Solved Desktop and Start button shortcuts Not working

[albanello]

I was cleaning up and I deleted a file or folder in error and:

All of my Desktop Shortcuts are not working.
All of my Start button Shortcuts are not working

All Shortcuts are displaying as "********.exe.lnk" (******** = the applications.exe file name)
All Shortcuts are displaying the Notepad icon (Use to be the icon for the Application it was activating)

If I click on any Shortcut all I get is Notepad with some random character and some text strings.

I found all of the programs that use to be activates with the shortcuts and if I click on its .exe file the application starts up and can be used with no problem.

For instance Internet Explorer:
- Shortcut Link displays as Internet Explorer.lnk
- Link has same icon displaying as all other shortcuts
- if I go Program Files>Internet Explorer>iexplorer.exe and click on it Internet Explorer starts up and works

All the programs, shortcuts are suppose to activate, are present and working as expected its just that the shortcuts will not activate them anymore.

I tried to recreate the shortcuts but I get the same result as described above.

Any help as to how I can correct would be appreciated

Thanks
albanello

 

[Brink]

Hello Albanello, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Double check to see if the file or folder that you deleted may still be in the Recycle Bin where you can restore it to fix this.

If not, then you could try doing a system restore using a restore point dated before this happened to hopefully undo and fix this.

Hope this helps for now,
Shawn

 

[albanello]

Shawn
Thank you for your response

I looked in the recycle bin already and did not see a file or directory that I thought could be it.

The way I got into this situation was I had some Malware that I got rid of and everything was working again. I was in the process of cleaning up file created as a result of the malware removal utility. I did a search for the files, I needed to get rid of, and I think the search displayed some files in a hidden directory and I delete them before I realized I made a mistake. I don't see anything that looks like a system file or directory in the Recycle Bin.

- Do hidden files and directories show in the recycle bin, I was surprised the search would show them much less allow me to delete them.

- Does some one know what directory/file would be in the hidden stuff, relating to shortcuts, so I can look and see if they are still there.

- Does some one know of a registry entry that has shortcut stuff

To make matters worse I did not create a system restore after getting rid of the malware........dumby me.

Thanks again for your response.
I sure hope someone can help me out of this mess.

albanello

 

[Brink]

The problem is that it's pretty much a guessing game without knowing what you deleted before this happened.

Even if hidden, they would show in the Recycle Bin.

You could try running a SFC /SCANNOW command to see if it may help. This will repair/replace any system files as needed.

 

[albanello]

Thank Brink

That is a lot to understand and do for someone with the limited experience I have. I think I'll wait till tomorrow morning and reread several times before I try it. I would think the safest thing for me is to do the VerifyOnly first just to see if there is a problem first and if so do the ScanNow.

I'll try it tomorrow morning when I am more awake.

Thanks again

albanello

 

[Brink]

Ok. See you tomorrow.

 

[jumanji]

I would guess - strictly a guess at this point of time - that you were afflicted with shortcut/link virus and in the removal process something went astray or the respondent virus was not removed completely.

Your computer may still be inflicted with some virus hiding somewhere and I would think that you should request expert guidance from System Security subforum referring to your thread here plus giving all details:

1. What prompted you to run a malware removal utility?

2. What were the symptoms as created by the malware that prompted you to run that utility?

3. What exactly was the malware removal utility you used? Give full details.

 

[albanello]

1) "Malwarebytes Anti-Malware" Support analyzed the problem and walked me through the removal process.

2) "Malwarebytes Anti-Malware" started reporting it was blocking malicious websites my computer was trying to access, this started right after I clicked on a link in a email I received. The messages where continuous with different website URL's

3) I am happy with "Malwarebytes Anti-Malware" Support there advice corrected that problem. The problem start a day or two after "Malwarebytes Anti-Malware" Support fixed the problem and right after I clicked on a link in a email a friend sent me. I should not have clicked on the email link.

Thanks for you suggestion
I'm going to try what Brink suggested as soon as I have a chance to digest the information he sent

albanello

 

[albanello]

Correction
3) .......The problem start a day or two after "Malwarebytes Anti-Malware" Support fixed the problem and right after I clicked on a link in a email a friend sent me. I should not have clicked on the email link.

Change to:
3)........The shortcut problem start a day or two after "Malwarebytes Anti-Malware" Support fixed the problem and I deleted some files/directories the were create by the Malware removal utility. I think they may have been some system files/directories, Not sure but the short cuts went bad RIGHT after I delete the filles/direrectoy

 

[Brink]

I would give step 2 in OPTION TWO a try in the SFC tutorial I posted above to see if it may help.

If not, then it may be best to do a clean install to make sure that your system is clean.

 

[albanello]

Brink

I'm trying to understand your suggestion "I would give step 2 in OPTION TWO a try........" Why are you suggesting go straight to the scan that will/may make changes to System Files. I was thinking if I do the "verifyonly" Option Two step 3 and there was no problem then I could avoid running a program that may/will make changesto System Files "scannow" Option Two step 2.

Thanks
albanello

 

[Brink]

It will only make changes to any system files that it finds to be corrupted, modified, or missing. The changes are only to restore the default file, so it won't hurt anything to run it unless you purposely modified a system file.

 

[albanello]

Hi Brink

Even the link to the command prompt is not working. I had to go to the actual directory and run
C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe (I right clicked and selected "Run as Administrator")

I Ran sfc /scrannow

After a couple minute it displayed:
"Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations."

- Is the Clean Install my only option left?
- That will destroy all application and data??
- I will have a computer with only the operating system????

Do you have anymore ideas before I take the "Clean Install" path.

Thanks
Albanello

 

[Slartybart]

You might try restoring the filetype association for .lnk
See: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/19449-default-file-type-associations-restore.html
scroll down to

lnk - Shortcut link (LNK) files​

download and run that batch file.

 

[jumanji]

That is a good suggestion by Slartybart to try. Try it. No harm.

Your question: Is the Clean Install my only option left?

I would think not necessarily. Instead of a clean install, you can try a repair install.

Even that only after checking and cleansing your PC of any still-resident virus.

Once your PC is certified clean by security experts, run SFC first as suggested by Brink and then you can try one of the many tools here to restore your PC's crippled functionality. https://www.raymond.cc/blog/restore-task-manager-regedit-and-folder-options-disabled-by-virus/.

As stated by the author "There are some viruses that will go to the extent of disabling tools such as the Windows Task Manager, Registry Editor, Folder Options, Command Prompt and other functions built into Windows to prevent users from checking and fixing the problems."

I am sending a request to cottonball to look into this thread and suggest ways and means of cleansing your PC, if cottonball considers it necessary.

 

[cottonball]

albanello.

As jumanji has suggested, let's do some checking to see if there is malware involved...

:info: Please use the Farbar Recovery Scan Tool.
Download: Farbar Recovery Scan Tool Download
Select the version that applies to your system.
Save it to your Desktop.

Double-click the downloaded file to run it.
When the tool opens, click Yes to the disclaimer.

Press the Scan button.

When done, the tool makes a log, FRST.txt, in the same directory from which the tool is run (Desktop).
:ar: Please provide the FRST.txt in your reply.

The first time the tool is run, it also creates another log: Addition.txt
:ar: Also post the Addition.txt in your reply.


:info: Next, please download RogueKiller:
RogueKiller download
Select the version that applies to the system.
Save to the Desktop.

After closing all windows and browsers, right-click the downloaded RogueKiller file and select: Run as Administrator

At the program console, wait for the Prescan to finish. (Under Status, it says: Prescan finished.)

Press: SCAN

When done, a report opens on the drive: RKreport.txt
:ar: Please provide the RKreport.txt (Mode: Scan) in your reply.

 

[albanello]

********
Slarybart:
Thank you very much for your suggestion. Downloading "lnk - Shortcut link (LNK) file" as you suggested FIX the problem. All my Desktop and Start button Shortcuts are up and working.

You made my day.

Thank you Thank you........Thank you!!!!!!!!
albanello

********
Brink:
Thanks for your help and suggestions also

********
Cottonball:
jumanji:
As stated in one of my previous post this problem started when I deleted a file or directory in error. I did the delete and immediately saw all my Shortcut icon go to a Notepad icon then none of the shortcuts worked on my desktop or Start button.

I was trying to clean up some files created after I remove, with the help of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware support, some malware that got on my computer when I clicked on a link in a e-mail one of my friends sent. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware support had me download the same software you suggested "Farbar Recovery Scan Tool" and the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware support staff walked me through the steps to remove the Malware. Everything was good till I deleted the file or directory (don't remember what it was)

Thank you all for your ideas and suggestions
albanello

 

[Slartybart]

albanello,

You are welcome.

Please follow the advise given by Cottonball to scan your machine with FARBAR. Your filetype association is resolved, but the underlying cause might still be present. It doesn't hurt to scan, but it hurts a LOT to be infected

Bill
.

 

[albanello]

Malware Scan

Hi cottonball

Sorry for starting new thread "Screen for Malware"

I have attached the two text files you requested (FRST.txt and additions.txt) that are the result of running "Farbar Recovery Scan Tool"

Thanks for your help
albanello

 

[albanello]

Hi cottonball

- Did you get the two text file, you requested, that I attached to my last post?
- Is there any Malware reported?
- Do I need to run "RogueKiller" or not?

Please get back with me if you need anything else.

Thanks
albanello