Dummy Browser - Link Clipboard Manager

A lightweight .NET console application that registers as a browser alternative in Windows, allowing users to copy links to clipboard instead of opening them in a web browser.

Features

• 🔗 Copy links to clipboard instead of opening in browser
• ⚙️ Configurable behavior via JSON/TXT config file
• 🖥️ Windows integration - appears in "Open with" dialog
• 🚀 Silent mode - direct copy without confirmation prompt
• 📋 Multiple protocol support - HTTP, HTTPS, FTP
• 📄 File association support - HTML, HTM, URL files

Installation

Prerequisites

• .NET 6.0+ or .NET Framework 4.8
• Windows OS
• Administrator privileges (for registry setup)

Build and Setup

1. Clone or download the project

git clone https://github.com/cumulus13/DummyBrowser
cd DummyBrowser

2. Build the application

dotnet build -c Release

3. Navigate to output directory

cd bin\Release\net6.0-windows\

4. Copy configuration file

copy ..\..\..\config.json .

5. Run registry setup as Administrator

setup_registry.bat

Configuration

The application behavior can be customized using config.json:

{
  "ShowPrompt": true,
  "AppName": "Link Clipboard Manager",
  "ShowSuccessMessage": true
}

Configuration Options

Option	Type	Default	Description
ShowPrompt	boolean	true	Show confirmation dialog before copying
AppName	string	"Link Clipboard Manager"	Application name displayed in dialogs
ShowSuccessMessage	boolean	true	Show success message after copying

Configuration Examples

Silent Mode (Direct Copy):

{
  "ShowPrompt": false,
  "AppName": "Silent Link Copier",
  "ShowSuccessMessage": false
}

Confirmation Mode:

{
  "ShowPrompt": true,
  "AppName": "Link Clipboard Manager",
  "ShowSuccessMessage": true
}

Usage

1. After installation, the application will appear in Windows "Open with" dialog
2. Right-click on any HTML file, URL file, or web link
3. Select "Open with" → "Choose another app"
4. Choose "Link Clipboard Manager" from the list
5. Depending on configuration:
   • Confirmation dialog will appear (if ShowPrompt: true)
   • Link will be copied directly to clipboard (if ShowPrompt: false)

Supported File Types & Protocols

File Types

• .html - HTML documents
• .htm - HTML documents
• .url - Internet shortcuts

Protocols

• http:// - HTTP URLs
• https:// - HTTPS URLs
• ftp:// - FTP URLs

Project Structure

DummyBrowser/
├── Program.cs              # Main application logic
├── DummyBrowser.csproj     # Project configuration
├── config.json             # Application configuration
├── setup_registry.bat      # Registry setup script
└── README.md              # This file

How It Works

1. Registry Integration: The setup script registers the application as a browser alternative in Windows registry
2. URL Handling: Windows passes URLs as command-line arguments to the application
3. Clipboard Operation: The application copies the URL to system clipboard using Windows Forms
4. User Feedback: Optional confirmation dialogs and success messages based on configuration

Registry Entries

The application creates the following registry entries:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\DummyBrowser\Capabilities
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\DummyBrowser.*

Uninstallation

To remove the application from "Open with" dialog:

1. Delete the registry entries created by the setup script
2. Or create an uninstall script with reg delete commands for all created keys

Troubleshooting

Build Issues

• Ensure you have .NET 6.0+ SDK installed
• For older systems, switch to .NET Framework 4.8 target
• Check that Windows Forms support is available

Registry Issues

• Run setup_registry.bat as Administrator
• Verify the executable path in the batch script
• Check Windows Event Viewer for registry errors

Clipboard Issues

• Ensure the application has permission to access clipboard
• Some antivirus software may block clipboard operations
• Try running as Administrator if clipboard access fails

Development

Building for Different Frameworks

.NET 6.0+ (Recommended):

<TargetFramework>net6.0-windows</TargetFramework>
<UseWindowsForms>true</UseWindowsForms>

.NET Framework 4.8 (Legacy):

<TargetFramework>net48</TargetFramework>
<UseWindowsForms>true</UseWindowsForms>

Adding New Features

1. New Protocols: Add entries to setup_registry.bat
2. Configuration Options: Extend the Config class
3. File Types: Add new file associations in registry setup

License

This project is provided as-is for educational and utility purposes.

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly on Windows
5. Submit a pull request

License

See LICENSE for details.

author

Hadi Cahyadi

Support me on Patreon