fixes #14487

src/vs/code/electron-main/windows.ts

@@ -490,6 +490,12 @@ export class WindowsManager implements IWindowsService {
 			shell.showItemInFolder(path);
 		});
 
+		ipc.on('vscode:openExternal', (event, url: string) => {
+			this.logService.log('IPC#vscode-openExternal');
+
+			shell.openExternal(url);
+		});
+
 		this.updateService.on('update-downloaded', (update: IUpdate) => {
 			this.sendToFocused('vscode:telemetry', { eventName: 'update:downloaded', data: { version: update.version } });
 

src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/actions.ts

@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ import * as browser from 'vs/base/browser/browser';
 import { IIntegrityService } from 'vs/platform/integrity/common/integrity';
 
 import * as os from 'os';
-import { ipcRenderer as ipc, webFrame, remote, shell } from 'electron';
+import { ipcRenderer as ipc, webFrame, remote } from 'electron';
 
 // --- actions
 
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ export class ReportIssueAction extends Action {
 			return this.extensionManagementService.getInstalled(LocalExtensionType.User).then(extensions => {
 				const issueUrl = this.generateNewIssueUrl(product.reportIssueUrl, pkg.name, pkg.version, product.commit, product.date, res.isPure, extensions);
 
-				shell.openExternal(issueUrl);
+				window.open(issueUrl);
 
 				return TPromise.as(true);
 			});

src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/window.ts

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import { asFileEditorInput } from 'vs/workbench/common/editor';
 import { IWorkbenchEditorService } from 'vs/workbench/services/editor/common/editorService';
 import { IEditorGroupService } from 'vs/workbench/services/group/common/groupService';
 
-import { ipcRenderer as ipc, shell, remote } from 'electron';
+import { ipcRenderer as ipc, remote } from 'electron';
 
 const dialog = remote.dialog;
 
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ export class ElectronWindow {
 
 		// Handle window.open() calls
 		(<any>window).open = function (url: string, target: string, features: string, replace: boolean) {
-			shell.openExternal(url);
+			$this.openExternal(url);
 
 			return null;
 		};
@@ -187,4 +187,8 @@ export class ElectronWindow {
 	public showItemInFolder(path: string): void {
 		ipc.send('vscode:showItemInFolder', path); // handled from browser process to prevent foreground ordering issues on Windows
 	}
+
+	public openExternal(url: string): void {
+		ipc.send('vscode:openExternal', url); // handled from browser process to prevent foreground ordering issues on Windows
+	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file

src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/rawDebugSession.ts

@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@ import { ExtensionsChannelId } from 'vs/platform/extensionManagement/common/exte
 import { TerminalSupport } from 'vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/terminalSupport';
 import { IConfigurationService } from 'vs/platform/configuration/common/configuration';
 
-import { shell } from 'electron';
-
 export interface SessionExitedEvent extends DebugProtocol.ExitedEvent {
 	body: {
 		exitCode: number,
@@ -175,7 +173,7 @@ export class RawDebugSession extends v8.V8Protocol implements debug.ISession {
 					const label = error.urlLabel ? error.urlLabel : nls.localize('moreInfo', "More Info");
 					return TPromise.wrapError(errors.create(userMessage, {
 						actions: [CloseAction, new Action('debug.moreInfo', label, null, true, () => {
-							shell.openExternal(error.url);
+							window.open(error.url);
 							return TPromise.as(null);
 						})]
 					}));

src/vs/workbench/parts/extensions/electron-browser/extensionEditor.ts

@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ import { IConfigurationService } from 'vs/platform/configuration/common/configur
 import { ITemplateData } from './extensionsList';
 import { RatingsWidget, InstallWidget } from './extensionsWidgets';
 import { EditorOptions } from 'vs/workbench/common/editor';
-import { shell } from 'electron';
 import product from 'vs/platform/product';
 import { ActionBar } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/actionbar/actionbar';
 import { CombinedInstallAction, UpdateAction, EnableAction, DisableAction, ReloadAction, BuiltinStatusLabelAction } from './extensionsActions';
@@ -236,8 +235,8 @@ export class ExtensionEditor extends BaseEditor {
 		if (product.extensionsGallery) {
 			const extensionUrl = `${product.extensionsGallery.itemUrl}?itemName=${extension.publisher}.${extension.name}`;
 
-			this.name.onclick = finalHandler(() => shell.openExternal(extensionUrl));
-			this.rating.onclick = finalHandler(() => shell.openExternal(`${extensionUrl}#review-details`));
+			this.name.onclick = finalHandler(() => window.open(extensionUrl));
+			this.rating.onclick = finalHandler(() => window.open(`${extensionUrl}#review-details`));
 			this.publisher.onclick = finalHandler(() => {
 				this.viewletService.openViewlet(VIEWLET_ID, true)
 					.then(viewlet => viewlet as IExtensionsViewlet)
@@ -245,7 +244,7 @@ export class ExtensionEditor extends BaseEditor {
 			});
 
 			if (extension.licenseUrl) {
-				this.license.onclick = finalHandler(() => shell.openExternal(extension.licenseUrl));
+				this.license.onclick = finalHandler(() => window.open(extension.licenseUrl));
 				this.license.style.display = 'initial';
 			} else {
 				this.license.onclick = null;

src/vs/workbench/parts/feedback/electron-browser/feedbackStatusbarItem.ts

@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import { IStatusbarItem } from 'vs/workbench/browser/parts/statusbar/statusbar';
 import { FeedbackDropdown, IFeedback, IFeedbackService } from 'vs/workbench/parts/feedback/browser/feedback';
 import { IContextViewService } from 'vs/platform/contextview/browser/contextView';
 import { IInstantiationService } from 'vs/platform/instantiation/common/instantiation';
-import { shell } from 'electron';
 import product from 'vs/platform/product';
 
 class TwitterFeedbackService implements IFeedbackService {
@@ -27,7 +26,7 @@ class TwitterFeedbackService implements IFeedbackService {
 		const queryString = `?${feedback.sentiment === 1 ? `hashtags=${this.combineHashTagsAsString()}&` : null}ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&related=twitterapi%2Ctwitter&text=${feedback.feedback}&tw_p=tweetbutton&via=${TwitterFeedbackService.VIA_NAME}`;
 		const url = TwitterFeedbackService.TWITTER_URL + queryString;
 
-		shell.openExternal(url);
+		window.open(url);
 	}
 
 	public getCharacterLimit(sentiment: number): number {

src/vs/workbench/parts/git/browser/gitServices.ts

@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ import { IWorkspaceContextService } from 'vs/platform/workspace/common/workspace
 import { ILifecycleService } from 'vs/platform/lifecycle/common/lifecycle';
 import URI from 'vs/base/common/uri';
 import * as semver from 'semver';
-import { shell } from 'electron';
 import { IStorageService, StorageScope } from 'vs/platform/storage/common/storage';
 import Event from 'vs/base/common/event';
 import { domEvent } from 'vs/base/browser/event';
@@ -483,7 +482,7 @@ export class GitService extends EventEmitter
 							message: localize('updateGit', "You seem to have git {0} installed. Code works best with git >=2.0.0.", version),
 							actions: [
 								new Action('downloadLatest', localize('download', "Download"), '', true, () => {
-									shell.openExternal('https://git-scm.com/');
+									window.open('https://git-scm.com/');
 									return null;
 								}),
 								new Action('neverShowAgain', localize('neverShowAgain', "Don't show again"), null, true, () => {

src/vs/workbench/parts/nps/electron-browser/nps.contribution.ts

@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 'use strict';
 
 import * as nls from 'vs/nls';
-import { shell } from 'electron';
 import { TPromise } from 'vs/base/common/winjs.base';
 import { Action } from 'vs/base/common/actions';
 import { language } from 'vs/base/common/platform';
@@ -68,7 +67,7 @@ class NPSContribution implements IWorkbenchContribution {
 
 		const takeSurveyAction = new Action('nps.takeSurvey', nls.localize('takeSurvey', "Take Survey"), '', true, () => {
 			return telemetryService.getTelemetryInfo().then(info => {
-				shell.openExternal(`${product.npsSurveyUrl}?o=${encodeURIComponent(process.platform)}&v=${encodeURIComponent(pkg.version)}&m=${encodeURIComponent(info.machineId)}`);
+				window.open(`${product.npsSurveyUrl}?o=${encodeURIComponent(process.platform)}&v=${encodeURIComponent(pkg.version)}&m=${encodeURIComponent(info.machineId)}`);
 				storageService.store(IS_CANDIDATE_KEY, false, StorageScope.GLOBAL);
 				storageService.store(SKIP_VERSION_KEY, pkg.version, StorageScope.GLOBAL);
 			});

src/vs/workbench/parts/update/electron-browser/update.ts

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import nls = require('vs/nls');
 import severity from 'vs/base/common/severity';
 import { TPromise } from 'vs/base/common/winjs.base';
 import { Action } from 'vs/base/common/actions';
-import { ipcRenderer as ipc, shell } from 'electron';
+import { ipcRenderer as ipc } from 'electron';
 import { IMessageService, CloseAction, Severity } from 'vs/platform/message/common/message';
 import pkg from 'vs/platform/package';
 import product from 'vs/platform/product';
@@ -178,12 +178,12 @@ export const DownloadAction = (url: string) => new Action(
 	nls.localize('downloadNow', "Download Now"),
 	null,
 	true,
-	() => { shell.openExternal(url); return TPromise.as(true); }
+	() => { window.open(url); return TPromise.as(true); }
 );
 
 const LinkAction = (id: string, message: string, licenseUrl: string) => new Action(
 	id, message, null, true,
-	() => { shell.openExternal(licenseUrl); return TPromise.as(null); }
+	() => { window.open(licenseUrl); return TPromise.as(null); }
 );
 
 export class UpdateContribution implements IWorkbenchContribution {
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ export class UpdateContribution implements IWorkbenchContribution {
 				message: nls.localize('insiderBuilds', "Insider builds and releases everyday!", product.nameLong, pkg.version),
 				actions: [
 					new Action('update.insiderBuilds', nls.localize('readmore', "Read More"), '', true, () => {
-						shell.openExternal('http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=798816');
+						window.open('http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=798816');
 						storageService.store(UpdateContribution.INSIDER_KEY, false, StorageScope.GLOBAL);
 						return TPromise.as(null);
 					}),

src/vs/workbench/parts/welcome/electron-browser/electronGettingStarted.ts

@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ import { IWorkbenchContribution } from 'vs/workbench/common/contributions';
 import { AbstractGettingStarted } from 'vs/workbench/parts/welcome/common/abstractGettingStarted';
 import * as platform from 'vs/base/common/platform';
 
-import { shell } from 'electron';
-
 export class ElectronGettingStarted extends AbstractGettingStarted implements IWorkbenchContribution {
 
 	protected openExternal(url: string) {
@@ -18,7 +16,7 @@ export class ElectronGettingStarted extends AbstractGettingStarted implements IW
 		if (platform.isLinux && platform.isRootUser) {
 			return;
 		}
-		shell.openExternal(url);
+		window.open(url);
 	}
 
 	protected handleWelcome(): void {

src/vs/workbench/services/files/electron-browser/fileService.ts

@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ export class FileService implements IFileService {
 				message: nls.localize('netVersionError', "The Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 is required. Please follow the link to install it."),
 				actions: [
 					new Action('install.net', nls.localize('installNet', "Download .NET Framework 4.5"), null, true, () => {
-						shell.openExternal('https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=786533');
+						window.open('https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=786533');
 
 						return TPromise.as(true);
 					}),