Try to update your firefox to the latest release. Version 43 is already live.And then see if the problem persists

I updated Firefox to 43.0. Unfortunately I still have the same problem.

Are there any other suggestions, please, as I have only received one, which has not remedied the situation?

If you right-click the link, does it give the usual options, such as

• Open Link in New Tab
• Open Link in New Window

and so forth?

If you are seeing a web address (URL) but it is plain text and not a link, you won't have those options, and it won't be clickable. In that case, you can select the link first with the mouse, then when you right-click Firefox should offer the usual Link options.

Any progress so far?

Sorry, I was thinking of Outlook.com in the browser, but you are referring to Microsoft Office Outlook 2003. Many years since I've used that version.

Outlook should send the link to Windows, which should send it to your default browser. It only works when IE is your default browser? Hmm, there could be a problem with the way Firefox is making itself the default browser.

Some tests:

• Do links work in Microsoft Word, Adobe Reader or other external applications?

• If you look at a saved HTML file, right-click > Properties, does it say the file type is "Firefox HTML Document (.html)" ?

• If you go into the Windows Favorites folder and double-click a Favorite, does it launch in Firefox?

Thanks for the response. My replies are below: Q1. Do links work in Microsoft Word, Adobe Reader or other external applications? A1. I tried Word and Adobe. Neither appear to work.

Q2. If you look at a saved HTML file, right-click > Properties, does it say the file type is "Firefox HTML Document (.html)" ? A2. All say Firefox.

Q3. If you go into the Windows Favorites folder and double-click a Favorite, does it launch in Firefox? A3. I am sorry to admit that I am unsure what a "Windows Favorites folder" is. After just doing a search on the web, it appears to be something that can be used (somehow) in Outlook but, apart from being able to add an Outlook folder to "Favourites", I have not been able to find the "Favourites" folder itself. However, is "Windows Favorites folder" more to do with bookmarks in Firefox and IE?

Thanks again for trying to assist.

Kindest regards,

                             Ian.

It's the IE Favorites (bookmarks) folder. This is a symbolic shortcut you can use to access it: paste this in the Start menu search box and press Enter to load it:

%USERPROFILE%\Favorites

I suspect based on the other links not working that those won't do anything, either.

Have you already tried the default browser double switch: making IE your default, then making Firefox your default?

Thanks for the response.

As you observed, I did wonder whether "Windows Favourites" referred to "Bookmarks. To answer your questions then:

Bookmark-links work in both Firefox and IE, just not links embedded in Outlook. By the way, I did state that links in Adobe did not work either but that is not correct; they do, sorry!

As you guessed, I have already cycled the Browser default between IE and Firefox several times; IE allows links to open in Outlook 2003 but Firefox does not.

Thanks again for your interest.

I can't think of a reason for Adobe Reader (stand-alone, outside of Firefox) to work while Outlook or a URL-shortcut does not work.

Users sometimes report that Firefox will show a new tab or new window without loading the link, but it sounds as though on your system, nothing is happening at all. Does it matter whether Firefox is running or not before you click the link?

As you suggested, I closed Firefox and then clicked on a link that was in an E-Mail opened in Outlook. It worked (you now have one stunned person)! I then re-booted the PC; retried and it still worked so well done for the suggestion but why did it work; what went wrong, do you know, please?

Does it only work when Firefox is closed, or is it working now even if Firefox is already open?

Well it did work regardless of what was opened first, Outlook or Firefox, but I have just rebooted the PC and the problem has come back. I closed Firefox down, after which I was able to open a link in an Outlook E-Mail. I then closed Outlook; reopened it and it was all back to normal! Any ideas what is going on?

Leonari said

Well it did work regardless of what was opened first, Outlook or Firefox, but I have just rebooted the PC and the problem has come back. I closed Firefox down, after which I was able to open a link in an Outlook E-Mail. I then closed Outlook; reopened it and it was all back to normal, that is, working as it should! Any ideas what is going on?

Hi Leonari, it's a little obscure, but sometimes one program may open as the child process of another program, and that may affect access to it. It's a little out of my area.

Hmmm, it is very strange, especially as this problem has only recently occurred. What should my next step be?

Leonari said

What should my next step be?

I don't know at this point. Is there anything special about how Firefox runs if you start it directly/first? For example, is there any security software that "sandboxes" Firefox, or does the Firefox shortcut use any command-line switches (it's unlikely if you didn't add them yourself)?

Nothing special happens and definately nothing has changed since Firefox opened using links embedded in Outlook 2003 with no problems

I have the same problem with Mac OS X El Capitan. It just started happening. I am in Outlook, and hyperlinks don't work, even to Mozilla. I established a login here, but the hyperlink confirmation, even the alternate route, didn't take me here. It did however establish my login. Help!

Hi kobgrp, could you start a new question and mention that it's a Mac issue and what version of Outlook you have? You can use this link to start the question:

https://support.mozilla.org/questions/new/desktop/fix-problems

Scroll down past the suggested articles/threads to continue submitting your question.

I do think in past threads there was some problem passing a link to Firefox when it was hidden in the MacOS X dock, but as a Windows person, I'm not sure what that means...

I suspect that this problem is not peculier to either Microsoft or Apple Mac' but is a problem with how Outlook and Firefox interact under certain circumstances. My work-around still stands: ensure Firefox is closed; open Outlook; then click on any link in any E-Mail to open Firefox. Then everything works as expected.