Shortcuts change path and becomes corrupt after each restart

Don't thank me, GokAy is the one doing all the thinking here.. :) Glad to hear that the post helped you though!

So I made another administrator user, same problem for that account, so I guess it's not related to my user account, but an OS issue..?

When I started the computer without the disk F: my shortcuts didn't stray from their path, and I was able to follow them to open software. I suppose this confirms your suspicion GokAy. Any other suggestions than to buy another hard-disk, transfer the valuable data, and then run a complete wipe out? Is there a way of telling it that it should no longer refer to that F: disk, and manually delete the files and folders that make it recognize it as an OS-disk?

I would not suggest buying another HDD just yet, I don't think it is HDD's fault.

It may have been a glitch, so:
- First try plugging the HDD back in and boot normally. See if issue will re-occur. It may have corrected once there was no F partition.
- Then mark F as inactive, I posted the link in post #7.
- Finally, try changing the drive letter to anything else from Disk Management.

I wouldn't know much about how to filter Process Monitor, maybe if you manually change a shortcut while it is running, you can spot it?

Did you try changing F drive letter to anything else yet?

Fantastic!

Changing the F drive letter actually did the trick.. Thanks for not giving up on me, I was about to resign myself. Hopefully this will have sorted it for good! Appreciate the help. Have a good weekend! :)

Glad to hear :) it was a rather interesting case

Don't know if this should be a new post but I think the problems might be connected beyond one leading to the other.

Changing the disk volume letter cause more severe problems for me. I cannot use microsoft office software. When I try to open word or any other microsoft office software I get the error 1327 invalid drive. I have a genuine copy. I had no way of telling it to search B: instead of F:, it refused to let me proceed.

I thought of a way to try to work around it. I changed the drive letter back to F: and the deleted the office version. I followed up with reinstalling office to C:. I felt quite smug, as I was sure this would do the trick. I changed the letter of that drive back to B: to solve the shortcut problem.

I was stunned to find that this was not enough. Microsoft initiates some kind of setup whenever I try to open any office related software. This setup process cannot locate office at drive F: and gives me yet another Error 1327 and shut downs the software. It refuses to let me use any of its software claiming that it's unlicensed and that is just utter b***s**t. I used my license code when I installed it and microsoft claimed they evaluated and accepted it in that process.

I don't know what to do here.. I feel like microsoft is making me choose between the devil and the deep blue sea..

I am not home to look at this in detail, however did you change drive letter to B? That is traditionally used for a floppy drive. If so, try changing to one of D-Z.

Tried to change it to D:, but made no difference.

I've noticed that there are files in regedit that still points towards F:. I've tried changing the two files in the office folder, but did not affect it.

Also files in the microsoft - windows - curren version- shared DLLs that at least have names involving F:, and this is just me doing a quick random check..

Screen caps attached

Do you have any other problems other than MS Office?

I would backup/image C right now with Macrium free - Imaging with free Macrium. Then we can try things more freely.
Also create a manual System Restore point. System Restore

You have already deleted Office, right? Like deleting the folder?
Can you uninstall Office from Control Panel - Programs and Features?

Report back after trying to uninstall please.