the risk that the browser doesn't exist.

answered Oct 21 '08 at 20:03

Austin Salonen

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score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Oct 21 '08 at 20:04

In Visual Studio click the File -> Browse With... on the menus and then select the browser that you want to use. You can also change the browser there. If the Browse With... menu option doesn't appear then you need to select a project from your solution that that can be launched in a browser.

score 0 · Answer 6 · answered Oct 21 '08 at 20:09

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If you explicitly do not want to use the User's default browser, you can run the browser with the URL as the first argument.

C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox>firefox.exe http://google.com

launches Firefox with google for me. But as people have said, you run the risk of it not being installed, or being installed to a different place, etc.

answered Oct 21 '08 at 20:09

Tom Ritter

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wrt installation location, you can check the registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Mozilla – Blorgbeard Apr 16 '09 at 12:03

How do I open alternative webbrowser (Mozilla or Firefox) and show the specific url?

6 Answers6

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