Extra "Favorites" folder

[Michael S. Meyers-Jouan]

I'm having a problem with my "Favorites" folder.

I'm running Windows XP Professional SP2, with Internet Explorer
6.0.2900.2180.xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158. I'm logged on as a "Power User" (NOT
as an "Administrator").

Some process is adding a "Favorites" folder to my Favorites folder.

That is, when I pull down the Favorites menu, there's an entry called
"Favorites". It's a folder, and it's empty.

If I delete this folder, it reappears the next time I open the Favorites
menu.

Does anybody have any idea what would be causing this to happen? I'd really
like to get rid of it, if possible.

 

[Guest]

Michael,

Are you on a network?
If yes it could be a policy being pushed down to the workstation that is
creating the extra folder.

Is it happening to other users when they login on the same PC?
Let me know.

 

[Michael S. Meyers-Jouan]

Mike,

I'm on a LAN, but it's a peer network - a Workgroup, with no Active
Directory and no servers. Group policies are not in force.

It's NOT happening to other users.

 

[Kelly]

Hi Michael,

Run this combo, especially the last one:

Run Ad-Aware SE, Spybot, CWShredder and HijackThis:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads31.html

Note: Update the first two programs, once installed, before running.

Added info:

Go to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\UserShellFolders

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).

--
In memory of our dear friend, MVP Alex Nichol: http://www.dts-l.org/

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

 

[Michael S. Meyers-Jouan]

Kelly,

I ran Ad-Aware and Spybot, which both reported no problems.

I then deleted
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User
Shell Folders\Favorites (it WAS a REG_EXPAND_SZ), and recreated the value as
a REG_SZ, preserving the value ("%USERPROFILE%\Favorites").

The results:
1. Although the start menu and Outlook both displayed my hierarchy of
Favorites, Internet Explorer's "Favorites" menu contained only two entries:
"Add to Favorites..." and "Organize Favorites...". Neither entry works, and
none of my favorites appear below them.

2. Furthermore, I'm still seeing a "Favorites" folder reappearing in the
Folders menu.

I restored the registry key (I saved a .REG file from one of the other user
names, and merging it under my user name. This restored normal operation to
the "Favorites" menu in Internet Explorer, but I'm still seeing the
OCCASIONAL reappearance of the extra "Favorites" folder.

Do you have any other suggestions?

 

[Kelly]

Hi Michael,

but I'm still seeing the OCCASIONAL reappearance of the extra "Favorites"
folder.

Can you explain the occasional?

--
In memory of our dear friend, MVP Alex Nichol: http://www.dts-l.org/

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

 

[Michael S. Meyers-Jouan]

Kelly,

I'm not sure I can characterize "occasional". I haven't been able to
identify any event that causes the folder to reappear. However, it SEEMS to
be related to launching Internet Explorer.

If I delete the folder (say, from the "Favorites" selection on my Start
Menu), it generally doesn't reappear when I monitor the main Favorites
folder WITHOUT using IE (say, by looking at the Start Menu or by looking at
the Favorites menu in Outlook).

However, I can't say for certain that the ONLY time the folder reappears is
when I run Internet Explorer.

 

[Michael S. Meyers-Jouan]

Mike,

I appreciate the attempt to help, but at the moment this is just an
annoyance, and I'm not ready to get into a full day's work recreating my
user profile.