Desktop Icons Open File Security Warning

This issue just started about noon today. I can click on "some" of my desktop icons and get a warning =
Open File - Security Warning asking me if I want to open this file. I used system restore but no help. I even backed up a cloned hard drive that I knew to be correct but still did not resolve the issue. I have checked out various recommendations but none worked. I did find a workaround. Right click the icon, select properties, click the shortcut tab, click the advanced button at the bottom and check run as administrator. This fixed all of the faulty icons. However, this does not show the reason or the cause of this happening nor does it fix the root of the problem. Any suggestions?

Ron Burnes

automatic updates with Microsoft Security Essentials
Malwarebytes, trojan remover, ccleaner, sfc scannow all were ran with nothing showing up.
Have no idea what went haywire. Ran all the same things I run everyday.

anaron said:

automatic updates with Microsoft Security Essentials
Malwarebytes, trojan remover, ccleaner, sfc scannow all were ran with nothing showing up.
Have no idea what went haywire. Ran all the same things I run everyday.

A possible reason may be one of the MS updates. You can view the most recent updates by opening "Control Panel", select "Programs & Features" and on the left side click "View Installed Updates". Look in the list for any updates associated with when the problem began and uninstall it/them one at a time to see if the problem is resolved.

HTH

I have 3 cloned hard drive backups from various times past that I know are clean and good. I used the oldest one to restore the hd but it did not resolve the issue therefore it is not the updates causing the issue. The malfunctioning icons will work correctly if right click the icon, select properties, click the shortcut tab, click the advanced button at the bottom and check "run as administrator". I can un-check the "run as administrator" and I will get the Open File - Security Warning.

mitchell65, there is only one user account - me. I allow no one else to touch this machine. I agree that the problem had to be in the clone or the restore would have resolved the issue. It would have been extremely hard to not notice as the affected icons are: ccleaner, microsoft outlook, password safe, Epson scan and Adr_Book. There is no issues with the other 13 icons on the desktop. I use all of these icons several times each day. The quirk is that the clone I reverted back to is 9 months old and this problem has never happened until now. It also happens in safe mode. As I stated, I can get those 5 icons to work by selecting "run as administrator".

andrew129160, here is the psr.