Windows File Explorer Won't Execute URL Shortcuts

When an option appears in a dull colour, it has been greyed out.
When an option does not appear, it is missing.
The option "Open" does not appear on the OP's context menu, so it is missing rather than greyed out.

Maybe not ideal, but in Settings --> Apps --> Default Apps --> Reset to the MS recommended default .

The OP may put one of the URL files into a ZIP file and upload it as an attachment. Then, others may see whether the problem lies in the shortcut.

I created the links by dragging the address bar icon from Firefox to Windows Explorer. But regardless, all .url files viewed by Windows File Explorer and related tools (e.g., Everything) have the same behavior. Meanwhile, the .url icons and links continue to function normally in Q-Dir. Properties tabs do differ: Properties for a .url file in Explorer has only three tabs, while Properties for the same .url file in Q-Dir has four. The difference: the Web Document tab, containing the URL. Neither form of Properties has a Previous Versions tab, but conceivably that is something I disabled at some point. A .url file, dragged into Notepad, produces the same result, regardless of whether I'm dragging from Explorer or Q-Dir. Example:

[InternetShortcut]
URL=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_realism

Note the finding, in response to a suggestion in the other thread, that FileTypesMan reported Firefox was Disabled and Access is denied. The suggestion to reset to the Windows default browser was apparently the solution in a Tom's Hardware discussion. It doesn't immediately work for me. Possibly after a reboot, but I can't reboot now.
Requested .zip of .url attached.

Bump

As the author of the quite simple (!) response posted back in November, I feel I should respond to your bump - but I don't know what to do with the .url you provided! It opens a FF page for me, and shows the following properties in Explorer:


How can I help further? Martin

I've been OK using an older version of Q-Dir to open URL files. Just now returning to this because Q-Dir has been updated: now it, too, opens Acrobat PDF printer instead of the webpage. Did a repair install this morning; it made no difference. I run SFC /scannow weekly; no effect. Haven't tried Safe Mode or a different user account, mostly because I don't know what to do (short of a complete reinstall from scratch) even if those do work. Thanks for responding to my bump. Stuck with a rare disease and no orphan drug.