Changing the Default Browser (back to IE!?)

I've been using Maxthon for a long time (after switching from Avant shortly after this post). I've been quite happy with it.

After some positive reviews from some colleagues and friends, I decided I'd try IE7 beta 2 on my primary work machine. Yeah, I know - what was I thinking!?

Anyway... it's good enough that I'm switching to it as my primary browser.

What tipped me? Well - it's nice and fast, "feels" better than IE6, and... what's the word... modern

And now they have the option to "Open tabs to the right of the current one," I'm there. It took a little getting used to it opening tabs right, then right-of-that-right - had me checking it was turned on - but I've gotten used to it.

There's even rudimentary "where I was at" support when closing IE (though if you tick "don't bug me again" as well as "remember my tabs", it'll forget them. Nearly there...)

So, off into Tools, Internet Options, and the Programs tab I went, and found the "default web browser" item. I wanted to make IE the default, so I hit "Make Default".

Only it's sort of half worked.

There are a bunch of file associations that need to be changed when going back from Maxthon that aren't. Windows Live Messenger, desktop shortcuts, links in email all still open Maxthon. (I still have Maxthon installed and use it, but I find IE with the Windows Live toolbar does mostly everything I need... mostly).

I've nutted out what IE's not changing back - there are a bunch of "URL" entries registered as file types that are still set to Maxthon by default:

You find them from Tools, Folder Options in any file-containing folder.

You need to pick the item from the list, hit the Advanced button, click the "Open" entry under the bolded "Maxthon" entry, and hit Set Default.

The three or four I've tried that seemed to get it all back to IE for me are:

Internet Shortcut (on my system, a couple of entries above where the screenshot cuts off)
URL: Hypertext Transfer Protocol (and the With Privacy one)
URL: File Transfer Protocol

Then you're done. Nice and easy.