Setup your browser for single-click for Google Earth links.

By default most browsers will pop up an annoying prompt when you click on a Google Earth link.

 

Configuring your browser correctly allows you to avoid the prompt and access Google Earth via a single-click on a web-page.

 

This step is optional but will give you a much smoother experience and is highly recommended.

 

If you havent already, make sure you first install Google Earth before following the steps below.

 

Note: The instructions contained below are very specific for each browser.   So be sure you select your particular browser otherwise you will end up very confused!

 

Ie1  
  1. Click on this link

     

  2. On the window that pops up untick the option:-

     

    "Always ask before opening this type of file"

     

  3. Click the Open button.
Firefox1   1. Click on this link

 

2. On the window that pops up click the button:-

 

   "Open with [Browse..]".

 
Firefox2   3. Select Google Earth from the list of applications and click "OK".

Firefox3   4. Tick the option :-

 

   "Do this automatically for files like this from now on."

 

and click "OK".

 
Firefox5   Alternatively if the above steps do not work, try editing the file association directly from the Firefox menu :-

 

Tools -> Options -> Applications(tab)->kml File

 

Select "Use Google Earth" action from the dropdown list and click OK.

 
Chrome1   1. Click on this link

 

2. After saving, in the small panel that appears in the bottom left-hand corner of your Chrome browser click the small down arrow.

 
Chrome2   3. From the list that pops up select/tick:-

 

   "Always open files of this type"

 
Chrome3   4. A tick will appear next to the option indicating that Google Chrome is now correctly configured.

 

Note: Chrome must not be running in privacy (incognito) mode whilst making this change for this setting to be permanently retained next time you use the browser.
Opera3   1. With Opera open hit Ctrl-F12 to open up the opera preferences panel.

 

2. Select "Programs" then click the [Add...] button.

 

(Continued below...)
Opera4   3. In the protocol field type the following text :-

 

   application/vnd.google-earth.kml+xml

 

4. Select the option:-

 

   "Open with default application"

 

and click [OK].

Safari1   Unfortunately Safari doesnt appear to offer the option to disable prompting when opening a .kml file.

 

If you know better please contact us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Open the following file and add the 2 lines highlighted (kml and kmz) in the sample code below at the bottom of the page:-

 

       Users/Username/Library/Preferences/com.apple.DownloadAssessment.plist

 

2. Alternatively if the above file does not exist you can download a pre-configured file here.

 

  Unzip the file com.apple.DownloadAssessment.plist and place it in your preferences folder:-

 

       Users/Username/Library/Preferences

 

3. Closedown and restart your safari browser.

 

This file classifies Google Earth kml/kmz files as "safe" files for auto-opening without the annoying prompts.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>LSRiskCategorySafe</key>
    <dict>
      <key>LSRiskCategoryContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>public.html</string>
            <string>public.xml</string>
            <string>public.xhtml</string>
            <string>public.php-script</string>
            <string>com.microsoft.windows-media-wmv</string>
        </array>
      <key>LSRiskCategoryExtensions</key>
        <array>
            <string>xhtml</string>
            <string>kml</string>
            <string>kmz</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    </dict>
</plist>