Cannot Open or Add Web Pages to the Favorites Folder

• Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 3.02, 4.0, 4.01, 4.01 Service Pack 1, 5 for Windows 95
• Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5 for Windows 98
• Microsoft Windows 98

SYMPTOMS

You may experience the following symptoms:

• You cannot open the Favorites folder.



• You cannot add Web pages to the Favorites folder.



• The Favorites folder is displayed using the default Windows icon in Windows Explorer.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if the Favorites folder is damaged.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this behavior, follow these steps:

1. Restart your computer to a command prompt. For Windows 95, restart your computer, press F8 when you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, and then choose Safe mode command prompt only from the Startup menu.
   
   For Windows 98, restart your computer, press and hold down the CTRL key after your computer completes the Power On Self Test (POST), and then choose Safe mode command prompt only from the Startup menu. For more information about Windows 98 startup, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   

   Q178548 No "Starting Windows 98" Message at Startup




2. At the command prompt, type the following commands, pressing ENTER after each command:

   cd windows
   ren favori~1 oldfav




3. Restart your computer. The Favorites folder and its default folders are re-created.

MORE INFORMATION

You should be able to retrieve your previous favorites by copying the contents of the Oldfav folder to the new Favorites folder. You may want to copy only a few items at a time and then view your Favorites list to make sure one of the items you copy to the new Favorites folder is not the cause of the original problem.

For more information about copying files, click Start, click Help, click the Index tab, type copying files, and then double-click the appropriate topic.

Additional query words:

Keywords          : kbenv msiew95 win98 msiew98 
Version           : WINDOWS:3.02,4.0,4.01,4.01 Service Pack 1,5
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb 

Last Reviewed: May 6, 1999