On a windows 8 machine you can have several application that can open Lync and Outlook related URL’s. This can be a problem since it may not always be the application you want to use that is opening your links. This article will help you take control of your Unified Communications links.

The applications

• Lync Rich (desktop) client – Opens TEL:, SIP: and Lync meeting links
• Lync Windows Store App – Opens Lync meeting links
• Skype – Opens TEL:
• Chrome – Opens TEL: and mailto:
• Outlook – Opens mailto:
• Mail App – Opens mailto:

Usually I would think you would prefer Lync Rich Client and Outlook to open you links. So when the Lync Windows Store app opens meetings you are an administrator of or Skype opens TEL: links when you want to call someone with Lync this could be an issue. I will in this article talk about when you use the URL’s and how to take control over them.

When do you use the different URL’s?

• TEL: – is used when you want to have your phone number as a link
  • The number must be i in E-164 format with + and countrycode
  • like this: tel:+4711110110 where 47 is your countrycode and 11110110 is your number
  • You can then display the number in the format that is better to read 111 10 110
  • This is useful in e-mail signatures where you want people to be able to call you with Lync just by clicking on your number
• SIP: – is used when you want you sip address to be a link and open a chat window
  • like this: sip:yourname@domain.com (appararently sip: links does not work in wordpress.com but you get the point :))
  • You can display the mailaddress like this yourname@domain.com and open the link in Lync
  • I use a sip: link instead of a mailto link when displaying my e-mail address/ sip address in my e-mail signature
  • Can be useful in e-mail signatures where you want people to be able to Lync you just by clicking on your sip address
• Lync meeting links
  • Is used for scheduled Lync meeting one click join URL
  • Have you noticed that the join now button in meeting reminders in Outlook does not work for meetings scheduled by federated users?
  • That is because Exchange is stripping off the MAPI property OnlineMeetingExternalLink on the calendar item
  • To prevent this run the following cmdlets for each domain you want to allow on your exchange server
    • New-RemoteDomain -Name contoso.com -DomainName contoso.com
    • Set-RemoteDomain -Identity contoso.com -TNEFEnabled:$true
  • Read more about it in this article by Jens Trier Rasmussen: http://blogs.technet.com/b/jenstr/archive/2013/04/08/join-button-missing-on-lync-meetings-from-federated-partners.aspx
• mailto: – is used to set e-mail addresses as links
  • Will open your default e-mail application
  • I through this one in there because the mail app in Windows 8 may sometimes be your default e-mail applications

How to change your default applications for these URL’s

• For Lync meetings and mailto you can change this in GUI by going in to Default Programs->Associate a file type or protocol with a program and change the default program.
  • Read more in this article by MVP Johan Delimond: http://www.pro-lync.be/blogs/lync2013/archive/2012/10/29/change-online-meeting-application-lync-2013-vs-windows-8-lync-app.aspx
• For TEL: you first need to add the Lync 2013 Rich Client to the list of clients that can do TEL: links
  • Add this registry setting from PowerShell run as administrator: Set-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Lync\Capabilities\URLAssociations -name TEL -value Microsoft.Lync.15Join.1
  • Then you can go in to Default Programs->Associate a file type or protocol and change the default program for TEL:
  • Read more in this article by MVP Jeff Guillet: http://www.expta.com/2013/04/fixing-tel-links-with-lync-2013-on.html
• Usually SIP is will open by default in Lync and you can not change the default program for SIP in GUI
  • To make sure Lync is your preferred SIP: client run the following registry settings from PowerShell run as administrator
    • Remove-ItemProperty HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociations\sip\UserChoice -Name Hash
    • Remove-ItemProperty HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Roaming\OpenWith\UrlAssociations\sip\UserChoice -Name Hash
    • Set-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Lync\Capabilities\URLAssociations -name SIP -value Microsoft.Lync.15Join.1
    • Find a SIP: link and click Lync (Desktop) when asked for the default application

Script to reset all Lync related URL associations

I have created a simple script that I use on my Windows 8 machines to reset the URL assosciations for TEL:, SIP:, mailto: and Lync meetings. The script adds TEL: and SIP: attributes to Lync so you can select it as a default application in the list of capable clients. The script will remove the default application and the next time you click on a link you get to choose what application you want to use without going in to Default Programs. Double click and copy the script in to PowerShell ISE or other PowerShell editors

#Reset-LyncAssociations.ps1 by MVP Ståle Hansen
#You may need to Set-ExecutionPolicy remotesigned to be able to run the script

$ErrorActionPreference = 'SilentlyContinue'

Remove-ItemProperty HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociations\lync15\UserChoice -Name Hash
Remove-ItemProperty HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Roaming\OpenWith\UrlAssociations\lync15\UserChoice\ -Name Hash

Remove-ItemProperty HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociations\sip\UserChoice -Name Hash
Remove-ItemProperty HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Roaming\OpenWith\UrlAssociations\sip\UserChoice\ -Name Hash
Set-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Lync\Capabilities\URLAssociations -name SIP -value Microsoft.Lync.15Join.1

Remove-ItemProperty HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociations\tel\UserChoice -Name Hash
Remove-ItemProperty HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Roaming\OpenWith\UrlAssociations\tel\UserChoice -Name Hash
Set-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Lync\Capabilities\URLAssociations -name TEL -value Microsoft.Lync.15Join.1

Remove-ItemProperty HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociations\mailto\UserChoice -Name Hash
Remove-ItemProperty HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Roaming\OpenWith\UrlAssociations\mailto\UserChoice\ -Name Hash

Write-Host
Write-Host Lync and Outlook file associations are now reset

$ErrorActionPreference = 'Continue'