[Howto] fix “General Failure. The URL was:” error.
The problem:
While using Outlook 2007 if an email has a URL link inside, you get the following error when you click the link:
The Solution:
A couple of things could be causing this issue. In my case it was the fact that Internet Explorer was not the “default” web browser on the system even though it was the only web browser installed.
To make IE your default browser do this:
- Click the “tools” menu at the top of Internet Explorer.
- Then click “Internet Options” in the list.
- Click on the “Programs” tab.
- Look in the “Default web browser” section of the window.
If this section looks like this, then Internet Explorer is your default browser.
If you have firefox installed, a discrepency between IE and firefox could be causing the issue so see this post.
June 1st, 2007 at 12:39 am
If you want to stick with Firefox you can simply turn off DDE for the offending extensions. To do this:
1. Go to Control Panel->Folder Options->File Types.
2. Click on: Extension: NONE, filetype: Firefox URL
3. Click Advanced
4. Click Edit
5. Uncheck the “Use DDE”, click Okay twice.
6. Repeat 2-5 for the extensions “URL: Hypertext Transfer Protocol” and “URL: Hypertext Transfer Protocol with Privacy”
That has fixed it for me, although you may want to record this process somewhere since it seems like occasionally firefox updates will reverse this somehow so you have to do it again. I had to do it again today after upgrading to Firefox 2.0.0.4.
June 12th, 2007 at 3:07 am
Maybe you should move to thunderbird for your mail program.
Thunderbird works very well together with Firefox.
July 27th, 2007 at 10:18 am
That’s not the way Folder options works in Vista. There is no File Types option to select in #1 of your remedy
August 17th, 2007 at 7:50 am
Jim, Vista ships with Internet Explorer 7 by default. If you start IE7 and look to the top you will see the tools button (usually on the right side). Click that and then look for “Internet Options”. Inside that choice is where you need to set your default browser. (see screenshot in post).
Mac
August 22nd, 2007 at 6:11 pm
Ryan, thank you so much! This has been driving me crazy for a month.
August 26th, 2007 at 5:47 am
In Vista you can get to:
Control Panel -> Default Programs -> Set Associations…
… but you cant get any further… any ideas?
September 27th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
outlook general failure. the url was….
For vista you go to Control Panel>Default Programs>Set Default Programs> Left Pane you select or click the Internet Browser of your choice, then under the right pane Choose defaults for this program …the rest should be as easy ABC…stay blessed… one!!!
October 11th, 2007 at 7:06 pm
Non of the options that I found online worked for me!
I have Vista Ultimate with Office 2007 and Firefox 2.0.0.7
So, I tried following:
1. Close all programs
2. Uninstall Firefox through Control Panel -> Uninstall a program
3. Delete Mozilla Firefox Folder from Computer -> C: drive -> Program Files
4. Perform Disk Cleanup
5. Restart Computer
6. Download and Install new Mozilla Firefox from http://www.mozilla.com
7. And it works
It takes about 3-5 minutes to do all this and you are not playing with register keys risking to mess-up something serious!
I hope this helps to some of you!
November 29th, 2007 at 10:12 am
just make IE your default browser and, then make Firefox your default one instead. Fixed it for me.
January 1st, 2008 at 9:34 am
[...] *** - Update 1/2008 - Here’s the fix for that issue if you’re using Firefox, and here’s the directions to fix if you’re using Internet Explorer [...]
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Thanks jamba
This has been doing my head in ever since we upgraded to Outlook2k7.
“Just make IE your default browser and, then make Firefox your default one instead. Fixed it for me.” - Worked a treat!
Seems so obvious after the fact…. ; - )
January 29th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Thanks,
It worked for me though i have to restart my browser a couple of times.
January 30th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
It worked!
Thanks
January 30th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Thanks, thanks, thanks!
It worked.
May 12th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Thanks for taking the time to post this for us less than knowledgable people. I serached and searched for a fix through help on outlook and explorer and then thought I would try a search and found your help instantly. No more links not opening in emails, thanks…!!!!!
May 13th, 2009 at 6:23 am
WOW!
IT WORKED!!
thank you thank you
May 20th, 2009 at 6:55 am
Thanks very much.
June 6th, 2009 at 10:02 am
This procedure did NOT work for me…however, I figured out why…Many of us who use the Google toolbar, are inadvertently downloading and installing Google Chrome, through the Google Updater……Chrome is a competing Browser to IE..I didn’t know I even had it on my system….if you have Chrome installed, the procedure above will NOT take care of the problem,,you have to UNINSTALL Chrome for this to work,,,THEN go back and do the procedure to make IE the default search engine, etc….
June 19th, 2009 at 6:57 am
Thanks for the tip Ryan. I use Safari as my default browser and was getting the “General Failure…” message every time I was trying to follow a link within an email opened in outlook 07′. Followed your steps below (Safari instead of FF and it works fine.
I am pasting your tip below.
Christian
“”Ryan Says:
June 1st, 2007 at 12:39 am
If you want to stick with Firefox you can simply turn off DDE for the offending extensions. To do this:
1. Go to Control Panel->Folder Options->File Types.
2. Click on: Extension: NONE, filetype: Firefox URL
3. Click Advanced
4. Click Edit
5. Uncheck the “Use DDE”, click Okay twice.
6. Repeat 2-5 for the extensions “URL: Hypertext Transfer Protocol” and “URL: Hypertext Transfer Protocol with Privacy”
That has fixed it for me, although you may want to record this process somewhere since it seems like occasionally firefox updates will reverse this somehow so you have to do it again. I had to do it again today after upgrading to Firefox 2.0.0.4.”"
July 8th, 2009 at 5:37 am
This works!!Thank you
July 27th, 2009 at 7:16 am
Also note that in Windows 7 (as well as Vista), you cannot uncheck “.url” as an IE 8 default, which will always cause a discrepancy between say Firefox and IE 8 when opening email hyperlinks. My solution: go to add/remove programs; disable Windows features; uncheck IE 8. This is assuming, of course, you don’t want to use IE for anything. Kind of a “primal” fix, but I don’t use IE so it solved my URL failures.
September 28th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Thank you! I run Safari… I did the same process except for Safari URL (vs Firefox URL). It worked fabulously!
October 13th, 2009 at 9:07 am
Thank you. This was was frustrating.
October 17th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Вообще, когда читаешь такое, посещает мысль, а ведь это ж так просто, ну почему я это не смог придумать Респект
October 20th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Brilliant - thanks for all your help
January 14th, 2010 at 10:14 pm
Что-то у меня в Firefox дизайн вашего сайта расползается…
March 3rd, 2010 at 10:54 pm
Thanks for this - I’ve just switched from IE8 to Safari because it’s vastly superior but was getting this pesky error message from email hyperlinks - all solved now, many thanks
March 30th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
Thank you the problem is all fixed thanks for your solution! My problem was General Failure. Tha URL.It all started when i removed Goggle Chrome. Bob
April 28th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Internet Explorer 8 is very good because it is as stable as Opera. I hate the previous versions of IE like IE6 because it hangs frequently. .
May 14th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
spent MONTHS copying hyperlinks into the browser from outlook 07 .. finally spent 2 minutes googling and found you - legendary!!
May 19th, 2010 at 10:10 am
it really works! thanks for posting.
May 21st, 2010 at 3:03 am
Brilliant…
Uninstalled Chrome yesterday and it goosed my URL launches from email. (Bad form Google)
This fix + the Reg fix I found corrected the issue.
Thanks
May 23rd, 2010 at 4:54 pm
Excellent!!!!! could not believe it was as simple as making IE my default. Its the only browser I have. Who would have guessed.
Mucho grasis
Arigato
Shay Shay Ni
Salamat PO
Dunka shurn
Kum sha hum ne da
A million