Favorites Folder Location and Saving Tips for Windows XP
Microsoft Internet Explorer Favorites May be Missing:
This behavior can occur if you created a new user account during
Windows XP Setup, and you are logged on as the new user. Windows XP
provides the ability to use multiple user accounts to make it easy to
set up and manage computer accounts for everyone who uses your
computer.
I have also seen this behavior caused by McAfee. If you are using
McAfee, this will help:
McAfee gave this solution to the bug where VirusScan 6 stops your
Internet Explorer History file and Favorites from working.
Open VirusScan console
Select "Pick a task..."
Select "Change my VirusScan settings"
Select "Configure VShield background scanning"
Select "Customise your VShield settings"
Select the "Internet Filter" icon from the icons down the left hand
side On the "Detection" tab, in the 'Applet filters' section, remove
the tick next to "ActiveX Controls".
Can't Find Favorites:
Windows Explorer/Tools/Folder Options/View. Select Show hidden files
and folders. Then go to C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Favorites.
Right click/unhide.
Favorites and Users
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ShellFolders
Look in the right pane for the Favorites value. Note the full path to
the Favorites folder.
This value should be a REG_SZ value type, not a REG_EXPAND_SZ type. If
its the latter of the two, right click Favorites and select Delete.
Then right click in the right pane and select New, String value and
name it Favorites. Double click the new entry and enter the path to
the Favorites folder (you should have noted it, above).
To Change the Location:
Start/Run/Regedit
HKEY CURRENT USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User
Shell Folders. In the right pane, right click Favorites/Modify/Change
path. To verify: On the Favorites menu, click Organize Favorites.
If you have TweakUI installed for Windows XP, go to My
Computer/Special Folders/Folder/Favorites/Change Location.
Saving Favorites from Windows 98:
To copy your favorites to a floppy disk, follow these steps:
Insert a blank, formatted floppy disk into drive A. Click Start,
point to Programs, and then click Windows Explorer.
In the left pane, double-click the drive on which the Windows folder
is located, and then double-click the Windows folder.
NOTE: Click Show Files if you receive the following message:
Warning - Modifying the contents of this folder may cause your
programs to stop working correctly.
To view the contents of this folder, click Show Files. In the left
pane, double-click the Favorites folder. Hold down the CTRL key, and
then click each of the favorites in the right pane you want to copy.
On the Edit menu, click Copy, click drive A in the left pane, and then
click Paste on the Edit menu. Close Windows Explorer. More information
here.
Or use:
FavesToGo - Save Favorites Quickly (Line 108)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
Save and/or Backup Favorites:
Internet Explorer/File/Import and Export/Export Favorites...
Import Favorites:
Internet Explorer/File/Import and Export/Import Favorites...
Removing the Links Folder
TweakUI/Explorer/Uncheck Show Links on Favorite Menu
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp
Manual Edits:
There are two methods that can be used to hide the Links folder, one
using the registry and the other using file attributes. Both methods
are detailed below:
Automated Edit:
Remove Links folder from IE/Favorites (Line 93)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
Using the Registry - Start/Run/Regedit
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar
Set the String value of "LinksFolderName" to equal a blank string.
Open IE and delete the Links folder from the Favorites menu. The next
time you start Internet Explorer the Links folder will not be
recreated.
Using File Attributes
Using Explorer find the location of your Favorites folder (e.g.
C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Favorites) within that folder will
be a sub-folder named Links. Select the Links folder and right-click
(or secondary click) and select Properties, check the Hidden checkbox
and click OK.
From now on the Links folder should be hidden from the Favorites list.
This works for any other folder or link on the favorites menu as well.
Note: The Links folder must be manually deleted from the favorites
menu. This tweak stops it being automatically recreated.
Hide the "Links" Folder in Favorites:
Windows Explorer/Documents and Settings/User Name/Favorites
Folder/Right Click Links/Properties/Hidden.
Favorites Seem Slow:
Start/Run/CMD/SFC /Scannow
Cascading Favorites Menu from the Taskbar:
Right click the Taskbar and select Toolbars, New Toolbar. Point it to
your Favorites folder.
Favicons are Missing:
Custom icons are lost when you clean your cache.
These are known as favicons.ico (Favorite Icons) and they normally
will only last until your Internet Explorer Temp files are cleared.
This program will allow you to save the favicons.ico (Favorite Icons)
permanently in a different folder and re-associate your favorites with
the stored icons.
FavOrg - Restore and Save Favorite Icons (Line 108)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
Workaround:
Navigate to the Temporary Internet Files, and drag the icons to the
desktop and rename them to whatever name you like.
Then, create a folder called Icon Selection. Move all of the renamed
favicons to this folder placed in the root directory of C. Right click
on the Icon, select Browse and navigate to your Icon Selection folder.
Choose the renamed favicon and click ok. These icons will be
permanent.
When you right click on an icon, select browse and navigate to the
Icon Selection folder. Choose the renamed favicon you want and click
ok. Your customized icons will be permanent.
No Links Bar - Go to Start/Run/Regedit
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Toolbars\Restrictions
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Toolbars\Restrictions
Create a new DWORD value called NoLinksBar, and set the new value to
equal "1" to enable the restriction or "0" to disable the restriction. |
