Links in Mail won't launch Safari

Question

Can someone share how to get the embedded links in Mail to launch Safari. If Safari is open the link will open in the browser but if not, the embdded link in Mail just flashes like it's trying, but nothing happens. Obviously this used to work but some update, etc. has rendered it "broken."
NOTE* I researched the archives before asking this question and spotted a couple other folks with the same symptoms but no one solved the problem. For the record I have Safari assigned as my default browser and Mail as the defalt mail app.
Thanks
Daniel

Answer 1

Daniel,
try to duplicate the problem when you make a new User account on your Mac:
- open System Preferences, Accounts
- click the + sign and make a new User
- switch to the new user account (appears top right when you click on your user name)
- start Mail and enter your email account settings
- try sending a Mail
If this duplicates your problem, the Mail program itself maybe corrupt and you may need to re-install.
If this does not duplicate your problem, your problem is local.
Not sure how you can repair this, but you might try to drag your plist file to the desktop and restart Mail:
Open Preferences from within the Mail program and note the exact settings for your email accounts.
Quit Mail
Drag the following file to the desktop:
your home directory / Library / Preferences / com.apple.mail.plist
Restart Mail
Re-install your mail settings
These actions will not interfere with your mailboxes, it will simply create a new plist preference file when you re-start Mail.