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Amaya changes the default registry key for opening links even when no file associations are selected during install. The specific registry key changed is: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.html] A weird, unexpected "AM_HTML" value is set as the key's default value, which breaks Microsoft Office application regarding link handling: embedded links in documents, emails, etc. will cease working after Amaya is installed. The specific message displayed is: "This operation has been canceled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator." Steps to reproduce: 1. Make sure embedded links in Microsoft Office applications work; 2. Install Amaya, not selecting any file associations. Expected result: Amaya installer wouldn't interfere with other applications. Actual result: Amaya installer unexpectedly changes registry settings which are used by several applications. Workaround: After Amaya install, restore the registry setting again. Use the following value (without the quotes) for the "(Default)" key: * "FirefoxHTML" for Firefox; * "ChromeHTML" for Chrome; * "htmlfile" for Internet Explorer. Values for other browser are unknown, but likely to be similar. Additional details: Possibly, a lot more applications (other than Microsoft Office) are affected, as many Web-based applications basically embed the MSHTML engine, which seems to be affected as well. :-( I'm convinced that the Amaya installer *doesn't need* to change that particular registry key in order to create a file association. Only if it sets itself as the default Web browser which then also need to be configurable! I don't know whether this is a recent regression, but I've been suffering from this symptom for a long time. Unfortunately, only now I decided to investigate due to the error message being so obscure. :-| I've noticed this running Windows Vista SP2 (not available in the "OS" selection) while using the Amaya 11.3-pre1 installer, affecting Microsoft Office 2007; nevertheless, I was suffering from the issue in my previous environment as well: Windows XP SP3, Office 2003, Amaya 11.2. Setting a relatively high severity/priority, not because it's something affecting Amaya but due to the high impact in other applications: hyperlink handling is part of the content, these days... ;-)
(In reply to comment #0) > Amaya changes the default registry key for opening links even when no file > associations are selected during install. > > The specific registry key changed is: > [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.html] > > A weird, unexpected "AM_HTML" value is set as the key's default value, which > breaks Microsoft Office application regarding link handling: embedded links in > documents, emails, etc. will cease working after Amaya is installed. The > specific message displayed is: > "This operation has been canceled due to restrictions in effect on this > computer. Please contact your system administrator." We are not Windows expert, but our objective was to not interfere with other applications. We just want to provide a "Edit with Amaya" entry. Why "AM_HTML" breaks Microsoft Office application? > > Steps to reproduce: > 1. Make sure embedded links in Microsoft Office applications work; > 2. Install Amaya, not selecting any file associations. > > > Expected result: > Amaya installer wouldn't interfere with other applications. > > > Actual result: > Amaya installer unexpectedly changes registry settings which are used by > several applications. > > > Workaround: > After Amaya install, restore the registry setting again. Use the following > value (without the quotes) for the "(Default)" key: > * "FirefoxHTML" for Firefox; > * "ChromeHTML" for Chrome; > * "htmlfile" for Internet Explorer. > Values for other browser are unknown, but likely to be similar. As you seem an expert could you explain us how to set * "AM_HTML" for Amaya; > Additional details: > Possibly, a lot more applications (other than Microsoft Office) are affected, > as many Web-based applications basically embed the MSHTML engine, which seems > to be affected as well. :-( > > I'm convinced that the Amaya installer *doesn't need* to change that particular > registry key in order to create a file association. Only if it sets itself as > the default Web browser which then also need to be configurable! > > I don't know whether this is a recent regression, but I've been suffering from > this symptom for a long time. Unfortunately, only now I decided to investigate > due to the error message being so obscure. :-| I've noticed this running > Windows Vista SP2 (not available in the "OS" selection) while using the Amaya > 11.3-pre1 installer, affecting Microsoft Office 2007; nevertheless, I was > suffering from the issue in my previous environment as well: Windows XP SP3, > Office 2003, Amaya 11.2. > > Setting a relatively high severity/priority, not because it's something > affecting Amaya but due to the high impact in other applications: hyperlink > handling is part of the content, these days... ;-) >
The registry is not set now
(In reply to comment #1) > We are not Windows expert, but our objective was to not interfere with other > applications. We just want to provide a "Edit with Amaya" entry. > Why "AM_HTML" breaks Microsoft Office application? Because this is apparently used for the default handler for any Web resource (not only HTML files, as the class suggests). Amaya should only use it if it register as the operating system default browser (which doesn't seem to be the intended result). This was not only breaking MS Office but any applications which relied in this registry setting (which is probably used by some Microsoft API internally). For example, Microsoft HTML help seems to be affected as well... > As you seem an expert could you explain us how to set > * "AM_HTML" for Amaya; I'm not an expert, but if I'm able to find spare time to figure out a way to improve this, I'll reopen this bug (or create a new one). (In reply to comment #2) > The registry is not set now OK, this will likely make the issue go away. I'm convinced that this will not interfere with using Amaya as an editor for the chosen file types. :-) I just checked that the 11.3 installer doesn't change this key, so I've changed the version to 11.2: 11.3 pre would be appropriate, but there is no such version available (see related bug 8432); I'm also closing the bug.