Disable Suggested Sites in Internet Explorer 8 | IE8 Tips

Disabling and Removing Suggested Sites in Internet Explorer 8

For users of Internet Explorer 8, whether by necessity or preference, the presence of the Suggested Sites feature within the Favorites Bar can be disruptive. This guide details the process of disabling this feature and its subsequent removal from the Toolbar.

Turning Off Suggested Sites

Suggested Sites is a functionality integrated into Internet Explorer 8, and pre-installed with Windows 7. It aims to assist users in discovering websites similar to those they are currently visiting.

When active, your browsing history is transmitted to Microsoft for comparison against an updated database of related sites. To deactivate this feature, navigate to Tools, then select Internet Options.

Within Internet Options, select the Advanced tab. Scroll down the list of options until you locate "Enable Suggested Sites." Uncheck this box to disable the feature, and then click Ok to save your changes.

Following this adjustment, clicking on Suggested Sites will confirm its disabled status. The option to re-enable it remains available should you choose to do so.

Removing Suggested Sites from the Favorites Bar

Beyond simply disabling the feature, you may also wish to remove it entirely from your Favorites Bar. This can be accomplished with a simple right-click action.

Right-click directly on the "Suggested Sites" entry within the Favorites Bar and select "Delete" from the context menu.

A confirmation dialog will appear. Click "Yes" to confirm the deletion.

With these steps completed, the Suggested Sites feature is both deactivated and removed from your Favorites Bar.

For individuals concerned about data tracking by Microsoft, disabling Suggested Sites offers a straightforward solution. This approach also effectively eliminates its presence on the Favorites Bar for those who do not utilize the feature.