Background
If you are attempting to open links to Citrix Workspace applications and are instead seeing an ICA file being downloaded, follow the steps below to fix the issue. NOTE: this tutorial is intended for Google Chrome, but the steps to resolution may be similar for other browsers.
What is an ICA file?
An ICA file (.ica) is a special file type used by Citrix Receiver (part of the underlying technology of Citrix Workspace) to open external links to applications delivered inside of Citrix Workspace. Most of the time, you'll never see these files, but if the file types associated with an application have been misconfigured or corrupted in your browser settings, these files may instead be downloaded on your device.
You can read more about ICA files here.
Steps
NOTE: Following the steps below may sign you out of one or more sites. Be prepared to log back in as necessary.
1. In the Chrome address bar, click on the settings icon next to the URL of the page you are trying to open a Citrix Workspace link from
2. Click on "Cookies and site data"
3. Click on "Manage on-device site data"
4. Under "Data from the site you're visiting", click the trash icon next to any entries
5. Refresh the page
Conclusion
That's it! Links to Citrix Workspace applications should now open as expected. If you're still experiencing the issue, you may want to restart the workstation, or, as a last resort, reset/re-install Citrix Workspace.
