"Locking" Internet Explorer Favorites

[Anti_Freak_Machine]

Anyone know of a freeware program that can "lock" your list of favorite
sites? Ideally, I'd like something that prevents software and websites
from automatically creating a bookmark in my list of favorite sites for IE.

 

[sethra]

Anyone know of a freeware program that can "lock" your list of
favorite sites? Ideally, I'd like something that prevents software
and websites from automatically creating a bookmark in my list of
favorite sites for IE.

You don't need special software. Turn off javascript and ActiveX.

 

[Anti_Freak_Machine]

You don't need special software. Turn off javascript and ActiveX.

AFAIK, that doesnt prevent software from adding links to your bookmarks.
(Thats kind of what I was after)

 

[CalamityKen]

Anti_Freak_Machine typed:

AFAIK, that doesnt prevent software from adding links to your
bookmarks. (Thats kind of what I was after)

Have a look here:
http://lists.gpick.com/pages/IE~OE_Tools.htm

 

[David Simpson]

Anyone know of a freeware program that can "lock" your list of favorite
sites? Ideally, I'd like something that prevents software and websites
from automatically creating a bookmark in my list of favorite sites for IE.

Use anything other than IE. ;-)

 

[sethra]

AFAIK, that doesnt prevent software from adding links to your
bookmarks. (Thats kind of what I was after)

If software *other* than your browser is doing this, then you need:

1) A firewall (preferably hardware, at the minimum software)
Several freeware available -- I use Kerio 2.1.5

2) NAT-enabled router, if not one with a hardware-based firewall with
SPI (This is a hardware solution, NOT a freeware app)

3) Up-to-date antivirus AND trojan scanner
Several freeware available; Google a search or follow previous
threads here @ a.c.f.

4) Spyware cleaner: Adaware and/or Spybot, probably both, since one
catches what the other misses; both are freeware

5) An HTTP proxy, such as The Proxomitron or Privoxy.
Both are freeware.

I can provide links for the above suggestions -- at least for what I'm
currently using -- if Google searches aren't enough.

Regards,

 

[Anti_Freak_Machine]

Use anything other than IE. ;-)

I usually do, I use Mozilla for 99% of the sites. It is annoying that
on the rare occasion that I do use IE, somehow I have a bunch of new
"favorites"

 

[REM]

Anyone know of a freeware program that can "lock" your list of favorite
sites? Ideally, I'd like something that prevents software and websites
from automatically creating a bookmark in my list of favorite sites for IE.

SpyBot:

http://www.safer-networking.org/

Will find and remove hijackers, spyware, etc.

Use the advanced operation and immunize. There are a great many IE
exploits that are blocked using this program.

 

[Anti_Freak_Machine]

SpyBot:

http://www.safer-networking.org/

Will find and remove hijackers, spyware, etc.

Use the advanced operation and immunize. There are a great many IE
exploits that are blocked using this program.

Folks, look- Its not a problem with hijacked
homepages/spyware/exploits, its a problem with legitimate software
adding links to my favorites list in IE. For example- I recently gave
1st page 2000 a shot- It added a few links to its homepage to my
favorites list in IE. Seeing as how I rarely use IE, I was kinda
surprised to see links to pages for software I installed.

I use programs like adaware, spyware blaster and a firewall. The
problem is coming from regular old software that I install. Its more of
an annoyance, so thats why I asked. Thanks for all the input though.

 

[omega]

Folks, look- Its not a problem with hijacked
homepages/spyware/exploits, its a problem with legitimate software
adding links to my favorites list in IE. For example- I recently gave
1st page 2000 a shot- It added a few links to its homepage to my
favorites list in IE. Seeing as how I rarely use IE, I was kinda
surprised to see links to pages for software I installed.

I use programs like adaware, spyware blaster and a firewall. The
problem is coming from regular old software that I install. Its more of
an annoyance, so thats why I asked. Thanks for all the input though.

Installers add a lot of unneeded krap. They add much krap to the registry,
as well as to the drive - with tons of vain shortcuts spewed all over the
drive. So you're seeing a variation of the same general kind of behavior.

I find it best to deal with an installation in two stages. That first stage
is the one where I am forced to use an installer, in order to get at the
program files. The second stage is to take a log of what gets written to
the registry when the program is actually run.

To take the two-stage approach, there are different ways to go about it.

One is that you could enlist Total Uninstall (pricelessware.org). Have
TUN monitor the installer. Then, very next step, have TUN do an uninstall
on everything the installer did to the registry. Plus have it remove the
extra .lnks on the startmenu, toolbars, desktop -- and those additional
..urls you're finding getting pushed into your msie favs folder. If there
were personal DLLs the installer put into the system directory, move those
into the program's folder, which is where they belong.

After you've cleaned up after the installer, you will take the TUN snapshot
that is for the long-term (to enable you to one day cleanly uninstall the
program). Take the "before shot" right before you run the program for the
first time. Take the "after shot" once you're done poking around with the
program a bit, including dealing with whatever options dialog it might have
regarding whether it is given associations.

Cases where the program won't run properly due to your not keep the registry
entries put in by the installer? Very rare, quite less than 1/200.

It's with very little exception that executables tend to write all the
registry entries they want, when not exist, as part of their launch process.

Further, most usually know how to look within their directory when they
launch, and register whatever supporting DLLs and OCXs they might use.

Occasionally, when having bypassed what an installer did, you might need
to register a DLL yourself. Windows is shipped with a commandline program
to do this (REGSVR32.EXE). I find the easiest method is to have the
register/unregister command configured on the explorer menu.

Note, having to do this last, it's not majority, but it is recurrent. For
those who don't like the idea, you could still keep the routine of using the
two-stage approach to installers. Then for the occasional case where you
found you the program did not run properly, say because of the program's DLLs
needing to be registered, go ahead and start back again. Rerun the installer,
this time letting its writes to your registry stay on. (Of course, still kill
off all the installer's spew in the way of .lnks and .urls.)

 

[omega]

I've just looked over my records fo 1st Page. It is a good case in point for
the difference between an installer and the actual program.

The following is what the installer for 1st Page did to the registry:

Keys added: 38
--------------
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\1stpage
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\1stpage\DSADialogs
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\1stpage\DSADialogs\Welcome to Easy mode
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Evrsoft
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Evrsoft\1st Page
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Evrsoft\1st Page\Directory Favorites
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Evrsoft\1st Page\Parsers
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\aspfile\shell\Edit with 1st Page 2000
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\aspfile\shell\Edit with 1st Page 2000\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CCSfile
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CCSfile\shell
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CCSfile\shell\Edit with 1st Page 2000
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CCSfile\shell\Edit with 1st Page 2000\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\cfmlfile
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\cfmlfile\shell
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\cfmlfile\shell\Edit with 1st Page 2000
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\cfmlfile\shell\Edit with 1st Page 2000\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\htmlfile\Shell\Edit with 1st Page 2000
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\htmlfile\Shell\Edit with 1st Page 2000\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\JSFile\Shell\Edit with 1st Page 2000
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\JSFile\Shell\Edit with 1st Page 2000\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\shtmfile
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\shtmfile\shell
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\shtmfile\shell\Edit with 1st Page 2000
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\shtmfile\shell\Edit with 1st Page 2000\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\shtmlfile
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\shtmlfile\shell
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\shtmlfile\shell\Edit with 1st Page 2000
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\shtmlfile\shell\Edit with 1st Page 2000\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell\Edit with 1st Page 2000
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell\Edit with 1st Page 2000\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\xmlfile\shell\Edit with 1st Page 2000
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\xmlfile\shell\Edit with 1st Page 2000\command
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Evrsoft
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Evrsoft\1st Page 2000
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Evrsoft\1st Page 2000\2.000.000
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App
Paths\1stpage.exe

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\1st
Page 2000 2.00 Free


Note the nature of those entries. They mean that there would be a lot of
visible clutter, which I have no interest in, on my explorer context menu.
They also add in filetypes entries that I do not not want.

So I kept none of that, purged all that action by the installer, right away.

(If one day I decide to give this program some role for a filetype on my
explorer action menu, then I can do that, by my own volition.)

In contrast to that installer, (and to some programs themselves), the 1stPage
program is clean and polite when it is run. It writes only to its HKCU key
for user preferences, and leaves the system alone.

Thus my entire uninstall file for 1stPage is only one line.

uninstall.bat:
: echo y | reg.exe delete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\1stpage" >nul