The Windows Favorites That Won't Stay Gone

A modest interface complaint, filed for the record.

Every time I restart my Windows computer and then restart Internet Explorer, it re-adds all the standard links I deleted: Customize Links, Free Hotmail, Windows Media, Windows. Plus a host of other unwanted items in the Favorites menu.

The only possible explanation is that the computer has realized that removing these links pleases me, and so it wants to give me the opportunity over and over again. (More likely it’s just not saving settings when I exit — but somehow it keeps the bookmarks I add.)

If they want to put these links in the first time, fine. But once I’ve deleted them they should stay gone.

Even worse: webpages that try — asking or not — to change your default home page. My home page is obtainium.org, or my.yahoo.com. Do not try to change this. Don’t even ask.

The word for this is “intrusive.” Don’t do intrusive things I don’t want. And especially don’t do them more than once.