# broken internet shortcuts?



## billbobdole (Jul 20, 2003)

after changing my IE shortcuts so they'd open in Camino, i noticed that instead of going to the site, the file's address is "file:///localhost..etc" and then actually 'downloads' itself into an IE shortcut on the desktop.  opening this in IE, i get ANOTHER localfile that has the body of:

"[internet shortcut]
url: http://...etc"

have i hosed this bookmark file somehow?  the only way i've been able to get it to work is to copy the addy out of the page and past into the url.  i have *thousands* of links that i use everyday, so that's not really an option..

heeeelp!
thx


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## billbobdole (Jul 21, 2003)

anyone?  this kinda brings my workflow to a screeching halt, and causes a severe dislike for apple.


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## bobw (Jul 21, 2003)

An IE shortcut is a shortcut for IE, not another application.

Import the IE bookmarks into Camino.


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## billbobdole (Jul 21, 2003)

ok - weird how it changed the default app in even the burnt cd's!  vexxing to say the least.

i didn't see a way in camino to import multiple bookmarks at a time.  maybe someone's written an app for it..

hopefully i won't be stuck with IE forever...


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## DeltaMac (Jul 21, 2003)

Is a shortcut the same as an IE Favorite?  If so, then Favorites can be directly imported into Camino, under the Camino menu. When I choose Import, Camino shows the IE favorites file first by default!?  Does that info help?


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## bobw (Jul 21, 2003)

Run Camino, choose Manage Bookmarks from the Bookmarks menu, and choose Import Bookmarks from the submenu. In the resulting file dialog, choose the bookmarks file you wish to import, and click Open. The bookmarks will be imported.


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## billbobdole (Jul 21, 2003)

hmm i can manage bookmarks in the sidebar, but if i drag a .url file over, it's still a localhost file.  if i choose import bookmark under the camino (0.7) menu, the url files are greyed out - regardless is the ".url" is appended to the filename.  idears?


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## DeltaMac (Jul 21, 2003)

Now I understand. You have a folderful of .url link files, not favorites or bookmarks at all.   
OK, expert I'm not, but someone may be able to answer this question.  How does one convert URL link files to bookmarks. Do you need to create bookmarks individually? or a faster way with a large number.
Make things easier on yourself and use bookmarks.  The browser is better designed to work with those rather than large numbers of .url link files.


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## bobw (Jul 21, 2003)

I just noticed that Camino won't import Safari bookmarks


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## DeltaMac (Jul 21, 2003)

Yes, Safari uses a different bookmark file structure.   Some of the browser utilities out there should be able to easily handle this.?


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## billbobdole (Jul 21, 2003)

these are actually IE url files - is that the same structure as safari urls?

yea i've got a few thousand of these buggers - and i'd just looove to stop using IE just for this


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## DeltaMac (Jul 21, 2003)

Take a look at the app called 'Finder Bookmarks', this might take care of your situation. Just saw it listed on versiontracker.  Looks like a tool to organize your .url files!
If you try this, Look in to the Help menu for assistance, there's a lot of good info there about converting collections of files.


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## billbobdole (Jul 21, 2003)

from Finder Bookmark icons help:

"You can drag a Web Location onto the Finder Bookmarks icon, either on the dock or in a folder."

simply doesn't highlight, in ANY way.  looking at the info for a file that DOES import into this program, the kind is "Web Internet Location"

the info for these IE files simply says  kind: "LINK"

i tried setting it to open these "LINK" files in Finder Bookmark, but it didn't do anything.  opening a LINK file in camino simply re-downloads the .url to the desktop, which makes the file a "Web Site Location" which ALSO *cannot* be opened with this finder bookmarks program - it saves this .url file as a Safari file, which will properly open in safari.  but i see no utility that will convert safari url files to camino.  just a camino->safari exporter....

*sigh*

continuing to bang on it, since i ain't gettin much work done hehe.  i don't use IE anymore because (other than the fact it sucks sh*t) the sites these point to have popups.  uncool when opening hundreds a day 

thx for the help so far, guys.  keep it comin'!


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## Lycander (Jul 21, 2003)

Here we go:

In Internet Explorer:
Click the Favorites menu, then click on Organize Favorites (that menu item itself and not one of the sub menus). A new window with your favorites should pop up. With that window selected, go into the File menu and select Export. The Import/Export menu items are usually greyed out, you have to have that Favorites window open in order for those actions to be usable.

When you select Export, it'll open a File Save dialog to save an HTML file. All it is, is an HTML file with each favorite outputted as HTML <a> tags. Use this HTML file to import into any other web browser. Do like bobw said, in Camino open the bookmarks side bar then under the Camino menu select Import Bookmarks and select that HTML file you just saved.


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## DeltaMac (Jul 22, 2003)

Unfortunately, a .url link file is not well supported by the Mac apparently. OS X works really well with internet location files or .html files.  What steps have you followed to create these files?

The Internet Location files used by most Mac browsers are easily created (just click and drag the address line to the desktop, or to a convenient folder, and it's then available for use) and is apparently the file used by Finder Bookmarks
Lycander: these files are not bookmarks at all.
billbobdole: This would be a much simpler change-over working with bookmarks or favorites. It's unfortunate to have a big collection of files that won't export to a usable format by other browsers.  That being said, there must be a way to convert these .url link files to web internet location files (without opening each link in IE and creating Favorite).
Have you set your default web browser to Camino (in Internet Prefs pane)?

I'd still like to know what an IE shortcut is (and is not a Favorite), there doesn't seem to be a way to actually create one from IE,  anybody know?


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## billbobdole (Jul 22, 2003)

ok i guess i shoulda been more specific.  these are actually the .webloc files which i create by dragging the icon next to the address line (in camino) to the desktop.  the finder calls this a Web Inter Location, and opens only in the browser, not in, say bbedit.

see:

http://www.latext.com/blog/2003/05/05.html#a253

yet this process described here doesn't work - camino open the local file and immediately downloads it to the desktop as a .url file, which is not progress.

THIS guy's comment to this trick actually works, where explorer will make .webloc files:

http://radiocomments2.userland.com/...tp://www.latext.com/blog/2003/05/05.html#a253

search google for a conversion solution as we type    and lol at my use of "simpler" heh - grammer goes out the window when i'm flustered


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## DeltaMac (Jul 22, 2003)

I found a solution!  If you drag that webloc file to an open browser window, it opens that web location immediately. I tested it by dragging a web address to the desktop from IE, opening Camino, dragging file to the browser window, (not to address line, but anywhere in web window area) tried several, allwroked. I hope this is something that will help you!


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## billbobdole (Jul 22, 2003)

yea i got that to work - now it's just a matter of converting IE .url files (the file made from dragging the icon [next to the address line] to the desktop) into .webloc files.


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## Lycander (Jul 22, 2003)

Save yourself the trouble and just do what I suggested:



> _Originally posted by Lycander _
> *Here we go:
> 
> In Internet Explorer:
> ...


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## DeltaMac (Jul 22, 2003)

Lycander, these are not bookmarks (or favorites, for  that matter)! Read the logs again!


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## DeltaMac (Jul 22, 2003)

I just re-checked IE (seldom use it, anymore).  If you drag the address icon, you get a .url (what you have). If you drag the address (not the icon), you get a web internet location file (this is the one that can be used with other browsers) IE doesn't seem to mention anything about the webloc type files in their help files.
The Shortcut .url files are just a text file with the url address.  These could be pasted into a document that automatically creates links for web addresses (most any word processor). But with thousands, would take hours or days.


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## billbobdole (Jul 23, 2003)

arg still stumped!  but i've got some smartass mofo's on the case..


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## billbobdole (Jul 29, 2003)

ARG i can't believe i'm restricted to fukn IE until i solve this.  christ


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## DeltaMac (Jul 29, 2003)

Unfortunate that IE allows you to create shortcuts that are specific to IE only. Have you started changing them over to an easier-to-export format?  That would be the solution, leave IE open, but only to open web shortcuts, then change over to webloc files (then delete the old unneeded url shortcut). Have you tried searching through MS web help at MS web site? There may be a way to convert these.


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