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Windows Me - Completely ban the "Links" folder of the favorites

November 25, 2013
Updated: April 14, 2022
Quick overview:

When using Internet Explorer, you will have noticed that there is a directory called Links in your favorites. Many users have complained to me that they are unable to delete this link properly because it reappears in Internet Explorer the next time they restart it - as if nothing had happened. We want to remedy this with a small but effective trick:

1. Swipe through to the favorites, which are located under C:\WINDOWS\Favorites.

2. Now delete the Links folder, which is located in the Favorites. Click Extras/Folder Options at the top of the menu bar and switch to the View tab. Deactivate the Hide extension for known file types feature and confirm with OK to confirm the changes.

We have thus made the file extensions visible so that we can create a placeholder file without a file extension, which prevents the automatic creation of the Links folder.

3. Now right-click on an empty space in the Favourites folder and select New/text document. Remove the .txt at the end and name it Left. Click on another empty space and confirm the warning message that the file will then become unusable with a Yes.

4. Now right-click on the empty file Left and select Properties, which will be offered to you by the context menu that pops up. Now select Write-protected and Hidden and confirm with OK.

After you have restarted your computer, you will notice that Links does not return. You can repeat this with any of the Favorites folders, or in other areas. I hope you enjoyed this little trick.

NOTE FOR NEW PUBLICATION:This article was produced by Sandro Villinger and comes from the Windows Tweaks archive, which has been built up since the late 1990s.

Founded Windows Tweaks as a teenager in the 90s. His helpful PC tricks made it Germany's most visited Windows site (at the time Sandro looked like this). He then went on to write elsewhere, for example for PC-Praxis, Computer Bild and PCWorld in the USA. Microsoft also poached him from us. Now Sandro is back, finally sharing his tweaks here again. For a stress-free digital everyday life. You can reach Sandro via e-mail.

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