Last weekend I changed my ISP from Earthlink to Bellsouth. I was apprehensive since Windows XT tends to keep a chokehold on everything Internet-related. But setting up the new ISP went flawlessly. Last night I decided to remove all the old Earthlink files (primarily a "shell" to coordinate Browser, Dialup and Services).

That is where I ran into the glitch. Deleting the Earthlink files caused Internet Explorer to "forget" the "Favorites" that were in the Earthlink directory and it now uses a new (empty) Favorites directory in c:\documents and settings\Bill Harris\favorites. I can't get IE to recognize my old favorites files, even copying them over to the new Favorites dorectory.

How do I get IE to recognize my old bookmarks?

This may be academic, I can always go through my old Favorites files and add them to the Browser's Favorites manually, but there are a lot of them. Academic, since I plan to change over to FireFox in a few days, but I'd like to get old browser in good shape so settings, etc will transfer over.

--Bill

When you install FireFox, it will normally ask you if you want to copy the IE bookmarks and you must reply it: "YES" and hope FireFox will find them and put these bookmark into the FireFox.

Rodolfo

Bill:

Make sure you copy *all* the files, including any Index files - that may work. Or, delete any Index files in the new location, so that IE recreates the required pointers.

Failing that, use Firefox when it's up and running - if it has continued to honour it's Netscape roots, then simple cut and paste should work fine.

Bob Shaw

I'll try that again, Bob. I think I did that early on and was baffled when it didn't work. Win XT is an odd bird sometimes, being a home network wannabe. I had an outbreak of Adware last year and did the SP2 upgrade (?) and have been swatting flies since.

--Bill

This has gotten strange. The Favorites I _want_ to use are located in c:\Documents and Settings\Bill Harris , which is where they should be. The favorites that I _am_ using are the ones I moved over from the Earthlink directory for safekeeping into c:\haven\lost_cookies ("haven" is a general-use directory I created).

I cannot delete the index.dat in the Documents and Settings... directory because I get a "this file is in use" system message.

I'm inclined to quit playing with this problem and re-build my Favorites, but I fear that 1) this behavior will keep on when I get Firefox running (seems to be a Windows system setting) and 2) I need to understand _why_ it does this.

I am the "Administrator" on this system.

Another thing it's started is that when I open a file with Windows Explorer, it want to also dial up an Internet connection unless I tell it to 'work offline'. I must have punched a button I shouldn't have.

Sorry to babble...

--Bill

Bill:

IE and Windows Explorer now share a lot of components (hence the problems with regard to 'IE-free' Windows and the various legal claims and other pursuits against Microsoft!). This sounds as though it's at the heart of *this* one. I'd be more concerned about a dial-up where none previously existed, and suggest you give your machine a thorough scrubbing.

As for deleting index.dat - try using Safe Mode, and going in through 'My Computer'. Failing that, take one chicken, slice and empty same; shake out thoroughly over freshly prepared virgin, and...

Bob Shaw

For the issue with IE trying to dial out, go to your Internet Properties dialog box (I get there by right-clicking the desktkop IE icon and selecting Properties). Find the Connections tab, and click the radio button that says "Never dial a connection." That will let you start IE without it trying to dial out.

I'm assuming you have a separate dialer, if you're on dial-up, or that you have some form of broadband connection...

-the other Doug

Thanks, Bob and Doug. I'll work with it some more this evening. And failing success with your suggestions, I'll try chicken entrails.

Although I've been fiddling woth 'puters since the '80's, this is the first machine I've had with the "New Windows" as the OS. I used Win 3.1 for years on an older computer til it died. There are a lot of little hooks and barbs in this new OS. But over the couple of years that I've owned this new computer, it has been quite trouble free and the OS has been stable, although it does have quirks.

--Bill

Never resolved the Bookmark/Favorites issue, so I saved all my original ones and made a fresh set for daily use. After I change over to Firefox, I'll go through and get the Bookmarks straightened out.

Tried chicken entrails, got indigestion.

On the wanting to establish a connection for offline content, evidently I had some Internet content saved somewhere and it was fretting about that. Cleaned it up and solved that problem.

I broke down and bought a reference book on XT, there are a lot of little details different that Win 3.1 and I was going batty trying to figure it out from the Windows Help files and trial and error.

Luddite, yes. Foolish, no...

--Bill