How to Remove Default Feeds from the Common Feeds List

Published by: Codrut Nistor, in Tips & Tricks

October31st2007

Vista's sidebar can prove a useful tool in many situations, for example when you want to have latest news delivered on your desktop in real time, but there's one problem - the default RSS feeds included by Microsoft in the sidebar gadget may not be exactly what you need... so some changes are needed, of course!

The only problem is that the Common Feed List, Microsoft's innovation that allows more programs to use same feeds without having to import or export using OPML files, isn't as flexible as expected, and removing the default feeds from the gadget is a real challenge. Anyway, this is not a challenge that Windows users won't defeat, so let's see how can we remove the default RSS feeds from the Common Feed List, shall we?
Not quite a lot of choices

While you won't need to edit the registry, write any line of code to use in a script or something like that, the solution that we have for you involves using "a hidden path", and by that I mean that you have to use Internet Explorer to perform the changes. How? Here's your answer...

- Open Internet Explorer.

- Tap Alt+C to bring up the Favorites Center.

- Left click on Feeds to open the Feeds window.

- Expand the Microsoft Feeds folder and delete the ones you don't need.

- Go back to your Vista desktop and check the gadget to see the changes.

As you probably imagine, adding new feeds is done the same way - you open Internet Explorer, add new items in the Common Feeds List, and then you'll be able to select them in the Feed Headlines gadget. Good luck!