Why Do My Favorites & History Sometimes Disappear?
Internet browsers generally keep a record of the sites a user browses, know as the history. Most browsers allow a user to retrieve the browsing history for several days. Favorites are chosen by a user, and a browser will record of them in a bookmark, icon or sidebar, if the user directs. There are several things that can cause history or favorites to disappear.
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Power Outage
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If a power outage occurs while the computer is in use, and sometimes if the outage occurs while it is not in use, it can affect the performance of the computer and browser. There are recorded incidents of users losing history and favorites data when a power outage affected their computers.
New Install or Reset
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If anyone who uses a computer installs a new version of a web browser or resets the settings on a current browser, all formerly saved information is lost. Either of these two operations would cause a browser to lose history and favorites.
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Different Browser
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Some Internet users are not aware of the many different browsers available. History, favorites and saved passwords are unique to each browser. Therefore, if a user saved a favorite in the Firefox browser, it will not show up in the Explorer browser or the Safari browser. If the history or favorites expected are not present, check to be sure that you are using the same browser as you did on previous Internet searches.
Add-ons
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Browsers like Firefox or Explorer have "add-ons" created by third-party developers that speed certain processes while browsing the Internet. For example, add-ons may manage peoples' bookmarks or allow a user to download multiple files at once. Sometimes these add-ons clear the browser's memory at install, erasing favorites or history.
Clearing Cache
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If a user clears the cache in the Internet browser he is using, the history, auto-fill options and favorites may also disappear. A user may be instructed to clear the cache if a website is having trouble loading, there is a danger of someone hacking an account or if the user has used a financial website. While this procedure does clear any passwords or personal information from the browser, it also clears other "remembered" information such as history and favorites.
Virus
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Viruses are malevolent software programs that lurk in some Internet websites. Sometimes visiting the sites activates a virus, and other times downloading a picture or program activates a virus. It is difficult to know when a computer gets a virus or what the consequences will be. Some viruses erase history and favorites.
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References
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