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

ID: Q241911

This article discusses a Beta release of a Microsoft product. The information in this article is provided as-is and is subject to change without notice.

No formal product support is available from Microsoft for this Beta product. For information about obtaining support for a Beta release, please see the documentation included with the Beta product files, or check the Web location from which you downloaded the release.

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.01 for Windows 95
Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.01 for Windows 98
Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.01 for Windows NT 4.0
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

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

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.

Additional query words:

Keywords :
Version : WINDOWS:2000,5.01
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbinfo