bizarre folder appearing IE8 Favorites WindowsXP

[braven]

Only minor problems with IE8 on Windows XP since upgrading a while back.

But, starting yesterday, a folder appeared at the end of my Favorites:

Links!14f4_4823!erased!_29!erased

I deleted it, it came back. I deleted it again, it came back as:

Links!14f4_4823!erased!2298_29!erased!2f3c_29!

Any ideas?

[unidentified]

At the top you can goto view then find tool bars then remove the check mark beside Favorites bar. If Find edit view options are not shown then do the following right click on the grey section and click on menu bar. Did you also scan your pc with some antivirus software?

[Raiz]

Refer to this blog see if it helps you any way to understand IE8 Favorites Bar : http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/200...rites-bar.aspx

[JonathanD]

This is due to bad installation of Internet Explorer 8. Try to uninstall and then reinstall a clean copy back again. Remove the browser from Start Menu > Control Panel > Add/remove program. Go to the below link to get a new setup file for Internet explorer 8 or download it from the Microsoft Website.
Download Internet Explorer 8 RC1

[braven]

I can remove the check mark beside Favorites Bar.
I can right-click on menu bar.

I'm not sure I understand the connection of what created this bizarre folder, and keeps creating it unless you are saying it is a function of the Favorites Bar?

I do run a virus scan each day but will run one again now. Are you suggesting that a virus is creating this folder?

Thanks and I will read the link regarding understanding the Favorites Bar.

[braven]

This is due to bad installation of Internet Explorer 8. Try to uninstall and then reinstall a clean copy back again. Remove the browser from Start Menu > Control Panel > Add/remove program. Go to the below link to get a new setup file for Internet explorer 8 or download it from the Microsoft Website.
Download Internet Explorer 8 RC1

YIKES! I'm extremely afraid of uninstalling IE8, read so many topics of people not being able to reinstall or go back to IE7 and losing all browsers which I can't afford to happen right now.

But I think you are right and probably will have to do this.
Many thanks.

[braven]

no better no worse...

I did a complete virus scan of my computer and found nothing.
I uninstalled IE8 by going to Remove Programs.
I found it curious that there it said that the program was last used 4/16/09 when in fact I am on my computer all day every day.

I thought that once I uninstalled IE8 I would have no browser at all until I reinstalled it but found that when my computer rebooted I had IE7 installed, is that correct?

I saw no evidence of IE7 in the control panel under Remove Programs when I went there to uninstall 8. Also, when I checked my Favorites there was the dreaded bizarre Links folder, which I deleted, again.

since I could not see IE7 to uninstall it, I installed the new IE8 downloaded from the link you provided anyway.

Now IE8 is running. But... As soon as I selected Tools>Toolbars>Menu Bar my Links Folder reappeared, each time it happens it is a bit longer, now it is

Links!14f4_4823!erased!2298_29!erased!2f3c_29!erased!2c8_29!erased!94c_4823!erased!4c8_29!erased

man o man o man

If anyone has any other suggestions I'm all ears.
Thanks

[Eric B]

Firstly i will ask you with which anti virus did you use??? Secondly did you use the full version of it??? & will suggest you to use Symantec Corporate additiion Antivirus or Use Eset Nod 32 Antivirus but make sure you use full version.

Also will ask you to check for malware's for your computer for that i will ask you to use MalwareBytes.

And the last & ultimate solution If nothing works you need to format your whole computer which not only the main partition but also the whole Harddisk.. I hope this will help you...!

[Janet J]

If the same folder is creating in your favorites folder then you have strongly infected with the Virus because till now you have done lot of reaserch and you need to format your computer, once you have format your computer you first need to install good anti-virus software on your computer.

[xyxoxy]

First I have to say that reformatting the whole computer sounds a bit overkill for something like this.
Second I have to admit I don't have a better idea... yet.

I'm facing a similar problem and hopefully providing more information will trigger a solution idea from someone that doesn't involve a full OS reinstall.

My system is Windows XP with IE6.
When I recently installed XP SP3 (about a week ago) I noticed I had a new folder under Favorites also named "Favorites". I deleted it... it was back the next day. Deleted again... back the next day. Renamed it... a new "Favorites" folder was there a few hours later. At first I thought it happened as part of a reboot process but I've now ruled that out.

Am I SURE this is related to SP3... no... but it's AWFULLY coincidental.

I had a similar issue a while back with a favorites folder named "Links" which I was able to delete and supress with a registry edit. But I have looked and can find no similar solution for this. I've searched the registry for possible keys but since the folder is named "Favorites" and not something more unique like "Icky Folder" it's a bit hard to narrow it down.

My system has a McAfee install from our corporate engineering guys and is scanned and updated regularly, so I'm pretty confident it is not a virus or other malware. I suspect it is a rogue registry setting added by XP SP3 but I just can't prove it yet.

I'm open to other ideas that do not involve reformatting my hard drive.

[xyxoxy]

Update:
I was too quick to dismiss the "Links" folder problem. Turns out it was the exact same problem except the registry value was "Favorites" instead of "Links".

Using regedit I removed the value (reset it to blank value), removed the folder for the last time (hopefully), rebooted, and it did not come back.

I should also add that in addition to SP3 I also recently installed MS Office 2007 - so it's possible that also updated the registry setting though I would more strongly suspect it was SP3.

Here are the detailed directions to the fix I used. I don't know if that will solve your IE8 problem but it's worth a look.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Registry Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar
Modify/Create the Value Data Type(s) and Value Name(s) as detailed below.
Data Type: REG_SZ [String Value] // Value Name: LinksFolderName
Value Data: [Set the String Value to a blank string]
Open Internet Explorer and manually delete the Links folder from Favorites Menu.
The Links folder will not be recreated.
Exit Registry and Reboot