Cannot Move, Delete, or Rename Links Folder on Favorites Menu

ID: Q179599

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 4.0, 4.01 for Windows NT 4.0
Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 4.0, 4.01 for Windows 95
Microsoft Windows 98

SYMPTOMS

If you attempt to move, delete, or rename the Links folder on the Favorites menu in Internet Explorer, it is automatically re-created the next time you start your computer.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs because the Links folder is a special Internet Explorer folder that cannot be moved, deleted, or renamed.

RESOLUTION

Although the Links folder cannot be deleted, the properties of the Links folder can be set to Hidden so that the folder is no longer displayed when you open the Favorites.

To set the properties of the Links folder to Hidden:

1. Click Favorites on the toolbar.

2. Right-click the Links folder, and then click Properties.

3. Click to select the Hidden check box.

4. Click OK.

You can press F5 to refresh the file listing and the Links folder will no longer be displayed, although it will still be in the system and function normally.

MORE INFORMATION

When the Links folder is recreated, it does not contain any Web page shortcuts you may have added. It contains only the following default Web page shortcuts:

Best of the Web
Channel Guide
Customize Links
Internet Explorer News
Internet Start

The Links folder on the Favorites menu contains the same Web page shortcuts that are on the Links toolbar. When you add a Web page to the Links folder or the Links toolbar, its shortcut is copied to the <windows>\Favorites\Links folder, where <windows> is the name of the folder in which Windows is installed. If user profiles are enabled on your computer, the Web page shortcut is copied to the <windows>\Profiles\<username>\Favorites\Links folder, where windows is the name of the folder in which Windows is installed, and <username> is the name you use to log on to Windows.

For additional information about how to use the Links toolbar in Internet Explorer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q171228
   TITLE     : How to Customize the Links Toolbar in Internet Explorer

Additional query words: 4.00 4.01

Keywords          : kbenv kbui msiew95 msient win98 
Version           : WINDOWS:
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: March 21, 1999