IE favorites are gone but appear to still be there

My internet favorites and desktop shortcuts disappeared today after a System Restore.  When I try to add back my IE favorites I get a message that says there are already files with the name (although I cannot see them in my Favorites file).  For example, if I try to add Google as a favorite it says there exists a favorite with this name and asks if I want to overwrite it.  If I do, it creates Google (2).  It seems like the favorites are still there but I cannot see them.

Also most (but not all) of my desktop shortcuts disappeared too.

Any ideas how to get by Favorites and desktop shortcuts back?

 

Thanks,

Mike

Answer
Answer

Maybe their attributes changed to hidden, a virus could do that. I was once infected with Fake Hard Disk Drive, my Quick Launch, Favorites and several Desktop icons went missing. A System Restore restored my Quick Launch bar but the Favorites and several Desktop icons remained missing. To check yours try these:

1.  Configure your computer to show hidden files and folders:
Show hidden files
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Show-hidden-files

2.  Navigate to C/:Users/<your user name>/Favorites. Check the attributes of the folders and files. I found here that the Favorites folder's attribute is not set to hidden but the subfolders and files are, so they don't show on the browser. Rather than changing the attributes of the files one at a time, I changed the attribute of the Favorites folder to hidden after which I removed the hidden attribute of that folder and apply the changes to all subfolders and files.

3.  Navigate to C/:Users/<Your user name>/Desktop, do same as in item 2.

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Question Info

Last updated November 29, 2018 Views 552 Applies to: