Setting a default news reader in 10.2

Oct 08, '02 09:22:34AM

Contributed by: fabrizio

In Jaguar, you can no longer set your default news server using the Internet control panel. This means that you are no longer able to open a news message by command clicking its ID in your news reader. Some utilities that theoretically should solve the problem (More Internet, Flip) didn't work for me. But there's a solution.

Using the Internet control panel, in the Email tab, set your favourite news reader as the default mail application. Close the panel and using TextEdit, open the file ~/Library -> Preferences -> com.apple.LaunchServices.plist. At the bottom of the file you should find something like this:

<key>U:mailto</key>
<array>
<dict>
<key>LSBundleIdentifier</key>
<string>com.microsoft.entourage</string>
<key>LSBundleLocator</key>
<data>
AAAAAADWAAMAAAAAuHX6ywAASCsAAAAAAAJDCwACRGIA
ALkHOWAAAAAAAQD//kFQUExPUElN/////wABAAQAAkML
AA4AKAATAE0AaQBjAHIAbwBzAG8AZgB0ACAARQBuAHQA
bwB1AHIAYQBnAGUADwAaAAwAQQBwAHAAbABpAGMAYQB0
AGkAbwBuAHMAEgAnL01pY3Jvc29mdCBPZmZpY2UgWC9N
aWNyb3NvZnQgRW50b3VyYWdlAAATABUvVm9sdW1lcy9B
cHBsaWNhdGlvbnMA//8AAA==
</data>
<key>LSBundleRoleMask</key>
<integer>-1</integer>
<key>LSBundleSignature</key>
<string>OPIM</string>
<key>LSBundleVersion</key>
<integer>659711</integer>
</dict>
</array>
Some parameters could lack or be different; the important thing is that you copy all from <key> to </array> (from your file, obviously, not from my example). Just under </array>, paste twice what you copied. In the first occurrence, change <key>U:mailto</key> to <key>U:news</key>. In the second one, change it to <key>U:nntp</key>.

Save the file, re-choose your favourite mail app from the Internet panel, logout/login, and you should have back your favourite news reader and the command click working. Otherwise, try removing these files:
~/Library/Caches/com.apple.LaunchServices.UserCache.csstore
/Library/Caches/com.apple.LaunchServices.LocalCache.csstore
Then try again with another logout/login.

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