My Favorites file is gone, how can I recover it? I'm using Internet
Explorer and Windows 7.
Though you typically access your favorites via Internet Explorer, Internet
Explorer's Favorites file actually stores and accesses the links to your
favorite websites in a folder located on your hard drive. By default, this
folder is located in C:\users\[user name]\Favorites. Like other files and
folders on your hard drive, you can move this file to other locations or
even accidentally delete it. In addition, the file could become damaged by a
power surge, unexpected shutdown, or a malicious program.
If your Favorites file can't be accessed via Internet Explorer or is missing
from your hard drive, you first want to double check to be sure that you are
signed into your computer as the correct user. Since the file is meant to
store personal favorites for each user, each user has a personal file for
storing favorites. If you share your computer with someone else, or if you
have signed on using a guest or administrator account rather than your own
personal account, Internet Explorer will not necessarily retrieve your
personal favorites. Find out how you are logged in by clicking Start and
seeing if your user name appears at the top.
The user name at the top of the Start screen is clickable. Double-click your
user name and your Users folder will automatically open. From there you can
see if your Favorites file is where it is supposed to be. Since you said the
file is gone, we won't expect to see it there. However, it could be in a
different location on your hard disk. It's not unusual for a mouse-click
gone bad to result in the accidental dragging and dropping of folders into
other folders.
To search your computer for the missing folder, go to Start and enter the
word "favorites" into the search bar. Windows 7 will search your hard drive
and list all folders, files, and documents it finds containing this word.
Because the Favorites folder is a system generated folder, if Windows finds
it, it will list it near the top of the search results under Programs. If
the Favorites folder is listed, right-click it, choose Properties, and then
click the Location tab. You'll see its location and have the option to
restore it to its default location.
Another common problem with missing files and folders is accidental
deletion. If your Favorites file was accidentally deleted somehow, it could
possibly be recovered by going to the Recycle Bin and searching for it. Sort
the contents of the Recycle Bin alphabetically and scroll down to the "F"
section. Is your Favorites folder there? If so, right-click it and choose
Restore.