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Description of the Reuse Windows for Launching Shortcuts Setting in Internet Explorer 5.01

Article ID: 241911 - View products that this article applies to.

This article was previously published under Q241911

SUMMARY

Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 contains a new setting on the Advanced tab of the Internet Options properties window named Reuse windows for launching shortcuts. This article describes the new setting and how it can be used.

MORE INFORMATION

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322756

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/ )

How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

The Reuse windows for launching shortcuts setting is used to determine whether a new or existing instance of Internet Explorer is used when exploring a Web site using one of the following methods:

Double-clicking an Internet shortcut (.url file) from within Windows Explorer.
Opening a URL by clicking Start, and then clicking Run.
Using a desktop toolbar, such as the Address or Links bar.

When this setting is selected, an open instance of Internet Explorer is used to display any Web site loaded using the above methods. If the setting is cleared, then the above methods start a new instance of Internet Explorer.

This setting is selected by default, resulting in behavior consistent with prior versions of Internet Explorer.

NOTE: When exploring Web sites through the Favorites menu or Links toolbar, the existing instance of Internet Explorer is always used, regardless of whether the Reuse windows for launching shortcuts setting is selected. Similarly, clicking hyperlinks in e-mail programs such as in Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Outlook Express always opens a new instance of Internet Explorer.

Selecting the Reuse windows for launching shortcuts setting sets the following value in the registry to 1:

   Key Name: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main 
   Value Name: AllowWindowReuse

NOTE: The context-sensitive Help item for this new setting is incorrect, as the context-sensitive Help item for the Display a notification about every script error setting is displayed instead.

This issue may be resolved in a future release of Internet Explorer.