Internet Explorer is the default browser included with Windows XP. If you’ve chosen to use another browser – Firefox or Maxthon or Opera or Avant, for example – for everyday use, you can tell Windows that you want to use that browser as your default instead. To make the switch, follow these steps after installing the alternative browser:
- Click Start and choose Set Program Access and Defaults. (If this option is not available, go to Control Panel, click Add or Remove Programs, and look for the icon in the left column.)
- Click the Custom option and click the arrow to its right to display the list of options.
- Choose your newly installed browser from the list of available browsers. Leave the Enable access to this program option selected for Internet Explorer.
- Make any other changes you want to make (for your default e-mail program, media player, etc.) and click OK to save your changes.
From now on, your alternative browser should open whenever you click a link or enter a Web address manually. You’ll probably notice that IE continues to open in some instances. I’ll explain why, and how you can change this, in tomorrow’s tip.
Ed Bott 
You might also want to point out that the Set Program Access & Defaults dialog only appears in Windows XP SP1 and greater. But then anyone who is still using the now unsupported RTM version of Windows XP is unlikely to be reading your blog – I imagine most of your readers would have the technically ability, and indeed sense to upgrade to SP1 or 2.
The only other comment I’d make is that only in SP2, or SP1 with a particular update installed, will the change be fully reflected. If memory serves me correctly, MS released an update to this dialog after it was found that in some cases IE would still open instead of, say, Firefox. Even then, it still doesn’t cover all bases as your follow-up posting on Wednesday demonstrates.
I would have never even seen the set default function in the start menu without first reading your tip, thanx.
i hope this works AOL said that their web browser was permanent