Why do the following IE links get created from time to time?

[Guest]

Can anyone tell me why the following Internet Explorer links get created from
time to time?

* Customize Links
* Free Hotmail
* MSN.com
* Radio Station Guide
* Windows
* Windows marketplace
* Windows Media

When the links get created, I delete them because I do not want or need
them. After a period of time, something happens that causes them to get
re-created - not sure what...

I have seen this occur in both IE6 and IE7.

Any ideas as to why this happens, and how to stop it?

 

[P. Di Stolfo]

Hello,

I don't know why this happens, but I just hide them as I do with normal
files in Windows Explorer, so they do not show up in IE as well.

If there's no other way, you could try this at least.

Greetings,
P. Di Stolfo

 

[PA Bear]

Created where?

 

[Robert Aldwinckle]

Can anyone tell me why the following Internet Explorer links get created from
time to time?

* Customize Links
* Free Hotmail
* MSN.com
* Radio Station Guide
* Windows
* Windows marketplace
* Windows Media

When the links get created, I delete them because I do not want or need
them. After a period of time, something happens that causes them to get
re-created - not sure what...

I have seen this occur in both IE6 and IE7.

Any ideas as to why this happens, and how to stop it?

I don't know what causes the event but unless you delete the same entries
in the registry that's where they could be coming from. IEAK uses a similar
implementation for presetting its links in the user's Favorites and subfolders.


---

 

[Guest]

The links (shortcuts) get created in the Links bar. After I delete them,
weeks or even a few months may go by before something causes them to be
re-created again.

I have seen this occur for several years, and I finnaly decided to submit a
posting to see it anyone else knew what is happening.

Note - I have seen this occur across many systems of various OS / IE
configurations. This is not a situation that is just occuring on one system.

 

[Guest]

Robert:

I searched the registry, and found no evidence of entries containing these
names.

Any other suggestions?

 

[Robert Aldwinckle]

Robert:

I searched the registry, and found no evidence of entries containing these
names.

You can't search by the names of the URLs. You can search by the names
of the subfolders. You can then see the URLs by opening the Order value
under the subkey representing the subfolder. The Order value appears as
a binary string but you can read the URLs in the interpreted portion of the
Edit Binary Value window (as every second character since the URLs are
represented by doublebyte characters.)

Any other suggestions?

If the deletions in the Favorites directory survive a reboot,
check to see if the registry subkeys for the subfolders are still there
after it. Why would they still be there if not (perhaps) in order to allow
the Favorites directory to be repopulated with them sometime?
In any case if you don't want to see those subfolders and their
contents I would delete the corresponding registry subkeys and their
values for consistency. You would then have one less place where
they could be regenerated from, however it is done.


Good luck

Robert
---

 

[PA Bear]

I have seen this occur in both IE6 and IE7.

If you install IE7, they'll be in Links bar (and Links folder in Favorites).

If you uninstall IE7 and return to IE6, they'll return.

If you install IE6 SP1 in Win2K or earlier, they'll be there.

If you uninstall IE6 SP1 in Win2K or earlier and return to the previous IE
version, they'll be there.

If you reset IE to the default configuration (e.g., using RIES in IE7),
they'll be there.

Further complicating things: One or more options/settings in an ever-growing
number of third-party applications may be disallowing the changes in Links
from "sticking". These include but are not limited to Ad-aware's Ad-Watch,
Spybot Tea Timer, SpywareBlaster, SpySweeper, Spyware Doctor, Norton
AntiVirus, McAfee VirusScan and/or Antispyware, and Zone Alarm (Free and
Pro).

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM]

The links (shortcuts) get created in the Links bar. After I delete them,
weeks or even a few months may go by before something causes them to be
re-created again.

I have seen this occur for several years, and I finnaly decided to submit
a
posting to see it anyone else knew what is happening.

Note - I have seen this occur across many systems of various OS / IE
configurations. This is not a situation that is just occuring on one
system.

Are you running any toolbars or other add-ons from Microsoft?
Any Windows Live stuff?
If either answer is yes, it might be updates to that.