OT: Using the 'FILE' protocol?

This is a bit obscure, but I hope one of the programmers here can help
please.

One of the features of my text editor (the excellent TextPad from
Helios Software) lets me paste a URL into a document and go to it
directly on the web by r-clicking and choosing the top item, Open.

I'd like to be able to do the same for files on my HD. IOW, select
text like this:
D:\Docs\Electronics\CIRCUITS\CM\Switches\NO-Button.gif
and open that file, just as if I was doing so from a Windows XP
folder.

After some research, I found a partial solution. If I convert that
file name to this syntax (protocol?)
file://D:/Docs/Electronics/CIRCUITS/CM/Switches/NO-Button.gif
then I can open it. But it fails if there are any spaces in the path
or filename, such as
'file://D:/Docs/SUNDRY/Internet Radio/BBC stations etc.txt'

Anyone know how to get around that please? Placing it in quotes didn't
work.

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK
.