IE Favorites Out of Order...AGAIN!!

[Julie P.]

Hi, previously, I thought I had been able to successfully import my IE6
favorites and order (via the registry key) to my new XP Home computer, from
my Windows 98SE computer. Both computers run IE6. However, upon closer
inspection, I noticed that the favorites are only partially ordered. They
actually seem to be in an order from a few months ago (I am constantly
changing the order).

So I went back to my old computer, and checked the order. Indeed, it was as
I thought it should be, the order I prefer them. So once again, I exported
these favorites using the export function, this time to a zip disk (instead
of emailing as an attachment). I also exported the registry key once again,
also to that zip disk.

I then went to my new computer and then deleted my favorites, as well as the
registry key. I then restarted. Then I imported the bookmarks directly from
the zip disk. Then I merged the registry key, again, directly from the zip
disk. I restarted.

But the order of my favorites was still in that bizarre order, the order I
had from a few months ago.

I tried various other combinations, like copying the exported files from zip
disk to the desktop first. No help. And then I tried merging the registry
key before importing the favorites. All produced the same result as above.

This is so bizarre, I have no explanation.

Anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

 

[Julie P.]

Hi, previously, I thought I had been able to successfully import my IE6
favorites and order (via the registry key) to my new XP Home computer, from
my Windows 98SE computer. Both computers run IE6. However, upon closer
inspection, I noticed that the favorites are only partially ordered. They
actually seem to be in an order from a few months ago (I am constantly
changing the order).

And normally, I would simply just reorder the bookmarks manually, but I have
so many, it would be irritating. And I would like to know why this problem
is happening.

 

[Julie P.]

Hi, previously, I thought I had been able to successfully import my IE6
favorites and order (via the registry key) to my new XP Home computer, from
my Windows 98SE computer. Both computers run IE6. However, upon closer
inspection, I noticed that the favorites are only partially ordered. They
actually seem to be in an order from a few months ago (I am constantly
changing the order).

don't know if this matters, but the favorites that are out of
order/partially ordered are in a folder inside the favorites folder. IOW,
most of my favorites are in folders, and these folders are all alphabetized
in the Favorites folder, the way they should be. Within certain of those
sub-folders though, I have certain, non-alphabetical, orders set for the
actual individual webpage favorites.

 

[Ramesh [MVP]]

Tried it a couple of times, works fine for me. Follow this order:

Delete all Favorites in the new computer.
Import the Favorites
** Close IE now - Important **
Delete the Menuorder\Favorites registry key manually
Merge the REG file now.
Open Internet Explorer

--
Ramesh - Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k

AumHa VSOP: http://www.aumha.org

Hi, previously, I thought I had been able to successfully import my IE6
favorites and order (via the registry key) to my new XP Home computer, from
my Windows 98SE computer. Both computers run IE6. However, upon closer
inspection, I noticed that the favorites are only partially ordered. They
actually seem to be in an order from a few months ago (I am constantly
changing the order).

So I went back to my old computer, and checked the order. Indeed, it was as
I thought it should be, the order I prefer them. So once again, I exported
these favorites using the export function, this time to a zip disk (instead
of emailing as an attachment). I also exported the registry key once again,
also to that zip disk.

I then went to my new computer and then deleted my favorites, as well as the
registry key. I then restarted. Then I imported the bookmarks directly from
the zip disk. Then I merged the registry key, again, directly from the zip
disk. I restarted.

But the order of my favorites was still in that bizarre order, the order I
had from a few months ago.

I tried various other combinations, like copying the exported files from zip
disk to the desktop first. No help. And then I tried merging the registry
key before importing the favorites. All produced the same result as above.

This is so bizarre, I have no explanation.

Anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

 

[Julie P.]

don't know if this matters, but the favorites that are out of
order/partially ordered are in a folder inside the favorites folder. IOW,
most of my favorites are in folders, and these folders are all alphabetized
in the Favorites folder, the way they should be. Within certain of those
sub-folders though, I have certain, non-alphabetical, orders set for the
actual individual webpage favorites.

I had an idea:

I exported just the registry key containing the order for a specific
sub-folder of my favorites. Then I emailed it to myself as an attachment.
Then I deleted that same registry key on my new computer, and closed asnd
re-opened IE6. I then merged that registry key directly from the email
attachment. Closed and re-opened IE6 again. But the favorites in that
sub-folder are still in that same, bizarre order from a few months ago, or
maybe it is a partially alphabetized order? I don't know. And I don't
understand why this is happening.

 

[Julie P.]

Tried it a couple of times, works fine for me. Follow this order:

Delete all Favorites in the new computer.
Import the Favorites
** Close IE now - Important **
Delete the Menuorder\Favorites registry key manually
Merge the REG file now.
Open Internet Explorer

*********************

Give me a few seconds and, and I will try this! [keepimg my fingers
crossed!]

 

[Julie P.]

Tried it a couple of times, works fine for me. Follow this order:

Delete all Favorites in the new computer.
Import the Favorites
** Close IE now - Important **
Delete the Menuorder\Favorites registry key manually
Merge the REG file now.
Open Internet Explorer

I tried the above, and still no luck. I get the same results as I have been
getting.

A few notes:

1) When you say delete all favorites, I deleted all the ones, except the 3
folders inside the Favorites folder that came with the new computer: Dell,
Financial Links, and Links. Not sure if this matters, as all the favorites
did import, albeit not in the correct order for the sub-folders.

2) When I deleted the favorites, I just went to the Favorites folder,
selected all the favorites except the three folders I mentioned above, and
used the file menu to delete. Is this the right way? Or is there something
else I should be deleting?

3) When you say "Delete the Menuorder\Favorites registry key manually", I
assume this means right-click the selected key and hit delete.

 

[Clarence]

Julie,
Just right-click on any of the favorites and select "sort
by name."

 

[Clarence]

Julie,
On my computer, the right-click sort menu appears when I
select Favorites on the menu bar at the very top of the
Microsoft Internet Explorer screen, not when I select the
Favorites icon on the second line.

 

[Julie P.]

Julie,
Just right-click on any of the favorites and select "sort
by name."

thanks Clarence, but what I am trying to do is preserve the order of my
bookmarks from my other computer which I just imported to my new computer.
The order they are appearing in on my new computer (at least the ones in the
sub-folders) is neither my custom, non-alphabetical order, nor an
alphabetical order. I want them to stay in my custom order from my old
computer, and am having trouble doing this.

 

[Clarence]

I see. Have you tried just clicking and dragging them to
your custom order? That works for me.

 

[Jim Byrd]

Hi Julie - Just to intrude a moment to suppliment what you've been told.
What Ramesh told you is the right way - however, it is *VERY* important that
at the appropriate point - before doing the Registry delete/merge steps -
that you close *ALL* instances of IE that are running. Otherwise the
Favorites set order currently held in an open IE instance (the old order)
will be re-written to the Registry overwriting the new, preferred order that
you just merged.

--
Please respond in the same thread.
Regards, Jim Byrd, MS-MVP



In

 

[Ramesh [MVP]]

Thanks Jim

--
Ramesh - Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k

AumHa VSOP: http://www.aumha.org

Hi Julie - Just to intrude a moment to suppliment what you've been told.
What Ramesh told you is the right way - however, it is *VERY* important that
at the appropriate point - before doing the Registry delete/merge steps -
that you close *ALL* instances of IE that are running. Otherwise the
Favorites set order currently held in an open IE instance (the old order)
will be re-written to the Registry overwriting the new, preferred order that
you just merged.

--
Please respond in the same thread.
Regards, Jim Byrd, MS-MVP



In

 

[Julie P.]

I tried the above, and still no luck. I get the same results as I have been
getting.

Well, I did some detailed checking. I compared the order of a sub-folder of
favorites in both my computers. It appears that the order of the imported
favorites I have in one of the sub-folders right now on the new computer is
basically the same as the old computer, *except* that nine of the favorites
from various positions in the old order have been transported to the very
end of the new order, and placed in alphabetical order. IOW:

if I had the following order of favorites in the old computer:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20,

in the new computer, the new order has become:

1
2
3
4
5
7
8
9
10
12
14
15
16
18
19
20
6
11
13
17

Above, the 6, 11, 13, and 17 were displaced, and brought to the end or the
imported order, and arranged in alphabetical order.

So the good news is I have only 9 favorites to rearrange, not all 102 in the
imported folder, as I initially feared. And this is the only folder where
order matters to me among all my Favorites sub-folders.

The mystery still remains though: why did 93 of the imported favorites in
that folder get ordered correctly, but the other nine get moved to the very
end?

What I am theorizing is that those nine favorites were the last nine I had
manually arranged, whic seems possible, from what I remember, and for some
reason the registry key could not hold those final nine in memory???? The
folder is quite large, but I don't know if there is a memory limit.

 

[Julie P.]

I see. Have you tried just clicking and dragging them to
your custom order? That works for me.

I guess I'm going to have to.

J.

 

[Julie P.]

Hi Julie - Just to intrude a moment to suppliment what you've been told.
What Ramesh told you is the right way - however, it is *VERY* important that
at the appropriate point - before doing the Registry delete/merge steps -
that you close *ALL* instances of IE that are running. Otherwise the
Favorites set order currently held in an open IE instance (the old order)
will be re-written to the Registry overwriting the new, preferred order that
you just merged.

Thanks Jim. Yes, I made sure I closed all IE windows, exactly as Ramesh
instructed. I didn't close OE6 though. Not sure if that would have mattered
(I guess OE is part of IE though?). Maybe I should actually restart my
computer.

 

[Ramesh [MVP]]

Weird. By any chance, these 6, 11, 13, and 17 favorite names start with a number? or an alphabet?

--
Ramesh - Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k

AumHa VSOP: http://www.aumha.org

I tried the above, and still no luck. I get the same results as I have been
getting.

Well, I did some detailed checking. I compared the order of a sub-folder of
favorites in both my computers. It appears that the order of the imported
favorites I have in one of the sub-folders right now on the new computer is
basically the same as the old computer, *except* that nine of the favorites
from various positions in the old order have been transported to the very
end of the new order, and placed in alphabetical order. IOW:

if I had the following order of favorites in the old computer:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20,

in the new computer, the new order has become:

1
2
3
4
5
7
8
9
10
12
14
15
16
18
19
20
6
11
13
17

Above, the 6, 11, 13, and 17 were displaced, and brought to the end or the
imported order, and arranged in alphabetical order.

So the good news is I have only 9 favorites to rearrange, not all 102 in the
imported folder, as I initially feared. And this is the only folder where
order matters to me among all my Favorites sub-folders.

The mystery still remains though: why did 93 of the imported favorites in
that folder get ordered correctly, but the other nine get moved to the very
end?

What I am theorizing is that those nine favorites were the last nine I had
manually arranged, whic seems possible, from what I remember, and for some
reason the registry key could not hold those final nine in memory???? The
folder is quite large, but I don't know if there is a memory limit.

 

[Julie P.]

Weird. By any chance, these 6, 11, 13, and 17 favorite names start with a
number? or an alphabet?

Well, the first one starts with an "A", and the rest with "P". Many of the
links in this sub-folder start with "P" actually.

 

[Ramesh [MVP]]

Umm. Not sure why this happens. The possibilities which I can think of is the REG file is missing some entries (if you've edited it). Or, there were some files already in the target computer. If none of these conditions are met, wondering what has caused this............

--
Ramesh - Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k

AumHa VSOP: http://www.aumha.org

Weird. By any chance, these 6, 11, 13, and 17 favorite names start with a
number? or an alphabet?

Well, the first one starts with an "A", and the rest with "P". Many of the
links in this sub-folder start with "P" actually.

 

[Julie P.]

Umm. Not sure why this happens. The possibilities which I can think of is

the REG > file is missing some entries (if you've edited it).
well, doesn't the REG file on your computer always reflect the current order
of your favorites? regardless, I have never knowingly edited my REG file on
my old computer (the one where the order of my favorites was correct), so
the exported REG key should have been reflective of the order of my
favorites (ie, the preferred order).

Or, there were some files already in the target computer. If none of these
conditions are met, wondering what has caused this............

I made sure to delete the REG key on the target computer before merging the
new key. I agree...really strange. But I do appreciate all your help Ramesh!

J.