I have been going nuts for the last month or so trying to figure out how to make the status bar at the bottom of the browser appear by default when I open a new window. Tonight I found the answer:

1) With (only one) IE open, click View, select: Status Bar
2) Right-click on IE's Toolbar and select: "Lock the Toolbar"
3) Hold down the Ctrl key and click the close button (upper right)
4) Open Windows Explorer, click View, select: Status Bar
5) Right-click on Explorer's Toolbar and select: "Lock the Toolbar"
6) Click Tools | Folder Options | View tab
7) Click the "Apply to all folders" button.
8) Hold down the Ctrl key and click the close button (upper right)
9) Open IE to any page, right-click on a link and select: "Open in New Window" to make sure the above steps worked.


(The status bar is the little space at the bottom of the screen that displays what the web address of a link is before you click on it.)