# Help! IE has started alphabetizing my Favorites! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 9, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-ie-has-started-alphabetizing-my-favorites/316284 "2005-08-09T15:59:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-ie-has-started-alphabetizing-my-favorites/316284/1 "2005-08-09T15:59:11Z")
Yesterday, after using Internet Explorer (version 6, currently) for ages, it suddenly decided that it was going to start alphabetizing my Favorites list. Since I like to organize my list the way _I_ like it (with stuff I check often at the top and the newer stuff appending to the bottom) this is really annoying. When I move them around, every time I shut down IE and bring it back up, they’re back to alphabetized. I hunted around and Help says that I should just right-click in the Favorites list and deselect Sort by Name, but it’s not selected! When I try to select it and then deselect it, nothing happens. Everything’s still alphabetized. Any ideas? I’m on Window 2000, if that matters. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-ie-has-started-alphabetizing-my-favorites/316284/2 "2005-08-09T16:02:03Z")
> [@winterhawk11](#): > > Any ideas? [Switch to decent browser](http://www.mozilla.org/start/1.7/)? ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-ie-has-started-alphabetizing-my-favorites/316284/3 "2005-08-09T16:22:34Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > [Switch to decent browser](http://www.mozilla.org/start/1.7/)? Uh, thanks…I think. That’s really helpful. 🙂 Seriously, though, this is my work machine and we use IE, so it’s not really an option even were I inclined to do so. Any suggestions that involve actually \*keeping \* the browser I have? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-ie-has-started-alphabetizing-my-favorites/316284/4 "2005-08-09T16:22:54Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > [Switch to decent browser](http://www.mozilla.org/start/1.7/)? That sort of advice is neither helpful nor appreciated. To the OP: try the repair procedure outlined in this [Microsoft Knowlege Base Article](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=318378). Hopefully this will fix the problem for you. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-ie-has-started-alphabetizing-my-favorites/316284/5 "2005-08-09T16:25:28Z")
Sorry, I didn’t notice that was for XP. Try [this article](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;293907&sd=tech) for Win 2k, instead. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-ie-has-started-alphabetizing-my-favorites/316284/6 "2005-08-09T18:43:23Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > That sort of advice is neither helpful nor appreciated. Yeah, I knew that. I was trying to help someone with an IE problem the other day and … well… nevermind. My apologies to the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-ie-has-started-alphabetizing-my-favorites/316284/7 "2005-08-09T18:53:51Z")
Understood. I switched to Firefox for the same reasons, but it’s preferable that one actually try to solve the problem the OP is asking about. If you want to plug another browser or OS _after_ you’ve posted your advice, I don’t think anyone is going to mind much. Just my two-hundredths of a dollar here. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-ie-has-started-alphabetizing-my-favorites/316284/8 "2005-08-09T18:56:51Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > Yeah, I knew that. I was trying to help someone with an IE problem the other day and … well… nevermind. And, of course, Firefox alphabetizes your otherwise organized bookmarks when you import them from IE. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-ie-has-started-alphabetizing-my-favorites/316284/9 "2005-08-09T19:44:32Z")
I can move around the order of my favorites by going to: Favorites \> Organize Favorites Click and hold the link you want to move, and drag it to where you want to put it. You need to drag the link between two files or folders. A black bar will appear when you position it correctly. Now drop it. Does that work?