BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!

Subject: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: alex s
Date: 21 Sep 09 - 11:15 AM

I've just re-installed Windows XP Professional and have found that the internet shortcuts in my Favorites folder have been disabled - does anyone know how to restore them? (Internet Options??)

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: kendall
Date: 21 Sep 09 - 11:19 AM

You're lucky it aint Vista.

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: CarolC
Date: 21 Sep 09 - 11:32 AM

Disabled? Or were they just deleted when the old operating system was deleted? Whenever I reinstall an OS, I'm pretty sure I have to put my shortcuts back again myself.

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: artbrooks
Date: 21 Sep 09 - 11:50 AM

Sounds like you're using Bill's Browser, and I don't know much about the ins and outs of that. Sorry.

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: Bill D
Date: 21 Sep 09 - 12:09 PM

"disabled" as in greyed out or something? Or 'gone'?

Questions... can you add a new one that does work? Have you looked at all the menu items to see if you have accidently changed some setting?

I agree with artbrooks....IE has funny ways. I only open it about once a year.

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: Rapparee
Date: 21 Sep 09 - 01:56 PM

If you re-installed XP they're most likely gone for good.

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 21 Sep 09 - 02:45 PM

You should have backed up all important data. A good trick is to partition the hard drive leaving say 1GB on the C drive and the rest on the new D drive. Put all your favourites in a folder on the C drive and install XP on the D drive.

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 21 Sep 09 - 02:52 PM

This is why I copy my favorite links into a word doc and when I need to rebuild my fav list on the browser, I click each one ad re add to favs. Saved me so much work when I was moving from service to service or getting PC refreshes.

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 21 Sep 09 - 03:00 PM

What's an internet shortcut? Same as a bookmark or favourite?

Bookmarks/favourites always have to be specially saved somewhere safe when you are reinstalling windows, or they are lost for good.

I've sometimes thought of trying to fix it so that all my bookmark/favourites were stored up on the internet, but I've never got round to it. Anybody got a good simple way for doing that with Firefox and Opera?

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: Little Robyn
Date: 21 Sep 09 - 03:41 PM

My computer went crazy last month and needed serious treatment. Windows XP was reinstalled and some things are different (I haven't figured them all out yet) but my Favourites are all still there - only alphabetised! It took me awhile to find Mudcat, under T for The!
I've moved it to the top where I can find it easily.
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: Donuel
Date: 21 Sep 09 - 04:21 PM

I had that problem so I called support. There is a special routine I had to do. I managed to get the info but there was a debate over money for the advice since my operating system was no longer supported by Microsloth.

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: CarolC
Date: 21 Sep 09 - 04:25 PM

Was the reinstall with the alphabetized favorites done at a shop or at home? I could imagine some computer repair people saving things like that and putting them back when they were finished. But I don't know if I've ever encountered that when I was doing the reinstall myself.

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 21 Sep 09 - 05:01 PM

Microsloth! Hee hee. That's a good one.

When you guys download stuff, do you ever get this progress bar?

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: Rapparee
Date: 21 Sep 09 - 05:27 PM

McGrath, you can export your bookmarks (in Firefox) to a memory stick or an external hard drive or whatever. Use Bookmarks/Organize Bookmarks/Import and Backup. It's pretty self-explanatory from there.

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 21 Sep 09 - 05:44 PM

You can indeed, and I do that. But I don't automatically update my export every time I change my bookmarks. Does anyone? In fact the only time I do it is when I am plannig to reinstall windows because it's going wrong - which wouldn't be much help if my PC gave up the ghost without warning.

In theory it ought to be possibel to set something up so that all bookmarks were saved soemwhere safe every time you shut down - either to some online storage, or to a hard disk. Has anyone got anything that enables that to be done?

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: Donuel
Date: 21 Sep 09 - 06:57 PM

Tam, that gif will soon be appearing on Federal computer screens, stay tuned.

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: Tangledwood
Date: 22 Sep 09 - 03:20 AM

Alex, my shortcuts changed the way they're accessed after a recent update; not actually sure if it was IE8 or Google toolbar that was the culprit. If yours have gone the same way, try CTRL+SHIFT+I to get favourites, and CTRL+SHIFT+J to get RSS feeds if you have any.

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: gnomad
Date: 22 Sep 09 - 03:47 AM

x-marks works well for Firefox.

Stores the marks online, enabling you to retrieve them when needed, also synchronise between various computers (including if using Firefox under different OSs) or simply to use the marks temporarily from another machine.

It will also store passwords if needed, but I am too cautious to do that.

There is an IE version, which I understand will sync with the Firefox one as well if required. I don't think they have got a version for Opera, but that may just be a matter of time.

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: gnomad
Date: 22 Sep 09 - 05:00 AM

Further to my last note: I just checked the website Xmarks and Xmarks is now available for Safari too, but not Opera.

It also offers a sort of recommendation service based on what other folks have bookmarked. I don't use that, just the basic sync service. It is all free.

Finally, there is a version allowing you to use it with your own server, but that is a whole different game for bigger boys than me.

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: alex s
Date: 22 Sep 09 - 05:04 AM

Thanks to all for the advice
alex s

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: alex s
Date: 22 Sep 09 - 06:53 AM

The problem is with Internet Explorer only - Firefox is fine.
All old and new favorites show up in the list but simply don't work. The file type in Properties is Internet Shortcut, so it looks OK, but does absolutely nothing and will not diplay Open on a right click. This applies to all the shortcuts including Microsoft's default ones. I think it may possibly have started after installing Windows updates. Any clever techies know the answer?

Subject: RE: BS: Internet shortcuts disabled!
From: alex s
Date: 22 Sep 09 - 10:57 AM

Success! I've installed IE 8 and everything is working fine.
Thanks to all for comments.