Pale Moon forum

Operating system: Windows 10, x64
Browser version: 28.6.1, Portable
32-bit or 64-bit?: 64
Problem URL:
Theme: Default
Installed add-ons: Classic Add-ons Archive 2.0.1, Password Exporter 1.3.4, uBlock Origin 1.16.4.11, uBlock Origin Updater 1.6.6, Web Ddeveloper 1.2 13
Installed plugins: (about:plugins) No installed plugins found

I have Palemoon Portable as my default browser, however if I have Palemoon open and I double-click on a local HTML file I would expect the HTML file to open in the already open Palemoon window, but it does not and opens the HTML file in a new Palemoon window.

How do I open local local files in the already open Palemoon window?

tuxtoo wrote: ↑

2019-08-16, 08:38

How do I open local local files in the already open Palemoon window?

By not using a portable as-if it's an installed version. It's not designed for it.

Many thanks Moonchild. I was curious because this function works okay in Firefox Portable however, I find Firefox is much slower to startup although will stick with Palemoon Portable despite this minor shortcoming.

Moonchild wrote: ↑

2019-08-16, 08:52

tuxtoo wrote: ↑

2019-08-16, 08:38

How do I open local local files in the already open Palemoon window?

By not using a portable as-if it's an installed version. It's not designed for it.

pls add this ability to it in the future. that's very important. thanks

amymor wrote: ↑

2019-09-03, 18:20

pls add this ability to it in the future. that's very important. thanks

Pale Moon does already have this feature. Just not in the portable version.

vannilla wrote: ↑

2019-09-03, 18:24

Pale Moon does already have this feature. Just not in the portable version.

yeah, i know. but i need it for portable version.

amymor wrote: ↑

2019-09-03, 18:32

yeah, i know. but i need it for portable version.

If you need this, then don't use the portable version. One of the things that makes the portable version portable is not creating any file type associations.

I think we need to stop producing and distributing the portable stub. It seems to just confuse people.

If we do, we have to make sure other people can still release portable versions for those that need it and actually understand that portable = portable != desktop integration.

@Fedor2 solved this easily with his Portable.patch:

There are two modes

With checkbox checked during install, you get mode, where you can simultaneously launch multiple instances of the browsers and with different profiles, but default browser feature is disabled and you cannot use file associations.

Another mode (checkbox unchecked), browser launched with one profile, you can set it as default and associate with files.

https://github.com/Feodor2/Mypal27old/wiki/Portable

Then their portable build isn't truly portable. If you remove the portable browser media, the file associations would break. It doesn't really make sense.

New Tobin Paradigm wrote: ↑

2019-09-03, 20:34

I think we need to stop producing and distributing the portable stub. It seems to just confuse people.

Please don't do that.

If I could remember the registry hack I used in XP to make the "Send To" menu show for URls and Mail links etc. in R click menu on links, I would suggest that. I'm just getting too old to remember these things. I actually don't see a reason to associate a portable program with files. There used to be programs that would do that for portable programs but I be damned if I can remember what they were.
This was one: (no longer developed)
https://portableapps.com/node/15583

Isengrim wrote: ↑

2019-09-03, 21:55

Then their portable build isn't truly portable.

First mode is truly portable, second one is also truly portable if you don't make it your default browser. It's about having choices, I like that.

letmeindude wrote: ↑

2019-09-03, 22:06

second one is also truly portable if you don't make it your default browser.

But that's exactly what people want to do.
They want a portable AND want it to be the default browser/associated application. But as observed, if you take this browser away from the system, as you would with a portable application, those associations will break because the application is no longer present on the system. that is a bad situation.

Yes, I agree with you. The second mode should be hidden, it's only for advanced users who know what they are doing and what they shouldn't do.

New Tobin Paradigm wrote: ↑

2019-09-03, 20:34

I think we need to stop producing and distributing the portable stub. It seems to just confuse people.

Moonchild wrote: ↑

2019-09-03, 20:50

If we do...

Please don't stop producing the portable version.

I know it's obnoxious when some individuals don't read, don't think, and make uninformed demands.
Those individuals can get so noisy and insistant that it gives the feeling that their behavior represents "everyone", but really it doesn't. It's just a noisy handful of users. I hope that you won't base decisions that affect all of us on those individuals' behavior.

Anything Fedor2 produces is suspect and almost certainly has compromising issues at a fundamental level. You would be wise to stay the hell away from whatever he or his almost-carbon-copy friend roytam1 are up to.

Moonchild wrote: ↑

2019-09-03, 22:33

But that's exactly what people want to do.
They want a portable AND want it to be the default browser/associated application. But as observed, if you take this browser away from the system, as you would with a portable application, those associations will break because the application is no longer present on the system. that is a bad situation.

You can add this feature optionally and let us choose which feature is on or off. some people want the portable browser to be default browser. also the associations cant break system because there is "default programs" in control panel and u can easily reset all.

amymor wrote: ↑

2019-09-07, 16:28

You can add this feature optionally and let us choose which feature is on or off. some people want the portable browser to be default browser. also the associations cant break system because there is "default programs" in control panel and u can easily reset all.

Portable applications whole purpose of existence is to avoid changing operating system settings, so you can just run them off a USB stick, and nothing breaks when they're removed. If you're going to use Palemoon all the time, just install the damn thing already.
Lastly, you can just use the Windows 10 settings for file associations and manually set palemoon as the program for opening .html files.