GitHub Desktop does not launch from Microsoft Edge or IE

Description

When using Microsoft Edge (or Internet Explorer) and trying to clone a repo in GitHub Desktop, the link takes me to the Desktop download page rather than opening in the program on my computer. When I do the same in Chrome, GitHub Desktop opens correctly. (I use my work GitHub account in Edge, and my personal in Chrome, for those that wonder why I even use Edge 😉.)

Version

• GitHub Desktop: 1.2.6

• Operating system: Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.16299.125]

Steps to Reproduce

1. Navigate to desired repo in Microsoft Edge (or Internet Explorer)
2. Click the green “Clone or download” menu
3. Click the “Open in Desktop” link.

Expected Behavior

GitHub Desktop opens and brings up the dialog to clone the repo (as it does when I use Chrome)

Actual Behavior

Browser takes me to https://desktop.github.com/

Additional Information

Logs

[shiftkey]

Is it possible the issue is that I’m logged into GitHub Desktop with @shllybkwrm?

@shllybkwrm I believe that is what is happening here.

When you sign into GitHub Desktop we set a flag to indicate that you have the tools installed and that we can show the right protocol handler to launch Desktop, rather than fallback to the download link. This is to prevent a confusing error when you try and clone a repository and don’t have an app to handle it.

I think the fix here is to sign into Desktop from your @sbagchi7 account to also set that flag.

[shiftkey]

@shllybkwrm thanks for the report. I’m not aware of any recent changes to this area, but I’m trying to find an earlier discussion where we made some changes to how this area worked to see if it was also applied to IE and Edge.

@steveward have you encountered any similar reports about this recently for IE or Edge? I don’t have access to Windows VMs at the moment, and it’d be nice to confirm this behaviour.