I create a web link on the desktop by copying the link first with <Ctrl><C>, then right-click on the desktop, New, Shortcut, then <Ctrl><V> the link into the "Type the location..." box. "Next", then name it on the 2nd page, whatever I want. If you've already got a short-cut, and it's just "http:\\whatever", right-click on the icon, select Properties, use the General tab, and re-name it in the top box of that tab.
The "easiest" way to change which browser opens links, is to use the Windows 7 Start button, and in the right-hand column is "Default Programs". How convenient. I'm suspicious though...
You can get to that from the Control Panel also. Anyway, from that Window, choose the 2nd one down, "Associate a file type or protocol with a program" (I had to open it up and see what it says). On that next "Set Associations" page, you'll have to scroll most of the way down, past the file extensions listed, until you get down to the "Protocols" section, and find the "HTTP" and / or the "HTTPS" listings, with the IE icon to their left. They'll both have "url: Hyper Text Transfer Protocol..." in the middle column, and the "Current Default" in the right-hand column. Select which ever one you're going to change, and then click on the "Change Program" button just above there, on the right. You should get a little pop-up and be able to choose Vivaldi right from there. As soon as you click on the program icon in the pop-up, Windows will go to work and change the setting. The only issue I've found with doing that, is that newer / better / kinder / gentler Microsoft ~knows~ that you really didn't mean to do that association change, so every once in a while, after an update, they'll put it back to Internet Explorer for you. Isn't that nice?...
- I then go back in and put it the way I want it.
My Vivaldi since yesterday afternoon has had a "hitch" in loading pages, where it will go to like 90% of a load, hang for a second or 2, and then continue. I just thought it was this computer... I'll check into that on one of the other computers I've got Vivaldi installed on... I suspect recent MS updates.