diff --git a/ide/extbrowser/nbproject/project.xml b/ide/extbrowser/nbproject/project.xml
index f537787a0a36..487c24af1d4d 100644
--- a/ide/extbrowser/nbproject/project.xml
+++ b/ide/extbrowser/nbproject/project.xml
@@ -124,6 +124,15 @@
                         <specification-version>8.0</specification-version>
                     </run-dependency>
                 </dependency>
+                <dependency>
+                    <code-name-base>org.netbeans.libs.jna.platform</code-name-base>
+                    <build-prerequisite/>
+                    <compile-dependency/>
+                    <run-dependency>
+                        <release-version>2</release-version>
+                        <specification-version>2.17</specification-version>
+                    </run-dependency>
+                </dependency>
             </module-dependencies>
             <test-dependencies>
                 <test-type>
diff --git a/ide/extbrowser/src/org/netbeans/modules/extbrowser/NbDdeBrowserImpl.java b/ide/extbrowser/src/org/netbeans/modules/extbrowser/NbDdeBrowserImpl.java
index 6c88131f1dd5..5d1d371d3d23 100644
--- a/ide/extbrowser/src/org/netbeans/modules/extbrowser/NbDdeBrowserImpl.java
+++ b/ide/extbrowser/src/org/netbeans/modules/extbrowser/NbDdeBrowserImpl.java
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@
 
 package org.netbeans.modules.extbrowser;
 
+import com.sun.jna.platform.win32.Advapi32Util;
+import com.sun.jna.platform.win32.WinReg;
+import java.util.Locale;
+
 import java.awt.EventQueue;
 import java.net.*;
 
@@ -61,6 +65,9 @@
  * here</a>.
  *
  * @author  Radim Kubacki
+ *
+ * @author James Pollard
+ * year: 2023
  */
 public class NbDdeBrowserImpl extends ExtBrowserImpl {
 
@@ -127,6 +134,59 @@ public NbDdeBrowserImpl (ExtWebBrowser extBrowserFactory) {
      */
     public static native String getDefaultOpenCommand() throws NbBrowserException;
     
+        /**
+     * Get the default browser name using Java JNA library
+     * @return String
+     */
+    private static String getDefaultWindowsBrowser() {
+        String userChoice = Advapi32Util
+                .registryGetStringValue(
+                        WinReg.HKEY_CURRENT_USER,
+                        "SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Shell\\Associations\\UrlAssociations\\https\\UserChoice",
+                        "ProgId"
+                )
+                .toUpperCase(Locale.ROOT);
+                
+        // done this way so that values like FirefoxURL-308046B0AF4A39CB can be handled
+        if (userChoice == null || userChoice.trim().isEmpty()) {
+            return ExtWebBrowser.IEXPLORE;
+        }
+        else if (userChoice.contains(ExtWebBrowser.FIREFOX)) {
+            return ExtWebBrowser.FIREFOX;
+        }
+        else if (userChoice.contains(ExtWebBrowser.CHROME)) {
+            return ExtWebBrowser.CHROME;
+        } else if (userChoice.contains(ExtWebBrowser.CHROMIUM)) {
+            return ExtWebBrowser.CHROMIUM;
+        } else if (userChoice.contains(ExtWebBrowser.MOZILLA)) {
+            return ExtWebBrowser.MOZILLA;
+        } else {
+        	//may not be needed
+            return ExtWebBrowser.IEXPLORE;
+        }
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Retrieves the browser execution path from the registry using the java JNA library
+     * @param browser
+     * @return String
+     */
+    private static String getDefaultWindowsOpenCommandPath(String browser) {
+        String executionCommand = Advapi32Util
+                .registryGetStringValue(
+                        WinReg.HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT,
+                        "Applications\\" + browser.toLowerCase() + ".exe\\shell\\open\\command",
+                        ""
+                );
+        
+
+		return executionCommand;
+    }
+    
+    public static String getDefaultWindowsOpenCommand() {
+        return getDefaultWindowsOpenCommandPath(getDefaultWindowsBrowser());
+    }
+    
     /** Sets current URL.
      *
      * @param url URL to show in the browser.
@@ -212,7 +272,15 @@ private String realDDEServer () {
         }
         
         try {
-            String cmd = getDefaultOpenCommand ();
+            String cmd = getDefaultWindowsOpenCommand();
+            
+            /** if not found with getDefaultWindowsOpenCommand function
+             *  fallback to previous method
+             */
+            if (cmd == null || cmd.trim().isEmpty()) {
+                    cmd = getDefaultOpenCommand();
+                }
+            
             if (cmd != null) {
                 cmd = cmd.toUpperCase();
                 if (cmd.contains(ExtWebBrowser.IEXPLORE)) {
diff --git a/ide/extbrowser/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/extbrowser/NbDdeBrowserImplTest.java b/ide/extbrowser/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/extbrowser/NbDdeBrowserImplTest.java
index 51f81a43130c..a97a92de2723 100644
--- a/ide/extbrowser/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/extbrowser/NbDdeBrowserImplTest.java
+++ b/ide/extbrowser/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/extbrowser/NbDdeBrowserImplTest.java
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@
 /**
  *
  * @author rk109395
+ * 
+ * @author James
+ * year: 2023
  */
 public class NbDdeBrowserImplTest extends NbTestCase {
 
@@ -52,7 +55,15 @@ public void testGetBrowserPath () throws NbBrowserException {
     public void testGetDefaultOpenCommand () throws NbBrowserException {
         if (!org.openide.util.Utilities.isWindows ())
             return;
-        getDDEBrowserImpl().getDefaultOpenCommand ();
+        getDDEBrowserImpl().getDefaultWindowsOpenCommand();
+        
+        /** if not found with getDefaultWindowsOpenCommand function
+        *  fallback to previous method
+        */
+         if (getDDEBrowserImpl().getDefaultWindowsOpenCommand().isEmpty())
+        {
+            getDDEBrowserImpl().getDefaultOpenCommand();
+        }
     }
     
     /** Test of backward method, of class org.netbeans.modules.extbrowser.NbDdeBrowserImpl. */