Troubleshoot Browter links opening in the wrong browser

Start with an installed v1 copy

These checks describe Browter 1.0 on Windows 10 22H2 or Windows 11 23H2 or later. Check current availability before installation. Browter chooses an existing browser or profile for links Windows hands to it; it cannot intercept every link inside another application. Review the setup sequence before changing your configuration.

Find where the handoff changes

Click a harmless public HTTPS address from a source app that honors Windows defaults, with no destination armed. It should use your configured fallback. Then choose another enabled entry and click the same address before the countdown ends. Compare that result with the original source app.

If the controlled link works but the original source does not, inspect the source app's external-browser preference or embedded viewer. Browser-internal navigation can stay in the current browser. Copying a non-sensitive address into the intended profile is a useful occasional workaround. Do not use private client links as public test cases. See link-handling limitations.

Check HTTP and HTTPS separately

Open Windows Settings → Apps → Default apps and inspect Browter's associations. On Windows 11, find Browter and use Set default; on Windows 10, select Browter under Web browser. Check HTTP and HTTPS and return to Browter. Device policy and Windows versions can change these screens. Browter's wizard opens the settings page; it does not force Windows choices.

A working HTTPS association does not establish that HTTP or a custom protocol uses the same handler. Microsoft's default-app instructions explain the Windows controls.

Test the destination rather than its label

In Settings → Browsers, test the intended entry. Check its executable and browser-profile arguments, especially after moving a browser or deleting a profile. A friendly label such as Work does not change the account session or launch destination. Create profiles in the browser first. Rescan installed browsers or repair the entry instead of substituting another person's profile.

The wheel needs at least two enabled browser or profile entries; two profiles in one browser can satisfy that requirement. Review compatibility and the profile guide for browser-specific boundaries.

Check selection state and timing

Browter v1 uses explicit selection, not automatic domain rules. Alt + Q is the default shortcut. Check shortcut conflicts, pause and gaming mode if the wheel does not appear. Gaming mode disables the hotkey. Selection also requires an active trial or purchase for an installed copy.

The default armed interval is 12 seconds, adjustable from 3 to 60 seconds. A normal armed choice is consumed by the next eligible link; sticky selection lasts until the timeout. Shift + click works only when the source hands the link to Windows and that option is enabled. Escape cancels the open wheel and pending links use fallback. See how selection works.

For example, choosing a Work profile and waiting past a 12-second countdown before opening the link can explain a fallback result. This is an illustrative timing case, not a diagnosis of your device. Repeat with a harmless address while the choice is visibly armed before changing associations.

Prepare a minimal support report

Report your Browter version, Windows version, source app, intended browser/profile, whether a Settings test launch works, whether HTTP and HTTPS differ, and whether the selection countdown was active. State the expected and observed destination. A report such as “Settings test launch opens the intended profile; an external HTTPS link uses fallback after the countdown expires” is more useful than “links are broken.” Replace real account/profile names when they are sensitive.

Turn off verbose logging and review Settings → Open logs before sharing files. Ordinary diagnostics redact credentials, paths, queries and fragments, but hostnames and entry labels can still reveal private information. Verbose logs can contain complete addresses. Do not publish unreviewed logs, credentials, personal account details or client URLs. Read the privacy policy and use support contact for the next step.