Hi all,
For 2 months now, I've been working on an article, because of the fact
that Google Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge don't have a folder for
favorites but just have a database file.
This will finally, let people, no matter what browser they're using,
have, once more, their favorites, also called bookmarks, available in a
file, and they can do everything they did with Internet Explorer.
enjoy to your hearts content. While I'm using Internet Explorer for my
browser still, when the time comes and it surely will, for me to have to
use another browser, I'm all set to do just that!
enjoy!
Harry
Think You Cannot Use Any Browser Because there is not a favorites folder
with shortcuts in it, and think you have to get rid of the internet
because you cannot have any more favorites? Not so, there is a work around
by Harry Brown
note--This article can be coppied and spread everywhere!! I'm not in it
for the money, I'm in it to let folks worldwide, have the same
experience that they did, using internet explorer, but now, with *ANY*
browser, by using a favorites file!
introduction
A couple years ago, when Microsoft came out with the Microsoft browser,
and the folks at Google came out with Google Chrome, and the folks at
Mozilla came out with Firefox, I thought, "great, newer faster browsers,
can't wait to try them."
However, my joy and anticipation turned into frustration, and
depression. The frustration was, I found out that all 3 browsers use
what is called a database file, and that means, there are no shortcuts
in a favorites folder, like as is, with Internet Explorer, at least at
the time of this writing, on November 28, 2018.
Yours truly is a very, very busy man, and every second counts for me,
Monday through Friday, because of deadlines, to get things done. I loved
Internet Explorer, because of the fact, that as a keyboard user, I could
open my favorites folder, and use 2 or more letter navigation, to get to
a specific favorite in that folder. With the other 3 browsers, I have
not been able to do that, at least with the Jaws screen reader, because
of being blind, I need a screen reader to read my screen.
However, I know that not just blind people are frustrated about not
having a favorites folder, with shortcuts you can click on, but sighted
people are as well. Now I could down arrow all the way through my list
of over 200 favorites to get to a favorite, but that takes me about 5
minutes to do that, and with my time deadlines durring the day Monday
through Friday, I cannot do that.
However, I was also depressed, because I thought, "My output of things
being done will absolutely, slow me way down." I hate getting behind,
and, being behind, in what I do.
A friend, on an email list I'm on, told me what he did. He said he made
an html file, and showed me how to do it, but I got so confused on
typing html code, that I gave up on that idea, but I'm just pleased he
wanted to help.
However, thank God, an idea came to me, that is almost like his idea,
and you don't need to know, or to use, any html code. You can do this,
just using Word Pad! That's right, just Word Pad, and with just this
favorites file, (also called bookmarks file, but in this article, I will
call it favorites file), you can:
1. Put all of your favorites that you currently have, into the favorites
file.
2. Click on links to favorites in that file.
3. Add a new favorite any time to the end of that file.
4. Delete any favorite from that file.
5. Insert a new favorite into the file where it should be in the Alphabet.
6. Change the name of any favorite.
So, this is how to first create the favorites file:
step 1. Launch Word Pad.
step 2. Type the name of the file, I just called mine, favorites.
step 3. Now, press enter, to go to the next line in the file, and now,
the fun begins, and it really is fun, it was for me at least, since I
knew that I could now have my favorites back, the way I wanted them!
note--For this article, I'm using Internet Explorer, where my favorites
have been.
note--If this article is way too wordy, when talking about what keys to
press and when, I'm assuming that there are people out there who have
never used a computer before, and they're just starting out, and they
want to be able to still have their favorites like Internet Explorer,
but they don't know what keys to press, and, when to press other keys as
well.
section 1. putting all your favorites that you currently have, into yor
favorites file
step 1. Launch your browser.
step 2. Now, go to the first favorite that you have, but don't open it.
step 3. Now, press the f2 key and you'll be in the text for the name of
the first favorite.
step 4. Now, press the home key on the 6 pack of keys, because we want
to be at the beginning of the name of the favorite. If you're not sure
if you are at the beginning of the name, use your right arrow key 1
time, and use the left arrow key to go to the beginning of the name.
step 5. Now, we're going to select the full name of the favorite by
pressing the shift key and while we're holding that key down press the
end key, which is one of the keys on the 6 pack of keys.
step 6. Now, press the control key and while we're holding that key
down, press the letter c to copy the favorite name to the clipboard.
step 7. Now, we're going to press the escape key, to get back into the
list of favorites.
step 8. Now, we're going to press the alt key and while holding that key
down press the tab key because we want to go back into the Word Pad
window where the favorites file is.
step 9. Now, we're going to paste in the name of our 1st favorite into
the file, by pressing the control key and while holding that key down
we're going to press the letter v, and you should now see the name of
the first favorite. If you're a blind user, press down arrow, and it
will read you the name of the first favorite.
step 10. Now, press the enter key 1 time, to be on the next line of the
favorites file.
step 11. Now, we're going to press the alt key and while holding that
key down press the tab key, to go back into the browser, and you should
be again able to see the name of the first favorite. If you're a blind
user, and you're not sure, just use your down arrow key 1 time, then use
your up arrow key 1 time, till it says the name of that first favorite.
step 12. Now, we're going to press enter to load the web page of that
favorite.
step 13. Now, after that web page is fully loaded, we're going to press
the alt key and while holding that key down press the letter d because
we want the address of this web page, because that is what is going to
be the link for the favorite.
step 14. Now, we want to make sure we're at the beginning of the web
page address, so press the home key on the 6 pack of keys. If you're a
blind user, and you're not sure if you're at the beginning of the web
page address, use your right arrow key 1 time, then your left arrow key
till you get to the beginning of the name of the web page.
step 15. Now, we're going to copy the address for the web page to the
clipboard, by pressing the control key and while holding that key down
press the letter c.
step 16. Now, we're going to press for me, it is the f6 key, because we
want to get out of the address bar, and get back to the actual web page.
step 17. Now, press the alt key and while holding that key down press
the f4 key, and you should be back in the list of favorites.
step 18. Now, press the alt key and while holding that key down press
the tab key, to go back into the favorites file, window.
step 19. Now, we're going to make sure we are on that blank line, where
we can paste in the link address to that web page, and we'll do that by
pressing up arrow 1 time, then pressing down arrow 1 time, and you
should be on the blank line.
step 20. Now, we're going to paste in the link to our 1st favorite, by
pressing the control key and while holding that key down press the letter v.
step 21. Now, we're going to make sure the link is there by pressing the
up arrow key 1 time, then the down arrow key 1 time, and you should be
on the link to your first favorite.
step 22. Now, we're ready to do the next favorite, so, if you're on the
link to the first favorite, and you can make sure you're on it, by
pressing down arrow 2 times, and if it reads the same thing after the
2nd time you press down arrow, you are on the place where you need to be.
step 23. Now, press the end key, on the 6 pack of keys, to make sure
you're at the end of the address for that web page.
step 24. Now, press enter, to go to the next line in the file, where we
are going to put the 2nd favorite.
step 25. Now, we're going to press the alt key and while holding that
key down press the tab key, to go back to the window with our list of
favorites. If you're not sure that you are on the next favorite, just
press the up arrow 1 time, then, press down arrow till you are on the
2nd favorite.
step 26. Now, continue the process of adding more favorites to the
favorites file by going back to step 3 in this section, then do steps 3
through 25, and keep doing these steps until you have your entire list
of favorites in the favorites file.
step 27. After you're done putting favorites in the favorites file, and
press the alt key and while holding that key down press the f4 key to
close the favorites file, and word pad will ask you if you want to save
changes to document, and there is a yes button, and you do, so press enter.
step 28. Now you are placed in a text field, and the cursor should be at
the end of the document title that word pad usually gives a file, which
is document.rtf
We want to rename this file, so use your left arrow key to go back to
the period.
step 29. Now, press the backspace key and erase the word, document.
step 30. Now, type the word favorites
step 31. Now, press the tab key till you're on the save button, and
press enter, and the favorites file is saved, but we're not done yet.
step 32. Now, we want to put this favorites.rtf file on the desktop so
we can get to it easily, so go into your documents folder.
step 33. Now, press the letters fav
and it should go right to the favorites file. If not, down arrow to it.
step 34. Now, we're not going to open the favorites file, but instead,
press the shift key and while holding that key down press the f10 key to
get into the menu.
step 35. Now, press down arrow till you find send to submenu, and press
the right arrow key to open it.
step 36. Now, press down arrow until you find desktop create shortcut.
step 37. Now, press enter and you have now put a shortcut to the
favorites file on your desktop.
step 38. Now, go back to the desktop.
step 39. Now, find the favorites file shortcut, but don't open it.
step 40. Now, press f2 because we're going to make 1 change to the title
of this favorites shortcut.
step 41. Now, press the end key and you should be at the end of the
title of the shortcut.
step 42. Now, press the backspace key until you have erased the word
shortcut and the dash and the space before the dash and press enter.
Now, you're back on the desktop, and it says favorites! But we're still
not done, we have to do 1 more very important thing, and that is? Backup
the favorites file so we don't lose it if something happens to the
computer, so we'll do that now.
step 43. Now, go to the documents folder.
step 44. Now, press enter to open it.
step 45. Now, find the favorites file, but don't open it.
step 46. Now, we're going to copy the file to the clipboard by pressing
the control key and while holding that key down press the letter c
step 47. Now, find your external hard drive, or your thumb drive, or
wherever you back things up and press enter to open it.
step 48. Now, paste in the favorites file to that drive by pressing the
control key and while holding that key down press the letter v
Now, you've backed up your favorites file, so you won't lose it if
something happens to your computer!
section 2. clicking on a favorite
Since you now have your favorites all in this favorites file, let's try
to click on a favorite, and here's how to do that:
step 1. Open the favorites file.
step 2. press the control key and while you're holding that key down
press the letter f for find.
step 3. Now, we'll use multiple letter navigation, so type the first 2,
3, or 4, letters of a favorite.
step 4. Now, press enter, and you will be on the name of the favorite.
step 5. Now, down arrow to the link for that favorite.
step 6. Now, press the home key on the 6 pack of keys.
step 7. Then, press the left arrow key 1 time, then press the right
arrow key 1 time, and you should be on the first letter of the link,
which is h.
step 8. Now, press the right arrow key till you get past the http://, or
the https:// then press enter, and you should get asked, (I did from
word pad,) whether you want to open this link, and you do, so press the
enter key on yes button, and there you go, your specific favorite has
been opened!
However, what if, the web page address for the favorite, or bookmark, is
too long, and there is no link to click on, what do you do then?
Here's how to be able to get on those favorites or bookmarks:
step 1. Find a favorite you could not click on.
step 2. Now, down arrow to where the http starts.
step 3. Now, press the home key which is in the 6 pack of keys to make
sure you are at the beginning of the web page address for the link and
your cursor should be on the h where the http starts.
step 4. to make sure you're there, press the left arrow key 1 time, then
press the right arrow key 1 time, and you should be on the h.
step 5. Now, press the control key and while you're holding that key
down press the shift key and while you're holding that key down press
the right arrow key as many times as you need to, to select all of the
address for the web page you want to go to, and keep selecting until
there's a blank, and you'll see it, or, if you're blind, your screen
reader says the word blank, and when you see that blank, continue to
hold the shift key and the control key down, and press the left arrow
key 1 time to unselect the blank.
step 6. Now, let go of the shift key and press the control key and the
letter c to copy the web page address for that favorite to the clipboard.
step 7. Now, launch your browser of choice.
step 8. Now, press the control key and while holding that key down press
the letter v to paste into the browsers address bar the web page address
for the favorite.
step 9. Now, press the enter key and the web page for that favorite or
bookmark should load.
That's how you do it, if you cannot click on the link to a favorite in
your favorites file.
section 3. How to add a new favorite to the file?
step 1. Open the favorites file.
step 2. Now, start your browser of choice.
step 3. Now, type a web site you want to go to, and press enter. For
example, I'm going to use
www.weather.com
step 4. After the web page has loaded, press the control key and while
you're holding that key down press the home key to go to the top of the
web page. We want to do this, because we want to see what the web page
title is.
step 5. Now, press the home key, to make sure we are at the beginning of
the title of the web page. If you're not sure if you are at the
beginning of the title, press the right arrow key 1 time, then press the
left arrow key, 2 times, and you should be at the beginning of the web
page title.
step 6. Now, we're going to press the shift key and while we're holding
that key down we're going to press the end key, which will select the
text of the title of the web page.
step 7. Now, we will copy the web page title to the clipboard by
pressing the control key and while holding that key down we'll press
the letter c.
step 8. Now, we're going to press the alt key and the tab key, to go
back into the favorites file.
step 9. Now, we want to add this favorite to the favorites file, so I
will press the control key and while holding that key down I'll press
the home key, which takes me to the bottom of the favorites file, and
the last link I pasted into the favorites file. Just to be sure, I'll
press the down arrow key, and I'll hear or sea the link address for the
web page.
step 10. Now, we want to go to the end of the line that link address for
the web page is, so press the end key. If you're not sure if you're at
the end of the line for that link to the web page address, just press
the left arrow key 1 time, then, press the right arrow key 1 time and
you should be on a blank space.
step 11. Now, we want to go to the next line of the favorites file, so
press enter and it will do that.
step 12. Now, press the control key and while you're holding that key
down press the letter v to paste in the title for the favorite.
step 13, Now, press the alt key and while you're holding that key down
press the tab key to go back to the web page.
step 14. Now, press the alt key and while you're holding that key down
press the letter d and the web page address for the favorite appears.
step 15. Now, press the home key to go to the beginning of the web page
address.
step 16. Now, press the control key and while you're holding that key
down press the letter c to copy the web page address for the favorite to
the clipboard.
step 17. Now, press the alt key and while you're holding that key down
press the tab key to go back to the web page.
step 18. Now, press the f6 key to get out of the web page address.
step 19. Now, press the alt key and while you're holding that key down
press the tab key to go back into the favorites file.
step 20. Now, press down arrow, and you should be on the line that says
the web page title.
step 21. Now, press the end key to be at the end of the line of the
title of the web page favorite.
step 22. Now, press enter to go to the next line of the favorites file.
step 23. Now, press the control key and while you're holding that key
down press the letter v to paste in the link for the new favorite.
step 24. Now, press the alt key and while you're holding that key down
press the f4 key, to close the favorites file, and word pad will ask you
if you want to save it, and it will say save button and you press the
space bar or the enter key. Now, you're new favorite has been added to
the favorites file!
section 4. Deleting a favorite from the favorites file
In this section, I'm going to talk about how to delete a favorite,
(bookmark), from the file. When I did my own favorites file, there were
24 favorites that no longer existed when I checked them out. So, here's
how to delete a favorite from your file:
step 1. Open the file.
step 2. Find a favorite you want to delete by pressing the control key
and while you're holding that key down press the letter f for find.
step 3. Now, type the first letter, 2 letters, or 3 letters of the name
of the favorite.
step 4. Now, press enter and you should be at the favorite name.
step 5. Now, press the home key.
step 6. Now, press the left arrow key 1 time, and then press the right
arrow key 1 time and you should be on the name of the favorite.
step 7. Now, press the shift key and while you're holding that key down,
press the down arrow key and you will be selecting the name of the
favorite, and also the link of the favorite. You will know when you're
done selecting lines when you see or when you hear the name of the next
favorite, and if you do hear the name of the next favorite, just press
the up arrow key wile you are holding down that shift key, and it will
unselect the name of the next favorite.
step 8. Now, press the delete key and the favorite you wanted to delete
from the file is now deleted!
section 5. Insert a new favorite into the file where it should be in the
Alphabet.
In section 3, we added a favorite to the file, at the end of the file,
but if you wanted to add a favorite to the file, but what if you want it
to be alphabetically correct, meaning, where it should be in the
alphabet? Well, I have great news, you can do that, I do it all the
time, and here's how to do it:
step 1. Launch your browser of choice, for this example, I'll use
Internet Explorer.
step 2. Now, type in a web page.
step 3. Now, press enter to go to that page.
step 4. Now, press the control key and while you're holding that key
down press the home key, to go to the top of the web page, because that
is where the title of the web page is.
step 5. Now, press the control key, and you'll be at the beginning of
the web page title. If you're not sure if you're at the beginning of the
web page title, press the left arrow key, and if you see or hear the
first character of the web page title twice, then you are indeed, at the
beginning of the web page title.
step 6. Now, press the shift key and while you're holding that key down
press the end key, and you will have selected the title of the web page.
step 7. Now, press the control key and while you're holding that key
down press the letter c to copy the web page title to the clipboard.
step 8. Now, open the favorites file.
step 9. Now, we want to go to the place in the alphabet where we can
insert the new favorite , so, you press the control key and while you're
holding that key down press the letter f for find.
step 10. Now, we want to type the first 2 or 3 letters of a favorite
that's already in the file where the first letter is the letter we want
to go to in the alphabet. For example, the new favorite I want to insert
starts with l, so I will type the letters lib because I already have a
favorite in the letter l that says library.
step 11. Now, press the enter key and there I am and it says library.
note--If you have more than 1 occurance of a favorite that has the
first 2 or 3 letters but it's before the first letter where you want to
go to, press the f3 key till you find the favorite with the first 2 or 3
letters in the file where you want to be. For example, when I pressed
enter the word library already is in one of my favorites under the
letter c, so, I had to press the f3 key 1 more time, and it took me to
the favorite that says the word library.
step 12. Now, press the down arrow key till you find the place in the
file where you want to insert the new favorite name. For example, I had
to press down arrow a few times till I found the favorite that starts
with the letters lon, because the new favorite I want to insert has the
title of local and regional weather.
step 13. Now, to be sure you're on the correct line in the favorites
file, press the up arrow key 1 time, and it should say the link to the
last favorite before where you are now.
step 14. Now, press the down arrow key 1 time, and you should be back on
the line where you are going to insert the new favorite title.
step 15. Now, press the home key and you should be at the beginning of
the line where you want to insert the new favorite title. If you're not
sure, press the left arrow key 1 time, then press the right arrow key
and you should be on the first letter of the favorite that's already there.
step 16. Now, press the enter key 2 times because we are going to insert
2 blank lines, right here, to put our new favorite title and the address
for the web page for our new favorite.
step 17. Now, press the up arrow key 2 times, so we can be at the place
in the file to paste in our new favorites title.
step 18. Now, Press the control key and while you're holding down that
key press the letter v to paste in the new favorite title.
step 19. Now, press the up arrow key and you should see or hear the
first line of the name of your new favorite.
step 20. Now, press the down arrow key to go down to the blank line
where we want to put in the web page address for this new favorite.
step 21. Now, press the alt key and while you're holding that key down
press the tab key to go back to your web page in your browser.
step 22. Now, press the control key and while you're holding that key
down press the letter d which will put you in the address bar, where the
web page address is for your new favorite.
step 23. Now, press the home key to take you to the first character of
the web page address. If you're not sure if you're at the first
character of the web page address of the new favorite, press the home
key 1 time and then press the left arrow key 2 times just to make sure
you're at the beginning of the web page address.
step 24. Now, press the shift key and while you're holding down that key
press the end key and now yu have selected the web page address of your
new favorite.
step 25. Now, press the control key and while you're holding that key
down press the letter c to copy the web page address to the clipboard.
step 26. Now, press the alt key and while you're holding that key down
press the tab key, to go back into the window that has your favorites file.
step 27. Now, let's make sure we are on the blank line to paste in the
web page address for our new favorite, so press the up arrow key 1 time.
step 28. Now, press the down arrow key 1 time and you should be on the
blank line.
step 29. Now, press the control key and while you're holding that key
down press the letter v to paste in the address for the web page of your
new favorite.
You have now just inserted a new favorite into the favorites file, right
where it needs to be in the alphabet!
section 6. Change the name of any favorite
Most of the time, people save a favorite, and don't change the name of
it. But what if you want to do that? You can do that, in your favorites
file, and here's how:
step 1. Open the favorites file.
step 2. Press the control key and while you're holding that key down
press the letter f for find command.
step 3. Type the first 2 or 3 characters of the file name so you can
find it.
step 3. Now, press enter and you should be on the line where the name of
the favorite is.
step 4. Now, press the escape key, and you should be out of the find
dialogue box, and on the line of the favorite name.
step 5. If you're not sure, press the up arrow key 1 time.
step 6. Now, press the down arrow key 1 time, and you'll be on the line
of the favorite name.
step 7. Now, we're going to make sure we are at the beginning of the
favorite name by pressing the home key.
step 8. Now, press the left arrow key 1 time.
step 9. Now, press the right arrow key 1 time and you will be on the
first character of the favorite name.
step 10. Now, you can press the shift key and wile you're holding that
key down press the end key
step 11. Then press the delete key and the whole line is deleted .
step 12. then, you can type the new name of the favorite.
note--If your favorite name is 2 or more lines of text, press the shift
key and while you're holding that key down press the down arrow key and
you can delete more than 1 line of the favorite name. Then, you can type
the new name of the favorite.
note--If you just want to change a few words in the favorite name, press
the control key, and while you're holding that key down, press the shift
key, and while you're holding that key down, press the right arrow key
and continue pressing the right arrow key to select as many words of the
favorite name as you want to delete.
step 13. then press the delete key and those words you selected are
deleted. For this example, I'm on a favorite name that says all news and
views
I want to get rid of the 1st word in the name of the favorite, so, I'll
press control shift right arrow 1 time and press the delete key and the
word all is deleted and I'm on the letter n for the word news.
step 14. Now, when you're done renaming the favorite, press the alt key
and while you're holding that key down press the f4 key to close the
favorites file, and it will ask you if you want to save it, and you do,
and it says save button, and press space bar or enter and the favorites
file has been saved, with the favorite renamed!
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