IE6 new windows sometimes have "Links" bar

Yes, I'm stuck on IE6 at work.

I've turned-off the available toolbars to just the ones I want - Address & Standard Buttons. I don't like the Links toolbar.

Normally, when I open a new window, it's not there.

However, if the window is triggered from a javascript launch, some high percentage of the time the new window starts with the Links bar. If I don't turn it off, then normal new windows also start applying the Links bar, and I don't want that to happen.

How can I prevent this behavior?

warren

Posted 2009-09-25T06:12:20.157

Reputation: 8 599

5Awh I pity you! We feel your pain – Ivo Flipse – 2009-09-25T07:30:12.790

@Ivo - I know. It is not pleasant. But thus is life sometimes :-| – warren – 2009-09-28T10:22:13.123

Answers

I could be wrong here, but Javascript can choose to explicitly open windows with toolbars, using the toolbar argument. So if the Javascript contains something like this:

window.open("c:\somepage.html", "new_window", "resizable=yes, scrollbars=no, toolbar=yes, location=no, directories=no, status=no, menubar=no, width=520, height=200, top=5, left=5")

then I think the new instance of IE will contain toolbars, regardless of your settings.

Paddyslacker

Posted 2009-09-25T06:12:20.157

Reputation: 136

You can use a registry entry to disable it for all windows that open:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbars\Restrictions\]

Add a new DWORD value named NoLinksBar and set it to 1.

Note: by default, The last 3 keys do not exist, you will have to make them yourself (Internet Explorer,Toolbars,Restrictions).

John T

Posted 2009-09-25T06:12:20.157

Reputation: 149 037

The path through "Internet Explorer" did already exist, but adding the next two levels and the DWORD at the base seems to have not had the effect. I exited all the way out from IE, let all processes die, and reopened, with no success. Any other thoughts? – warren – 2009-09-25T07:08:23.770

Or did I perhaps miss a vital step? – warren – 2009-09-25T07:08:54.130

Might it be inheriting something from a GPO that a local change is not going to override? – warren – 2009-09-25T07:10:18.930

Make sure you're in HKCU, and you're on XP I assume? – John T – 2009-09-25T07:47:09.293

You can also use the system key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
Toolbars\Restrictions] – John T – 2009-09-25T07:50:56.743

Ok, tried there, too. Still getting the Links bar appearing on javascript-spawned windows. Weird. And yes - XPSP2 – warren – 2009-09-25T08:13:25.310

Try to hide the Links folder so that it won't show up in Favorites.

To do this, open Favorites, right-click the Links folder, and click Properties.
Select the Hidden check box and click OK.

harrymc

Posted 2009-09-25T06:12:20.157

Reputation: 306 093

that seems to only remove it from the Favorites menu :( – warren – 2009-11-25T12:30:20.190

Hm... just a suggestion, but I suppose you could use resource hacker (or similar) on your iexplore.exe and remove things from the dialogs and whatnot. (I used to remove stuff like ad banners from applications that way)

But can't you use a portable browser? in case you can't install, that's a solution. In case your boss complains, you can actually have Firefox looking precisely like MSIE (even icons, titlebar, etc.)

My $0.02 =/

Camilo Martin

Posted 2009-09-25T06:12:20.157

Reputation: 2 308

no - can't use anything but IE6 for external browsing – warren – 2010-01-06T16:53:44.977

My suggestion was to get Firefox looking precisely like IE6. I mean, in such a way that no-one would notice. – Camilo Martin – 2010-01-06T17:43:22.957

IE6 new windows sometimes have "Links" bar - how to disable

Answers