I wanted to share this fix that I have found online while I was looking for a solution to fix a friend’s laptop. The issue is that all of the exe files and desktop shortcuts has been changed to the .lnk extension and they could not be opened to the right program. The file association was instead changed to that of Internet Explorer.

I have Googled for the fix of this and found the right site which explains the repair using the .REG file. The site can be found here.

The next step is to download the file mention in this website. It is a utility software that unassociated the file types in Windows 7 & Windows Vista. Here is what it looks like:

Download and then unzip the contents to a folder and run the file unassoc.exe. Select from the list the file type with the .lnk extension and click Remove fille association (user) button. You will then notice the changes if the original icons are returned on the programs. You can then restart your computer to make sure the fix is implemented.