Favourites gone

We are using Internet Explorer v6. On going in this morning, all our favourites are missing, but there are a bunch of "canned" links and folders there--our personal ones are not there. Our 12-year old was on the computer yesterday and says he did not (knowingly) erase them. Recycle bin is also empty, so they are not there, and the Favourites that used to be on our Startup menu are also all gone and replaced by the new (useless) stuff. Any ideas how/if I can get them back. (My son has been banned from the computer until further notice, so he is really hoping someone out there has an answer!).

 

Go to C:\windows\favorites or do a search for Favorites. Look in that folder and see if your favorites are there.

 

Or if you're using XP, C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Favorites.

If you're using 98, click on the Start button and see what it says after "log off..." If it's not the name that's usually there or there's nothing after the word "log off," click on it, it'll ask if you really want to log off, tell it yes, log back on with the usual name (and password if there is one) and see if the Favorites reappear.

If XP, see what user name is displayed at the top of the first menu that pops up when you click the Start button. If it's not the usual, click on Log off and then log back on with the default user account (the one that's normally used) and see if the Favorites reappear.

 

Try this
Right click on the Start button and select Search.
Under "All or part of the file name:" type
*.url
In the "Look in:" drop down menu select
Local Hard Drives
Click "More advanced options "
Put a check in the boxes next to:
Search system folders
Search hidden files and folders
and
Search subfolders and click Search

I should say that these instructions are for WinXP
If your in Win98 Right click Start and select Find
Options will be about the same.

 

I hope this reply gets to the right place. I am having trouble just figuring out how this website works, just to show you how much of a beginner I really am!

As for the favorites problem, as suggested by Sunny, I went to C:\windows\favorites and I also did a search. None of our stuff is there, just the new favorites that we don't want or need.

Miz, I tried to do the logoff thing; however, I have never used that before, so I don't know what was supposed to be there. It just had my first name entered, so I did not enter a password, as I have never set one up previously. I logged off and back on and nothing happened, except that my outlook express wanted me to reenter all my password information,, which it doesn't usually do.

Picard:I am using Windows 98. I tried to do what you suggested, but when I right click on Find, Options, I do not get the boxes Search system folders, Search hidden files. Is there some other place I should be going instead?

Thanks!!

 

In 98 right click Start and select Find.
In the Named: window type *.url
In the Look in: drop down menu select
"Local hard drives "
Put a check in the box next to "Include subfolders "
Click "Find Now "

 

to Picard:
I followed your instrucs. There was no "local hard drives" in the drop down menu, so I just selected "C ". The missing favourites were not there. This is very mysterious--my son swears he didn't do anything with them--just can't figure this out!!

Thanks

 

Since the find tool didn't find them I'm afraid they are probably gone.
However there are some third party data recovery tools like File Scavenger
http://www.quetek.com/download.htm a friend of mine used once with
some success.

 

Thanks very much for your help. I looked at their website, but since it costs $40.00, I don't think I will bother. Besides, after reading their info, it may not work anyway. I think we will just call it a lesson learned, and maybe set up a backup folder to put our favorites in once a week or something.

The maddening thing is not knowing how it happened. My son is usually pretty good on the computer, so don't quite know what he could have done unknowingly that would have caused this. I was wondering about a virus or something, as the kids are always on the internet and downloading things, but we do have Norton Internet Security, and so far it has worked well.

Thanks again for your assistance everyone--it was much appreciated!