If you didn't already know, the favorites used by Internet Explorer are actually INI files.ﾠ I found this out, if I didn't know it previously and just forgot, when I was working on a file manager program and needed a way for Mozilla users to be able to read URL files uploaded by Internet Explorer users.

When I used CFDUMP to review the contents of an uploaded URL file, I found a perfectly formed INI layout that I could then use to redirect any browser to the intended website!

For example an Internet Explorer URL file to this site would look like this:

[DEFAULT]
BASEURL=http://fergusondigital.com/blog/
[{000214A0-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
Prop3=19,2
[InternetShortcut]
URL=http://fergusondigital.com/blog/
IDList=
IconFile=http://fergusondigital.com/favicon.ico
IconIndex=1

In a ColdFusion application, you can use GetProfileString and retrieve the value of InternetShortCut URL. Not sure this would be helpful anywhere else, other than to just read the contents of an Internet Explorer URL.ﾠ The contents of any URL can be read using Notepad.

If you find this post useful please leave a comment and let me know how you used the information.