Syncing IE Bookmarks with Windows Mobile 6.5

Synchronizing Internet Explorer favorites between a desktop PC and a Windows Mobile 6.5 device relied on dedicated desktop synchronization software—primarily Windows Mobile Device Center on Windows Vista and Windows 7, or Microsoft ActiveSync on Windows XP. By establishing a local synchronization partnership and enabling the "Favorites" data type, users could automatically mirror desktop IE web bookmarks directly to Pocket Internet Explorer on their smartphone through a physical USB or wireless Bluetooth connection.

The Synchronization Software Bridge

To exchange data, the desktop operating system required a bridge to interpret Windows Mobile's file system and system registries. On Windows XP, this was handled by ActiveSync (typically version 4.5 for later devices), while Windows Vista and Windows 7 utilized the Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC). When the Windows Mobile 6.5 device was connected, the software initiated a handshake to identify the device and offered the user a setup wizard to configure synchronization partnerships for items like Contacts, Calendar, E-mail, and Favorites.

The "Mobile Favorites" Directory

Rather than copying an entire, potentially unwieldy desktop bookmark collection to a resource-constrained mobile phone, the synchronization provider integrated directly with desktop Internet Explorer's native storage. The software generated a dedicated folder within the desktop browser's bookmark path (C:\Users\<Username>\Favorites\Mobile Favorites).

Users managed what transferred to their phone by organizing links within this specific folder. Desktop Internet Explorer even included a dedicated command or import mechanism to save links directly into the "Mobile Favorites" location for automatic transfer.

Data Translation and File Placement

During the sync process, the desktop software read the internet shortcut (.url) files stored in the desktop's "Mobile Favorites" directory. Using the ActiveSync synchronization provider protocols, the system transmitted these records across the physical cable or Bluetooth link to the mobile device.

On Windows Mobile 6.5, the operating system stored browser bookmarks directly in the internal device storage, mapped to the path \Windows\Favorites. The incoming files were written to this directory, matching the hierarchy set up on the PC. Once placed, Pocket Internet Explorer instantly recognized the files, displaying them within the mobile browser's favorites menu without requiring manual import or browser restarts.

Bidirectional Updating

The transfer protocol was bidirectional. If a user bookmarked a website directly on Windows Mobile 6.5, the mobile operating system wrote a new shortcut file into \Windows\Favorites. Upon the next sync cycle, the desktop sync software detected the new mobile record, retrieved it, and created a corresponding .url file inside the desktop PC's "Mobile Favorites" folder, keeping both environments aligned.