wT2
09-30-2009, 03:31 PM
There are two Firefox "add-ons" I've tested that can solve the problem many of us have had getting the Ask Toolbar to launch from inside more recent versions of Firefox. Add-ons are features you can add to Firefox by going through Firefox's tools menu. One "add-on" is called IE Tab; the other is called External Application Buttons. Either add-on can solve the problem of opening the Ask toolbar from inside Firefox. I've installed both of them.
Each of these add-ons requires a different installation process as follows.
IE TAB
IE Tab allows Firefox users to see what a web page would look like in Internet Explorer. More importantly, however, it also provides one additional feature that allows you to launch a single "external application", for example the Ask Toolbar, directly from Firefox.
To install the IE Tab add-on, do the following:
1. go here => https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1419
2. click "Add to Firefox" and then click Install
3. choose to "Restart Firefox" to install IE Tab
4. On the Firefox menu, click Tools, then Add-ons, then choose the Extensions button
5. Click IE Tab, then click Options, then the External Applications tab, then Browse
6. Browse to where you installed the Ask Toolbar, select it, and then click Open (e.g. my path is: C:\Program Files\Ask & Record Toolbar\AARRecord.exe)
7. click OK
To launch the Ask Toolbar, right click anywhere on your tab bar and choose Open in Ext. App.
EXTERNAL APPLICATION BUTTONS
The External Application Buttons add-on allows you to launch desktop applications directly from inside Firefox. Unlike the IE Tab add-on, you can add as many buttons for as many applications as you want. I tested this with the Ask Toolbar using Firefox 3.53 on a 32-bit Vista system and it works fine. I also added buttons for Notepad and several other programs.
To install the External Application Buttons (toolbar), do the following:
1. go here => https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12892
2. check the box that says "Let me install this experimental add-on"
3. click "Add to Firefox" and then click Install
4. choose to "Restart Firefox" to install External Application Button
5. right click on the Firefox menu bar, then click Customize
6. click and drag the External Application Toolbar where you want to add external application buttons (Note: the toolbar will NOT be visible after you exit the Customize dialog but it really is where you placed it). You can add it to the Bookmarks toolbar, the Navigation toolbar and even to the Menu toolbar. I added mine to the Menu toobar because it had the most blank space (after the "Help" menu option).
7. click and drag executable files from Windows Explorer (i.e. "My Computer")(e.g. the Ask Toolbar - I dragged "AARRecord.exe") to wherever you put the External Application Toolbar and then release the mouse button (an icon should appear for the external application).
To launch the external application, just click the button you just added.
I'd be happy to answer questions about this process if you're having trouble getting everything setup correctly. Others should feel free to lend a hand as well. Good luck everyone.
- wT2
Each of these add-ons requires a different installation process as follows.
IE TAB
IE Tab allows Firefox users to see what a web page would look like in Internet Explorer. More importantly, however, it also provides one additional feature that allows you to launch a single "external application", for example the Ask Toolbar, directly from Firefox.
To install the IE Tab add-on, do the following:
1. go here => https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1419
2. click "Add to Firefox" and then click Install
3. choose to "Restart Firefox" to install IE Tab
4. On the Firefox menu, click Tools, then Add-ons, then choose the Extensions button
5. Click IE Tab, then click Options, then the External Applications tab, then Browse
6. Browse to where you installed the Ask Toolbar, select it, and then click Open (e.g. my path is: C:\Program Files\Ask & Record Toolbar\AARRecord.exe)
7. click OK
To launch the Ask Toolbar, right click anywhere on your tab bar and choose Open in Ext. App.
EXTERNAL APPLICATION BUTTONS
The External Application Buttons add-on allows you to launch desktop applications directly from inside Firefox. Unlike the IE Tab add-on, you can add as many buttons for as many applications as you want. I tested this with the Ask Toolbar using Firefox 3.53 on a 32-bit Vista system and it works fine. I also added buttons for Notepad and several other programs.
To install the External Application Buttons (toolbar), do the following:
1. go here => https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12892
2. check the box that says "Let me install this experimental add-on"
3. click "Add to Firefox" and then click Install
4. choose to "Restart Firefox" to install External Application Button
5. right click on the Firefox menu bar, then click Customize
6. click and drag the External Application Toolbar where you want to add external application buttons (Note: the toolbar will NOT be visible after you exit the Customize dialog but it really is where you placed it). You can add it to the Bookmarks toolbar, the Navigation toolbar and even to the Menu toolbar. I added mine to the Menu toobar because it had the most blank space (after the "Help" menu option).
7. click and drag executable files from Windows Explorer (i.e. "My Computer")(e.g. the Ask Toolbar - I dragged "AARRecord.exe") to wherever you put the External Application Toolbar and then release the mouse button (an icon should appear for the external application).
To launch the external application, just click the button you just added.
I'd be happy to answer questions about this process if you're having trouble getting everything setup correctly. Others should feel free to lend a hand as well. Good luck everyone.
- wT2