While restoring your computer in safe mode, you might have lost your IE favorites in the process. You may think that it is impossible to restore IE favorites but actually, it is not.

What Are IE Favorites?

IE Favorites are Internet explorer favorites that are the links of websites which you visit frequently. You can store them in the “Favorites” folder and by doing that you can just open the website by clicking on it from the toolbar of your browser instead of having to write the website address on address bar every time you open internet explorer.

How to Restore IE favorites?

Now that you can’t find your favorites, you can restore IE favorites by following methods.

Method # 1

1. Open “Start” menu.

2. Write “Favorites” in the search field.

3. Right-click on the “Favorites” folder that appears at the top of the start menu after searching for it.

4. Select “Properties”.

5. When the “Properties” window opens, click on “Location” tab.

6. Select “Restore defaults” and afterwards click “OK”.

If you are unable to restore IE favorites this way, you can follow another method.

Method # 2

1. Follow steps 1 to 5 above.

2. Click on “previous versions” tab. You will see various restore points. Some will be “earlier this week” or “earlier this year.” Select the one you want your favorites to be restored to.

Directing the favorites folder back to Internet explorer

Note: The below mentioned procedure is only for Windows 7

First, you should find your “Favorites” folder. After locating the items in the “Favorites” folder you thought you lost, the folder needs to be directed back to Internet Explorer.

1. Press “start” and alphabet key “R” simultaneously. A dialog box will open.

2. Type “regedit” in the search box and click OK. Registry edit will open.

3. Collapse any of the registry keys in the following prescribed manner:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Explorer\Shell folders
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Explorer\User Shell folders
HKEY_USERS\.default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Explorer\Shell folders
HKEY_USERS\.default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Explorer\User Shell folders

4. Right-click on “Favorites” and click “Modify” to open the “Edit String dialog.” Type the exact location of your favorites’ folder in the value data field, that is, C:\Users\Home\Favorites.

5. Click OK and shut down the Registry.

Caution:
Any wrong edits made to Windows registry will put your computer in trouble. Be careful while you work on registry. You may also backup the registry keys; however, be confident of any actions you take on registry.