# All icons / shortcuts have stopped working??



## famousbelgian (May 18, 2009)

All my taskbar icons, desktop shortcuts have stopped working all of a sudden. Start programs does not get me into any programs either. The only way I can run any program is by typing it into the Start search box (for example, iexplore or wlmail or mbam, etc).

I have been running Windows 7 Professional for just under a year on a new PC, with regular updates to the OS. Up to date AVG Free and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware both show clean scans.

Right-click, then properties, on the desktop shortcuts show the correct path. Clicking on icons in the bottom taskbar gives message "Can't open this item. It might have been moved, renamed, or deleted. Do you want to remove this item?". Double-clicking on ANY desktop shortcuts gets no response of any kind.

Can anybody help please?

Marc


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## jenae (Jun 17, 2008)

Hi, run the attached .zip file then right click on the returned.reg file and select "merge" this will restore default registry settings (perfectly safe) Restart.

http://www.techsupportforum.com/att...ciated-lnk-extension-notepad-arggh-lnkzip.zip


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## famousbelgian (May 18, 2009)

Thanks for that, but that has not made any difference, sorry ...

I've tried to set up another User Account, but same story on the new one.


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## jenae (Jun 17, 2008)

Hi, that was by design, we now need to repair your .exe associations, same deal right click run "merge" Restart

View attachment 82896


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## famousbelgian (May 18, 2009)

Got error message as follows : "Cannot import ... Default_EXE.reg. Not all data was succesfully written to the registry. Some keys are open by the system or other processes".

All programs, except File Manager from which to run the file, were closed at the time. Restarted computer, same symptoms.

Marc


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## jenae (Jun 17, 2008)

Hi, try again this time in safe mode.


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## famousbelgian (May 18, 2009)

Sorry for the delay, just got home. Same error message in Safe Mode.


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## famousbelgian (May 18, 2009)

I'm kind of at the limit of my knowledge here I think, but here goes ...

I can't get the PC in Safe Mode by pressing F8 at boot time, so I searched the Internet and put it in Safe Mode by opening MSCONFIG and selecting Safe Boot (I did the same earlier by the way).

Once in Safe Mode (Windows 7 GUI but everything looks much larger), I opened REGEDIT and did File, Import and selected the file I had saved to desktop and renamed exeFix (when I called it exeFix.reg it seemed to save itself in Properties as exeFix.reg.reg so I just called it exeFix).

I got the same error message as before ......

Marc


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## famousbelgian (May 18, 2009)

Hi, I managed to do what you said by going in with the Windows 7 DVD. Entered repair mode, went to command prompt and launched REGEDIT, imported exeFix.reg from Desktop, and got a positive successful message. Then rebooted from Hard Drive.

Still the same problem I'm afraid ....

Marc


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## jenae (Jun 17, 2008)

Hi, delete Icon cache and create a new one:-

Go to Start all programs accessories and right click on command prompt select “run as administrator”


```
At the prompt type:-  taskkill /im explorer.exe /f  press enter
 (Your desktop will go blank)

Now type each line and press enter after each line. 
Note the spaces.

CD %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local

attrib -h IconCache.db

del IconCache.db

Shutdown /r
```
If this fails then create a new user account log off and log on to the new account ...what happens?


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## famousbelgian (May 18, 2009)

Hi again, well that all went OK but had no effect, sorry. I tried to create another User Account but it won't let me now? I have created another Account called Test before I reported the issue on the forum so I don't really understand why it won't let me now. When I go into Control Panel and try and create a new User, there is no response at all. But I can click on the options to the left and right and they work, i.e. Change Password. This is weird...

Marc


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## jenae (Jun 17, 2008)

Hi, your computer does appear to be quite messed up I think you should post in our security forum, to be sure OR what I would do is a fresh install.


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