Mail or News Shortcuts Disappear from the Desktop

ID: Q184025

The information in this article applies to:

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

SYMPTOMS

When you install Internet Explorer or Windows 98, any shortcut named Mail or News located on the desktop may disappear.

Note that if you click Browser Only Installation in the Download Option box in Internet Explorer Setup, this behavior may not occur.

CAUSE

This problem can occur because Setup automatically updates Microsoft Internet Mail and News to Microsoft Outlook Express, and deletes the shortcuts for Internet Mail and Internet News from the desktop. Other shortcuts named Mail or News are also deleted.

RESOLUTION

To prevent this problem from occurring, rename any shortcut named Mail or News before you install Internet Explorer, and then rename the shortcuts to their original names after Setup finishes.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 and 4.01, and in Microsoft Windows 98.

Additional query words: removed icon

Keywords          : kbsetup msiew95
Version           : WINDOWS:4.0,4.01
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: March 17, 1999