Internet Explorer Favorite Places icons

**fflan513** · February 28th, 2003, 05:51 PM

I use IE 6.0 with SP1 and when I save websites to my favorite places many of the sites appear in my favorite places list with it's unique icon but after I reboot are clear my temp internet files these icons change to the default " blue E" that Microsoft uses fot Internet Explorer. Anybody got an idea how to keep each websites proprietary icon in the list and prevent the change?

**Welshjim** · February 28th, 2003, 06:19 PM

fflan513--Try this program
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,108438,00.asp

**fflan513** · February 28th, 2003, 06:59 PM

Welshjim,

perfect answer, thx so much. I love Virtual Dr. There's always someone with a ready answer; think of the power we could generate if all these minds (big and small) were joined together for a common cause. Oh, well so much for dreaming.

Again, thx!

**Welshjim** · February 28th, 2003, 07:28 PM

fflan513--Thanks for posting back. Always good to hear that a suggestion helped.

**frebo** · February 28th, 2003, 08:09 PM

you can right click on internet explorer >properties>settings>view files then find the icon and file click on it ,it will tell you this might be unsafe, go ahead and open it up then click file on bar then save as i usually put the icon in my documents . then it will stay on your desktop.

these icons are favicons and you loose them when you clear your internet files unless you save them

**rambler** · March 2nd, 2003, 05:38 AM

It might be of interest to know that they're used for web-tracking.

**frebo** · March 2nd, 2003, 11:27 PM

all you are saving is the favicon or icon on your desktop dont know how they could use this to track you

**rambler** · March 3rd, 2003, 02:24 AM

It's fairly harmless - some webmasters know that many of us delete unwanted cookies, so they don't bother with them, but use favicons instead - we (well some of us) like the look of 'em, and keep them. If we visit the site again, and IE doesn't download the favicon 'cos there's already one in our TIF folder, the server knows we've been there before, and of course the previous access was logged.

**Welshjim** · March 3rd, 2003, 03:10 PM

rambler--Is there some reference you can direct me to that says Favicons are web-trackers?

**rambler** · March 3rd, 2003, 05:28 PM

I had a couple, but now I revisit, I find the sites are "member-only". One was http://www.webmasterworld.com where I find I can search and view titles, but not view a message thread without logging in.

**frebo** · March 3rd, 2003, 09:23 PM

the favicon is not a cookie all you are saving is the picture or the icon for that website, alot of websites require you to sign in including this one. i have a virtual dr. icon on my desk top , i have my computer to clear my temporary internet sites every time i log off, i still have the icon but i have to login each time because i deleted the cookie. the favicon or icon is saved.

**falcon2000** · March 5th, 2003, 08:04 AM

"Malformed Favorites Icon" Vulnerability .

Also 26-JUL-99 Langa List. An excerpt from this article reads:

"It’s theoretically possible for a web site to track which IP address is calling for the favicon.ico. This isn’t exactly a gaping security hole, but it is at least theoretically possible for a site owner to figure out which IP addresses are bookmarking his or her site. It would be somewhat easier for the site to build a log of your bookmarks if you let the site set a cookie, or if you registered upon entry.

I mention low-risk security hole this in the interests of completeness, but I also have to say I think the odds of anyone going to that amount of hassle just to see if you bookmarked a page on their site are quite remote. And even if they did know what you bookmarked from their site, so what?

Note that there’s no way for a favicon to be used to snoop your other bookmarks, or to see what you bookmark on other sites.

So this is a mostly theoretical problem--- and a tiny one at that.

But the "malformed favicon" issue is more real--- grab the patch, if you haven’t already."

**Welshjim** · March 5th, 2003, 05:57 PM

falcon2000--thanks!! Guess I will just have to find something else to worry about.

**frebo** · March 5th, 2003, 09:45 PM

i guess i stand corrected falcon this doesnt apply to ie 6 does it

i just read the link, falcon disregard

**ttodd** · March 31st, 2004, 01:26 PM

asking Frebo-
where did you get a virtualdr. fav icon?
i checked my program settings for favorg /data and could not find any url in there. My icon for virtualdr right now is the ol' familar blue 'e' ..

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