How do you get a bookmarklet to work?

January 7, 2005 7:47 AM

How do you get a bookmarklet to work? I try "dagging and dropping the link" to my links bar, but the link just doesn't drag. Is there an IE setting that you have to enable to allow dragging and dropping of links like bookmarklets?
posted by Doohickie to Computers & Internet (17 answers total)

WORKSFORME, IE 6.0.2900.2180.xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158. Hold down the left mouse button on any link and move the mouse to start dragging it. You should get an international "no" sign immediately since you can't drop the link on the content area.

What happens?

Disclaimer to keep geek cred: I use Firefox and had to start IE to test this
posted by grouse at 7:54 AM on January 7, 2005

Nuthin. Damn.
posted by Doohickie at 7:59 AM on January 7, 2005

This is not a particular bookmarklet that you're having a problem with, right?

You can click and drag any link to your links taskbar at the top of the IE window. My Links taskbar is kind of off the screen.... is yours? Maybe you can't see the taskbar?
posted by ajpresto at 8:06 AM on January 7, 2005

I can't drag them either. I've tried locking and unlocking my taskbar - nothing. There's no NO icon, either - nothing at all happens. Maybe there's something in our security settings that needs to be changed, Doohickie.

Also, did you know that you can still right-click on a bookmarklet link, and then pick "add to favorites"? You can then use the bookmark from your Favorites menu? That's what I do.
posted by iconomy at 8:20 AM on January 7, 2005

Also, did you know that you can still right-click on a bookmarklet link, and then pick "add to favorites"? You can then use the bookmark from your Favorites menu? That's what I do.

If you do "add to favorites" then click "create in >>" you can tell it to go to the Links bar.

But, yeah, I can't drag them either, either.
posted by ajpresto at 8:27 AM on January 7, 2005

Tools > Internet Options...
Security > Custom Level...
Drag and drop or copy and paste files > Enable

Found via the first hit on Google for "can't drag" "internet explorer"
posted by grouse at 8:32 AM on January 7, 2005

Don't know about Doohickie, but I have that enabled. I checked about 5 minutes ago ;)
posted by iconomy at 8:35 AM on January 7, 2005

grouse - that didn't help for javascript links. That is enabled on mine and I still can't drag a bookmarklet...
posted by ajpresto at 8:37 AM on January 7, 2005

ajpresto: I have reproduced your behavior by adding bookmarklets.com to Restricted Sites and then enabling Drag and drop or copy and paste files for that zone. There must be another security setting that is specifically preventing Javascripts from being dragged. You will have to figure out which one it is by guessing, process of elimination, or Google.
posted by grouse at 9:00 AM on January 7, 2005

You can right-click and "add to favorites." Check out BugMeNot's tutorial on installing their bookmarklet.
posted by revgeorge at 9:01 AM on January 7, 2005

ajpresto: Oops, no Javascript links don't work either for me. Maybe it is a new feature of SP2. I guess you should do what everyone else has said and use the Favorites route or switch to Firefox. Or ask on comp.os.ms-windows or all of the above.
posted by grouse at 9:08 AM on January 7, 2005

iconomy- That "Add to Favorites" method works. As long as I have something that works, I'm happy. Thanks everyone for the inputs.
(Question answered to asker's satisfaction.)
posted by Doohickie at 9:30 AM on January 7, 2005

The add to favorites method is okay but I'm still hoping that someone will drop in and reveal the magic security setting that will allow drag & drop into the toolbar for bookmarklets, it's been driving me crazy recently.
posted by palegirl at 12:44 PM on January 7, 2005

Survey: is everyone who is having trouble dragging javascript links using Windows XP SP2?
posted by grouse at 4:03 PM on January 7, 2005

I am.
posted by iconomy at 4:22 PM on January 7, 2005

grouse - this morning's experiment was on a computer without SP2. XP Pro, though.
posted by ajpresto at 5:19 PM on January 7, 2005

Yes, SP2 on XP & XP Pro
posted by Doohickie at 7:59 PM on January 7, 2005