Informatic help

Remove all ads!

Since I discovered a lot of SPers are very good at "computering", I have a little thing I'd like to solve, sorry if it sounds a bit stupid: I don't know if I accidentaly changed some intenet options, but recently when I open Internet Explorer for the first time after having turned on the pc, the page does not memorize my toolbar settings (for example, I always have the favourite links in my toolbar, and now they disappear any time I turn on the pc again).As long as the pc is on the new settings are keeped, but every first time I open IE it's all resetted.
It's just a little annoying thing, but I'd like to know if there's a way to have the IE memorize my toolbar settings when I turn off the pc. Thanks in advance for your attention.

P.S. I use IE 6 and have Windows 98 second edition.

 

Before you change anything on your computer make a backup of all important documents and data (save games and character files come to mind).

Since you are Customizing you toolbars [right click on toolbar, Customize] I suppose that it is safe to assume that you are locking them again [right click on toolbar, Lock the toolbars] after changing them.

The only thing that I can think of is that some spyware/adware has crept onto your browser and has not been fully uninstalled.

If you run 'Adaware' from Lavasoft on your machine it should dig out most of the spyware. There is a copy at:

http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail.php3?fid=965718306

Adaware doesn't remove the MySearch/MyWay spyware toolbar from IE (you will know it if you have it), but it is easy to manually remove it in [Control Panel -->Add/Remove programs]

Once your machine is free of viruses and spyware reinstall the latest edition of IE. As far as I know IE6 SP1 is the latest.

Many good computer magazines carry spyware removal software and the latest IE version on their cover dvd's, which is useful if you don't have a fast internet connection to download the large files involved.

It should then work the way that it did before, possibly even faster if you found any spyware or viruses.

Is that any help?

Small print: As a Slacker of some repute I have taken a vow to never accept responsibility for anything. Ever.

 

Unfortunately, the software you suggested didn't work, and after the "cleaning" and the reinstallation of IE the problem still remain.
If you have any other link to give me, please do.
Anyway, thanks for your help.

 

In Win98 it is possible to set up many user profiles, and each profile should store that user's specific Internet Explorer configuration.

If you don't already use them, you should experiment with them a bit to see if they can cure your problem.

The main purpose of profiles is to give different users their own Favorites/My Documents/History/Desktop/Start Menu folders, although you can copy the common (guest user) set of folders that may already hold all your info if you wish to speed things up.

The folders for each user are stored in Xwindows\profiles\ (where X: is your hard drive).

It takes less than two minutes to set up a User Profile and it is even quicker to delete them. I would suggest you use a proper username and password. If you are the only one that uses your computer, then you can allways use Tweakui from the Win98 Powertoys to automate the login process.

The setup wizard is under Users in the Control Panel.

Any help?

 

Sorry to bother again, Bluin, but I don't know if I understood well what I have to do; the fact is that when I click the Users icon in the Control Panel, after entering the ID and eventually the password here's the choice of what I can modify:
-Desktop Folder and Recent Files menu
-Start Menu
-Favourites Folder
-Downloaded Web Pages
-Documents Folder

Which one should allow me to permanently edit how my IE pages should look like?

P.S.: when it comes to computers I'm a real pain in the ass, 'cause I really don't understand them (and they don't understand me, I would add...); if you feel like I'm a desperate case and want to give up, it's ok for me, you already did much.

 

Actually, in my experience, most application data is stored either in files in the application's root directory, or in the Windows registry. I don't know about IE, but you can try this (backup first):

- Go to the Start menu
- Click Run...
- Type in 'regedit' (no quotes)
- Click OK or press Enter

Now, on the left, there is a 'console tree' that works like Windows Explorer. If you need help with that, PM me (I'm assuming that you don't). Anyways, open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, then SOFTWARE, then Microsoft, then Internet Explorer. If you're comfortable with completely destroying IE, go ahead and look for anything with Toolbar/Bar/whatever in it. If not, you can try opening Toolbar in Internet Explorer. Anyways, record the data in the Toolbar key somewhere, then open IE, and close regedit. Now, customize the toolbars and check regedit again. It should have changed from when you last recorded it. WITHOUT erasing your old record, record the new settings. Restart your computer. Go to regedit and check again. Also, by the way, if you create a new user, you can check HKEY_CURRENT_USER, ... until you find Internet Explorer\Toolbar again. This time, it should have three new 'Keys' under it. I believe 'WebBrowser' is the one you should be concerned with at this moment. Same procedure, and if afterwards, still the same problem, I can't help you until you test EVERYTHING and you post the results. Alternative, get Windows XP and if it doesn't work then, use the Remote Assistance feature.

I use XP Pro, and I have a Win95, but don't have much experience with Win98. I THINK regedit is in Win98, because it is included in 95 and XP. They may have changed the key system though...

Hope it is of some help.

 

Whoops. I forgot all about this thread.

The following is the dialog you are presented with when you create a new user.

---------------------------------------------
Select the items you want to personalize, then chose how you want the new items created.

[] Desktop Folder and Recent Files menu
[] Start Menu
[] Favourites Folder
[] Downloaded Web Pages
[] Documents Folder

Create copies of the current items and their content. [*]

Create new items to save disk space.[ ]

----------------------------------------------

You don't have to pick any of the first five items. It is just an one off opportunity to say what special folders you want to share with all the other 'Guest' users on your computer and what you want to keep to yourself.

Normally each user likes to have their own 'Favorites folder/list', because different users have different favorite sites, so I'll use that as an example.

You place a tick beside the Favorites folder, and from that point on, only you can see the new addresses you add to your Favorites list. Your sites will no longer be added to the 'Guest' user favorites list, the two lists are now completely separate.

You may have a lot of sites already in the 'Guest' Favs list, and that is why the last two options exist. If you chose 'Create copies', the new User profile starts with a copy of the old favorites list.

If you chose 'Create new' the the new User profile starts of as if you had a brand new Windows installion, and there are no favorites in the list.

The same thing happens with each of the other special folders. I would start of by just picking the Favs folder and selecting 'Make copies', that way you can continue using all the other folders that you are already familiar with, until you feel confident enough to make separate Desktops and My Docs folders for yourself.

Finish the process.
Log out (No need to shutdown)
Log back in using your new Users name and password.
Change the IE toolbar to how you want them. Lock toolbars.

Restart your computer.
Login as the new User.
Your IE toolbar should be as you left it.

If you are curious, you can log out, and log back in as a Guest (Just hit cancel on the Login Dialogue Box) and if you look at the IE Toolbar it should be in its original, unmodified state).

If you understood all of the above, then you might want to delete the user you just created and make a new User Profile that has got a copy of all the special Windows folders all to itself. That way no one should accidently delete you work, and you can have your own wallpaper etc. Your Special Folders (including My Docs)will be stored under;

XWindows\profiles\username\

This all sounds like a lot of effort, and it is, but when you upgrade to XP you will find that the extra insight you have gained into User Profiles will help you understand how to use XP to protect both your work and the XP system files from accidental damage.

I'm really curious to know if this works on your machine.

What The Wise One said about Regedit is basically correct, but it involves an advanced understanding of how Windows operates, as opposed to simply how it should be used.

 

Well with you being the ubernerd and everything

I have an irritating problem with command in XP, everytime I start it, it starts in CDocuments and Setting\Administrator\
How can I change this to normal C? Can I change it in the registry?

 

If you start the command prompt from the start menu, you could right-click on the shortcut, and set the directory there. (the "Start in" textfield). The default is %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%, I think, and I suppose you could change this to c if you wish... (It would only apply to that particular shortcut, though)

[ September 03, 2003, 11:48: Message edited by: Faded ]

 

If you want to keep opening the command window in the same place, then altering the properties of the 'Command' shortcut in the start menu is the quickest way to achieve that.

It might be a better idea though, to right click on the shortcut, then copy it, then paste a new copy to the desktop, and change the start folder of the shortcut-copy instead, perserving the original, just in case.

The uber way of solving this problem is by installing the free XP 'Command Prompt Here' Power Toy from Microsoft. It is under the link for 'CmdHere.exe' and is 514KB in size.

It will allow you to right click on any folder in Windows explorer, and then give you the option of 'Open a Command Window here'. No more typing DOS folder Pathways,

There are lots of other Power Toys, many of which are very useful, (I think I already mentioned TweakUI which resides in your Control Panel after installation, earlier in this thread).

Just be careful to select the XP Power Toy page (above) rather than the Win 98 one.

 

Thanks for your help, guys, but still the problem is unsolved....my fault, of course!! The suggestion of The Wise One seemed at first to work, but with every re-start the IE come back unmodified (I also tried to completely delete IE from regedit and enter the saved IE registry, still nothing).
The suggestion of Bluin is too complicated for me to try....again, it's my fault, don't worry anymore,I'm a desperate case when it comes to pc stuff.

All I have to do is to buy a CD burner or an internet site to save my 2 G-bytes of mp3, and then delete and reinstall all the softwares....

Thanks again!

 

I don't use a shortcut, I do Start>Run and then I type cmd.

 

@Morgoth
That is almost the same as using

[Start] [All Programs] [Accessories] [Command Prompt]

where [Command Prompt]is the shortcut.

If you use Windows Explorer regularly then I think the Power Toy is the best way to go.

@Aragorn II

You were only 2 seconds away from creating a new User in your previous post. It might not work, but spending a few minutes setting up a New User is a lot better than the hour it will take to reinstall Windows (Unless there are other things that are malfunctioning also)

Make sure you have/make a Windows 98 boot disk in case the reinstall doesn't go smoothly.

 

@Bluin: I have it, and it wouldn't be the first time I have to reinstall all (I'll try again to follow your instruction, anyway )