All icons open the same program

[OnS]

My son did something to the computer and now if you click on any icons or programs, they all open an info screen for Minecraft (game). I can't even get Explorer to open. He does not remember exactly what he did or how, and I am stummped. Any suggestions would be appreciated before I reformatt and reinstall everything.

 

[DustSailor]

Hello fan, and welcome to Sevenforums!

Try a system restore: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/700-system-restore.html

Try an SFC scan: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

What happens if you type the program's name into your start menu search bar? You can try deleting all desktop shortcuts and taskbar 'pins', and once you open the program via the previously-mentioned method, RIGHT-clicking on the program and selecting Pin to Taskbar.

 

[OnS]

Clicking on System Restore takes me to the same Minecraft screen. Typing the file name in search does the same thing.

 

[OnS]

Now, when I double click to open a desktop icon, it starts to open a page and then shuts down the page, leaving me on the desktop.

 

[t-4-2]

My son did something to the computer and now if you click on any icons or programs, they all open an info screen for Minecraft (game). I can't even get Explorer to open. He does not remember exactly what he did or how, and I am stummped. Any suggestions would be appreciated before I reformatt and reinstall everything.

Use this tutorial :
Restore default file type associations
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/19449-default-file-type-associations-restore.html

Scroll down to exe - Executable application files.
click the exe
follow the instructions from #1 to #6 at the top.

Scroll down to lnk - Shortcut link (LNK) files.
click lnk
follow the instructions from #1 to #6 at the top.

** make sure you restart the computer to complete the restore process.

 

[DustSailor]

Could potentially be malware. Make sure that as soon as you are able, you run a full scan with your updated antivirus program.

 

[OnS]

This is only a problem with one user profile. I tried d/l the link on the working side,(the troubled side will not open IE) but it did not make a difference on the troubled side.

 

[OnS]

got IE to open on troubled side...clicked on link, but it would not d/l or open...just showed a blank screen. Guess I'll go thru the reformatting

 

[DustSailor]

Wait...

 

[DustSailor]

you jump too soon and it is all over mate (er, so to speak).

You could attempt a repair install with the right DVDs: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html - by Brink

There are even options to save user data and create a new profile while transfering old data to the new profile (a sort of fix for a single profile): http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Fix-a-corrupted-user-profile

 

[OnS]

OK, I will give that a try....thanks

 

[DustSailor]

Let us know how it turns out.

 

[OnS]

I created the new user profile and moved the files to it from the old profile. Seem most things moved and all seems to be working now....thanks for the help!

 

[Arc]

In future, if it occur again, just follow the suggestion posted this post.

Well known and well worked solution of this issue, worked a lot of times.