# "Discogs" doesn't work if you don't have a default browser
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/discogs-doesnt-work-if-you-dont-have-a-default-browser/65831
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [September 4, 2024, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/discogs-doesnt-work-if-you-dont-have-a-default-browser/65831 "2024-09-04T16:55:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@throwaway642864](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/throwaway642864)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2024, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/discogs-doesnt-work-if-you-dont-have-a-default-browser/65831/1 "2024-09-04T16:55:31Z")
I get this error when trying to use Discogs:
how to reproduce it?
well... don't have a default browser for opening links, lol.
_(MusicBrainz works just fine, btw)_
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2024, 5:01pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/discogs-doesnt-work-if-you-dont-have-a-default-browser/65831/2 "2024-09-04T17:01:49Z")
I would see the error in the system configuration ... which should be easy to set right.
See also:
> [@\[X\] Help file not working in Avant Browser](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/x-help-file-not-working-in-avant-browser/2803):
>
> I'm trying to use the help file [F1] and it bugs me about that I'm not having a decent browser. I'm running the Avant Browser ([http://www.avantbrowser.com](http://www.avantbrowser.com)) as standardbrowser. It's only a IE skin (I think) so could it be possible to open the help file in this browser? Or perhaps Mp3tag could suggest me to open the file in IE instead?
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### Author:  [@throwaway642864](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/throwaway642864)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2024, 5:11pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/discogs-doesnt-work-if-you-dont-have-a-default-browser/65831/3 "2024-09-04T17:11:44Z")
I'd really prefer not to make my browser the default for opening links.
I don't like programs randomly redirecting me to the browser for minimal things.
I also have the same error when pressing F1, but I don't care that much about that... what I care is not being able to use Discogs because of this.
why does Discogs even need this, tho?
the option to use Discogs should still work even if there's no browser to open the help file.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2024, 5:26pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/discogs-doesnt-work-if-you-dont-have-a-default-browser/65831/4 "2024-09-04T17:26:32Z")
I think that the program requirements are fairly clear right now: a standard browser has to be set.
> [@throwaway642864](#):
>
> why does Discogs even need this, tho?
See the documentation on web source script coding:
> **[Developing Tag Sources – Mp3tag Documentation](https://docs.mp3tag.de/tag-sources/development/)**
>
> Documentation for developers describing the Web Source file format and the parser language used for extracting metadata from online sources. Mp3tag is the universal Tag Editor.
which tells you that
_you can import tag data from theoretically every web site which displays artist/album information via HTML_
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### Author:  [@Doug\_Mackie](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Doug_Mackie)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2024, 5:09pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/discogs-doesnt-work-if-you-dont-have-a-default-browser/65831/5 "2024-09-05T17:09:25Z")
> [@throwaway642864](#):
>
> I don't like programs randomly redirecting me to the browser for minimal things.
You can specify a default browser but then use the Windows HOSTS file to block unwanted URLs, including those generated by your local programs. Your browser will show an error message for blocked sites.
A HOSTS file is a text file list without a file extension and it is supplied in all versions of Windows. You can use Notepad to edit it. For HOSTS basics and editing tips see:
[How to Geek on Editing HOSTS](https://www.howtogeek.com/784196/how-to-edit-the-hosts-file-on-windows-10-or-11/)
You can edit your current HOSTS file or (recommended) you can start with someone else's list and then add to or delete sites as you please. A good source of preset lists is
[Steven Black's HOSTS site at GitHub](https://github.com/StevenBlack/hosts#sources-of-hosts-data-unified-in-this-variant)
I have used a customized HOSTS file for many years and it works great.
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2024, 10:27am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/discogs-doesnt-work-if-you-dont-have-a-default-browser/65831/6 "2024-10-01T10:27:24Z")
> [@throwaway642864](#):
>
> why does Discogs even need this, tho?
It's part of the Discogs OAuth Flow as outlined here:
> **[Discogs Authorization – Mp3tag Documentation](https://docs.mp3tag.de/tag-sources/discogs-auth/)**
>
> Details on how to authorize Mp3tag to import tag information from Discogs. Mp3tag is the universal Tag Editor.
Moving this to #Support
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2025, 12:55pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/discogs-doesnt-work-if-you-dont-have-a-default-browser/65831/7 "2025-08-26T12:55:10Z")
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