Desktop Shortcuts opens to google home page ?

Here's how I do my shortcuts in IE:

First of all, I set the IE homepage to something I don't mind going to everytime. Perhaps about:blank, which simply brings up a blank "webpage".

Next, I create a short cut to the website I want to go to. Let's use sevenforums.com as an example. Here's what will be listed as the target of the shortcut:

"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" https://www.sevenforums.com/

In other words, there are two items on the line: the first item is IE itself, and then a space, and then the second item is the website I want to go to.

(The first item is enclosed in quotes, because there are spaces in it.)

I also do this same thing for Firefox and Opera as well, the difference being that for Firefox, the first item points to Firefox, and for Opera, the first item points to Opera. I'm sure you could use this method for Chrome as well.

There are several benefits to doing your shortcuts this way:

• The website always opens in a new window, rather than simply moving to the new website in the current window.
• I use the browser of my choosing for each website. For example, I want some websites to open with Firefox, while I want others to open with Opera. It will always happen the way I want it to when I use this method.

If I'm doing some shopping for the same item or similar items on different sites, I'll put shortcuts on the desktop for temporary use. Anything for long term or repeated usage will be bookmarked. Sometimes I don't delete the shortcuts cause I'm lazy , then I can't see the bat on my desktop anymore.

I have exact same issue. My desktop URL shortcut opens up on the Google Chrome page. I think an attack began the issue. After finding two suspicious files, I found out it stemmed from a program meant to find bitcoin information. My malware program found the original files; but, didn't catch the two damaging ones that was spying on my internet usage and downloaded files. Anyway, after isolating the spyware and getting rid of it and restoring defaults, it viciously wiped out some of my files that contained "$" and it also prevented me from opening up any internet shortcuts from the desktop. First, I examined my Chrome settings; but, first, I reset everything, made sure Chrome is my default browser, got rid of all the exe files not necessary, went to advanced, made sure everything was set correctly, etc. On a developers advice, went to task manager, closed the proper exe files, ran a diagnostic, typed in somethings on the list he downloaded on a Microsoft forum, re-opened the exe file. Didn't work. After going through a half of a day's worth of fixes with the same issues remaining I found three ways to deal with it:

1) instead of "Go to desktop" or "Create Shortcut"..I "save as page" on my HP laptop computer. I think my HP notebook has similarly written language.
2) or CREATE A SHORTCUT IN A FOLDER
Highlight a URL in the address bar.
Drag the link to a folder on your computer or right to your desktop.
3) or CREATE A SHORTCUT ON THE DESKTOP
Right-click the desktop, go to New, and select Shortcut.
Enter the URL (copy/paste) and select Next.
Type a name for the shortcut and select Finish.

I prefer #2 or #3 as "save page as" also saves a file folder along with the shortcut.