restoring favorites

[Guest]

Somehow my personalized favorites listings got removed. my folder with all
the sub folders and files still exists in my Earthlink TotalAccess. I copies
all the folders and files from there to the c:\documents and settings\windows
login name\favorites. All of them are there but they do not appear when I
click on the favorites icon/button....only the default MS favorites show up.
What is the problem? How can it be fixed?

 

[Rich Barry]

Choose Favorites from the Menu Bar instead of the Icon. See what happens.

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Groeschel,

The User Shell Folders Favorites value is probably pointing to Earthlink's
sub-folder. Open Regedit.exe and navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User
Shell Folders

In the right-pane, double-click "Favorites" and set it's value to the
following:

%USERPROFILE%\Favorites

The value-type in this case, SHOULD be REG_EXPAND_SZ and not REG_SZ.

 

[Guest]

Ramesh,

Thank you for your assistance.

I did find that the entry in the registry was set incorrectly......it was
user specific so I changed it to: %USERPROFILE%\Favorites

but I also noticed that the value tyupe was incorrect also....it is
currently set to REG_SZ and not REG_EXPAND_SZ. How do I change it?

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Groeschel,

You need to delete the existing REG_SZ "Favorites" value and re-create
another value of type REG_EXPAND_SZ. Then assign the data to
"%userprofile%\favorites"

 

[Guest]

Ramesh,

Do I delete the line entry via regedit and re-creat the new entry in regedit
too? I don't want to screw up my registry so thought I had better get a
clarification before hand!

Sandra

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Sandra,

Select the entry (or value) named "Favorites", and delete it. Then, create a
new REG_EXPAND_SZ value named "Favorites". If you wish to automate this,
download my utility FolderRedirector.zip from here:

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/folderredirector.htm

Unzip and run it. Select the "Favorites" entry in the list box, and then
click the "Restore default" button once. Close the utility.

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org

Ramesh,

Do I delete the line entry via regedit and re-creat the new entry in
regedit
too? I don't want to screw up my registry so thought I had better get a
clarification before hand!

Sandra

 

[Guest]

Ramesh,

I tried to delete the entry and enter a new one with no success. Actually,
I am afraid that I may have messed up the registry because now nothing shows
up in the favorites colum (left) when I click on the favorites star.

Should there be a default entry under the user shell folders:
default REG_SZ (Value not set)
? This is the first line entry. I do not remember seeing this entry
beforehand.

The favorites value remains set to:
%USERPROFILES%\Favorites
but I could not change the value-type. I tried to delete the entry line but
could not and was unsure of how to add a line.....maybe regedit, edit,
new?????

Nothing else has been changed so am not sure why the favorites listing is no
longer showing up as it was before I tried editing the registry to change the
value-type

S. Groeschel

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Sandra,

Yes! there will be a (default) entry reading "Value not set". Ignore that
part.

I should have adviced you create a System Restore point in my previous
posts. As a precaution set a System Restore point and then open Regedit.exe
again.

To create a new value:

Once you're here:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User
Shell Folders

Right-click "User Shell Folders" key, and click "New"
Choose "Expandable String value"
New value will be created and seen in the right-pane.
Select the newly created value, and rename it as "Favorites"
Double-click the newly created value, and assign the data to the following
text:

%USERPROFILE%\Favorites