Set Internet Explorer as the default browser from the command line
Solution 1:
This command will set IE as the default browser:
shmgrate.exe OcinstallreinstallIE
This policy should stop people determining the default browser.
Solution 2:
you can try this, it will work
start "" "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" http://server_ip/home_page
the error in your command was that start expects first quoted string to be the title of the application, which in this case you can leave empty.
for setting iexplorer.exe as system's default web browser, you can use assoc and ftype commands, which associate extensions with file types, and file types with executable files, like so:
assoc .html=htmlfile
ftype htmlfile="C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" %1
%1 is the argument here - that is the URL or the file that you can send to the program as an input
Solution 3:
Windows Vista and later, IE 7+
The following batch script simulates clicking Set this programs as default from the Default Programs control panel applet. Tested with Vista/7 and IE 7/IE 11.
@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
REM -- check XHTML support (IE 9+)
set xhtml=0
for /f %%G in ('"reg query "HKCR\IE.AssocFile.XHT" /ve 2>&1 | findstr /c:".XHT" "') do set xhtml=1
REM -- reset file extensions
set exts=HTM,HTML
if %xhtml% == 1 (set exts=%exts%,XHT,XHTML)
for %%G in (%exts%) do (
set ext=%%G
set ext=!ext:~0,3!
reg add "HKCU\Software\Classes\.%%G" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "IE.AssocFile.!ext!" /f >nul
)
set exts=%exts%,MHT,MHTML,URL
set acl=%temp%\acl_%random%%random%.txt
for %%G in (%exts%) do (
set key=HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.%%G\UserChoice
echo !key! [1 7 17]>"%acl%"
regini "%acl%" >nul
set ext=%%G
set ext=!ext:~0,3!
reg add "!key!" /v "Progid" /t REG_SZ /d "IE.AssocFile.!ext!" /f >nul
)
del "%acl%" 2>nul
REM -- reset MIME associations
for %%G in (message/rfc822,text/html) do (
set key=HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\MIMEAssociations\%%G\UserChoice
reg add "!key!" /v "Progid" /t REG_SZ /d "IE.%%G" /f >nul
)
REM -- reset URL protocols
for %%A in (FTP,HTTP,HTTPS) do (
set key=HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociations\%%A\UserChoice
reg add "!key!" /v "Progid" /t REG_SZ /d "IE.%%A" /f >nul
for %%B in (DefaultIcon,shell) do (
set key=HKCU\Software\Classes\%%A
reg delete "!key!\%%B" /f >nul 2>&1
reg copy "HKCR\IE.%%A\%%B" "!key!\%%B" /s /f >nul
reg add "!key!" /v "EditFlags" /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f >nul
reg add "!key!" /v "URL Protocol" /t REG_SZ /d "" /f >nul
))
REM -- reset the start menu Internet link (Vista and earlier)
reg add "HKCU\Software\Clients\StartMenuInternet" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "IEXPLORE.EXE" /f
REM -- reset cached icons
if %xhtml% == 1 (
ie4uinit -cleariconcache
) else (
taskkill /im explorer.exe /f >nul
start explorer
)
pause
exit /b
Remarks
Any web browser application can register to appear as an Internet client on the Start menu. This visibility, coupled with proper registration for an application's file and protocol types, gives an application default browser status. The default web browser is used for launching arbitrary URLs from anywhere in the system.
Note Existing [start menu link] registrations are ignored in Windows 7 and later. This registration is deprecated as of Windows 7.
Source: How to Register an Internet Browser or Email Client With the Windows Start Menu
The hierarchical registry structure for file and protocol associations gives precedence to per-user defaults over machine-level defaults.
Source: Default Programs
Solution 4:
You can add below two lines in a bat file
reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main" /f /v "Check_Associations" /d "yes" /t REG_SZ
reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociations\http\UserChoice" /f /v "ProgId" /d "IE.HTTP" /t REG_SZ
After running the bat, reboot/log off and log back since above two command lines are meant to change registry values..
Aditinal details can be found here
(Fixed)-Cant set Internet Explorer as the Default Browser ! http://www.windowstechinfo.com/2016/03/fixed-cant-set-internet-explorer-as-the-default-browser.html