After trying to replicate the issue and looking at various user reports, it seems like most of the time the problem occurs either due to the default browser or because of a bad office installation. Even though the Can’t Open Links in Outlook is mostly encountered on Windows 10, it’s also reported on Windows 7 and Windows 8 (8.1), especially with Windows Office 2010. If you’re currently struggling with the same issue, this article will provide you with the best troubleshooting guides capable of resolving the issue. Please follow the methods below in order until you encounter a fix that takes care of the issue for you. Let’s begin!
Method 1: Repairing the Office Installation
First things first, let’s make sure that the issue is not caused by a bad Office installation. Sometimes your Microsoft Outlook program might misbehave due to a glitch or a bad Office Installation. Some users have managed to resolve the issue after using the Programs and Features window to repair the Microsoft Office Suite. Here’s a quick guide on attempting to fix the can’t Open Links in Outlook by repairing the Microsoft Office Installation: If you’re still unable to open links (hyperlinks) inside Microsoft Office, continue down with the next method below.
Method 2: Changing the default web browser to Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge
Since this particular issue is most often caused by the default browser, there’s a decent chance that you might be able to resolve the issue by simply changing the default browser. As it turns out, older Outlook versions are known to refuse to open hyperlinks or even crash when the default web browser is not set to Internet Explorer (IE) or Microsoft Edge. Most of the time, issues of this kind are encountered with Microsoft Office 2010 or lower that use a 3rd party browser (Chrome, Opera, Firefox, etc.). Note: If you are using a third-party browser and you’re not interested in switching to a built-in alternative, jump straight to Method 3. If you’re using a third-party browser as the default choice, here’s a quick guide on changing the default browser in an attempt to solve the “can’t open Outlook links” issue:
Method 3: Update Firefox to the latest version available (if applicable)
If you are using Firefox as the default browser, you might want to double-check if you are using the latest version available. There is a bug with Firefox version 58 triggered by the Outlook.com layout that causes links to become unopenable. Because the issue is fairly old by now, Mozilla has already addressed this issue with a hotfix included with Firefox version 60. Note: If updating to the latest Firefox build is not an option (due to extension incompatibility or other issues), skip straight to Method 4. Here’s a quick guide on making sure that Firefox is updated to the latest version:
Method 4: Changing a Firefox Setting (if applicable)
If you’re using some add-ins that are not compatible with the latest Firefox version, you might not be inclined to update to the latest version available. Luckily, there is one workaround that will make links usable again even without updating to the latest build. Some users have managed to make links usable again inside Outlook by modifying a Firefox setting. Here’s what you need to do: Note: Keep in mind that the steps below are only applicable on Firefox versions that are older than Firefox version 60. If you have Firefox version 60 or newer, you won’t be able to advance past step 4.
Method 5: Altering the .html and .htm values via Registry Editor
Your organization policies can also be responsible for preventing you from opening links. Some users have managed to resolve the issue by altering the values of .html and .htm values via Registry Editor. There are two ways that you can follow in order to do this. You either create a registry fix yourself and run it to operate all the modifications at once or you do the modifications with the help of an elevated Command Prompt. Feel free to follow whichever guide seems more convenable to you:
Creating a. REG file
Using an elevated Command Prompt
Method 6: Resetting Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer is often used by programs to browse the internet instead of any other browser installed on the computer and if there is a problem or glitch with the internet explorer, the whole searching process is halted. Therefore, in this step, we will be resetting internet explorer to deal with this issue. For that:
Method 7: Enabling Internet Explorer
In some cases, the internet explorer might have been disabled from the control panel. Therefore, in this step, we will be enabling it from the classic control panel interface and then check if this issue is fixed. In order to do that: Note: If nothing else works, first try to create a new user account and check if links work in that and if that doesn’t work, try to restore your computer to a previous build.
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