Ok this is a really mild pitting.
But it’s a pitting nonetheless of websites that add themselves to your list of favourites (or <grumble> ‘favorites’ <grumble>). Particularly Windows and Windows Media.
Erm, excuse me. I think I’ll be the judge of what my favourite websites are! The list is afterall designed to be a place where I can put my favourite websites. So please don’t put stuff in there without asking me if it’s actually a favourite of mine first. o-bloody-k?
Word!
I don’t see how that’s going to help - Microsoft makes that too.
I’d go with Opera or Firefox myself.
My co-worker once grumbled that they should rename “Favorites”, since the websites (internal and external) he put in there were necessary to his job, and thus by default not one of his “Favorite” websites.
You’re kidding - IE lets websites add themselves to your favorites?
I’ve never really used it. These things come as a shock.
To clarify, IE lets certain Microsoft products add themselves to your favorites list.
Lobsang , this is puzzling. I don’t have anything in my Favorites file that I didn’t put there myself. Am I understanding you correctly, that somehow things are arbitrarily showing up in that file? Is there any criteria for what is showing up or is it just random? 
An example of this if you will? I’ve never found anything in my favorites that I didn’t allow.
Add me to the confused pile here. I’ve been using IE since 1997 and I have never had any website add itself to my Favorites. The only bookmarks in there are what I put in there.
I’ve never had much add itself to favorites. There are a few that come by default, but I have no trouble deleting them. The only thing I dislike is that the links folder inside the favorites folder always comes back.
There is a work around for that. Right-click on the folder and check the hidden box. It will still be there but you wont see it.
Hey, thanks! I’ve been wondering about that.
Are you sure your box is fully patched and updated? Are you running a spyware detector/remover (MS Anti-Spyware works pretty well)? What version of Windows and IE are you using?
The biggest cause of ‘illegal’ Favorites entries is Spyware.
Or a sibling who surfs porn on your computer because his machine is outside in the living room.
I was referring to the original install favorites that microsoft places in there. I could be mistaken, but I also seem to remember that when I’ve updated certain software, the favorites gets a new link or two. Again, I vaguely remember it being a mediaplayer thing, but that was a while ago.