How to Customize the Links Bar
By: Sandy Berger Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2002-10-21 15:54:54
Do you love surfing the Internet? Then you will want to learn about the Links Bar in Internet Explorer. The Links Bar provides a quick way to access the Web sites you visit often. Even easier than using the Favorites Menu, I use the Links Bar everyday. To use it effectively you must learn to customize it for your needs.
Finding the Links Bar
The first thing you must do is to actually find the Links Bar. Although this sounds easy, it may be tricky; since, depending on your settings, this toolbar may or may not be visible.
Start Internet Explorer and look at the toolbars at the top of the screen. You are looking for the word "Links" on the toolbar. If you don’t see the Links Bar, click on View, then choose Toolbars. If there is a checkmark in front of the word Links, it means this Toolbar is already displayed. If there is no checkmark, click on the word Links to make the Link Bar visible. Still don’t see it? It may be, like in the screenshot, the Links Bar appears in conjunction with another toolbar.
Moving the Links Bar
If this is the case, just click on the word Links and drag the toolbar down, dropping it under your other toolbars.
Can’t move the Links Bar? It may mean the Toolbars are locked. Right-click on any toolbar. If there is a checkmark in front of the "Lock the Toolbars" choice, click on the Lock the Toolbars option to remove the checkmark and unlock the bars.
Once you move the Links Bar, you should see it in its entirety. It will look something like the screen shot.
Removing Links
Microsoft is kind enough to supply default links that take you to Microsoft and other places you might not want to visit. So, first right-click on any link you do not want and choose Delete from the drop-down menu.
Adding Links
For me, the Links Bar is a great way to access the Web sites I visit every day. It’s easy to add a new link. Surf over to the Web page you want to add and drag the Web page's icon from the Address bar directly to the Links Bar.
You can also drag any hot link from any Web page directly to the Links Bar. If you already have a link in your Favorites, click on the Favorites icon to display the Favorite list and drag the Favorite of your choice to the Links Bar.
Customizing
You can customize the Links Bar quite easily. Click on any shortcut, drag it to the left or right, and simply drop it in the location of your choice. You can also right-click any shortcut on the bar, and click Properties to find the place where you can Change the Icon for the selected shortcut.
Creating folders
One of the most useful characteristics of the Links Bar is that you can add folders to it with useful links inside the folder. When you click on a folder on the Links Bar, a dropdown menu appears showing all of the links inside the folder. I have a folder on my Links Bar for all the news sites I visit daily. I have another folder for Web sites I visit weekly, as well. I’m sure you will find many ways to organize your Links Bar folders. Here’s how to create them.
- Click on Favorites.
- Click Organize Favorites.
- Click on the Links folder.
- Add new folders to the Links toolbar by clicking on the Create Folder button.
- Drag and drop your links or other folders into the new folder.
Netscape Users
You will find a similar toolbar in Netscape called the Personal Toolbar. It functions in a manner very similar, including being able to add folders via the Bookmarks menu.
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