🚀 go-pugleaf

I have code like this:

ShellExecute(NULL, "open", aPath, NULL, NULL, SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED);

where aPath = "D:\Example Projects\test.html "

Note the space in the path above.  When executed in Vista (default browser = 
IE7) IE automatically changes this to:
"D:\Example%20Projects\test.html " and produces a "Navigation to the webpage 
was cancelled" error for some reason.

Interestingly to me, on XP, (also with IE7) it does NOT have this problem. 
I suspect it has something to do with a local file based URL and protected 
mode in IE?

Anyway - So I tried this (figuring it would remove the spaces):

char shortPath[MAX_PATH] = {'\0'};
GetShortPathName(aPath.c_str(), shortPath, MAX_PATH);
ShellExecute(NULL, "open", shortPath, NULL, NULL, SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED);

However before displaying it, IE expands the short path to the full path, 
then does the exact same thing - replacing the space with %20 - which again 
fails in the same way.

Lastly - I noticed something very odd... The problem seems to be related to 
if the browser is already running!

To reproduce:
1. Close all the IE windows
2. Execute the above code. It works as it should  - with no %20's  - they 
are left alone as spaces.
3. Without closing IE, immediately execute the same code again, it has %20 
characters parsed into the address and fails!

Thus - if you have an IE window opened before executing the above code with 
a path that has spaces then it fails - otherwise it works....

Any ideas???

TIA