Vista - lnk file association

Glad to hear your ordeal is over, Daemonfyre!

Of course, all this begs the general question as to why, in Control
Panel\Default Programs\Set Associations, Vista has the ability to
re-associate the .lnk file type in the first place. Of what earthly good is
it? Like the .exe file type (which isn't in Set Associations), it, too,
shouldn't be available. From Windows XP's File Types tab in Folder Options,
Vista has dumbed down file association editing considerably, at least by
normal UI, non-registry editing, means, yet added the ability to change the
default association for links (the ability to do so isn't available in XP's
File Types tab). And there is no "re-set to default" recovery path. This
addition seems odd, given Vista's apparent goal to further protect the
average user.


"Daemonfyre" <Daemonfyre@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:2319576C-3B75-4352-9F84-35199B05EA3F@microsoft.com...
> Ramesh, MS-MVP 4/25/2007 12:32 AM PST
>
> Addendum:
>
> You need to delete this key, specifically:
>
> HEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.lnk\UserChoice
>
>
> That fixed it. All my shortcuts and start menu icons are back and working
> normally again. Thanks for all the help folks.

I am having similar problem. Have applied the reg edits you have mentioned
here and looked for the reg key you mention below to delete but it is not
present. Still have the .lnk issues and blank or generic icons for many
programs. Is there any new or updated information that can help me.

"Ramesh, MS-MVP" wrote:

Hi Ramesh

Sorry to bring this up all over again, but I've been sitting with this exact issue.
I've followed your instructions and pasted a copy of my report.
Please tell what I need to do as this is all very new to me.


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.LNK]
@="lnkfile"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.LNK\ShellEx]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.LNK\ShellEx\{000214EE-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.LNK\ShellEx\{000214F9-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.LNK\ShellEx\{00021500-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.LNK\ShellEx\{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.LNK\ShellNew]
"Handler"="{ceefea1b-3e29-4ef1-b34c-fec79c4f70af}"
"IconPath"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\
74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,\
00,68,00,65,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,\
31,00,36,00,37,00,36,00,39,00,00,00
"ItemName"="@shell32.dll,-30397"
"MenuText"="@shell32.dll,-30318"
"NullFile"=""
"Command"="rundll32.exe appwiz.cpl,NewLinkHere %1"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.LNK\ShellNew\Config]
"DontRename"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile]
@="Shortcut"
"EditFlags"=dword:00000001
"FriendlyTypeName"="@shell32.dll,-4153"
"IsShortcut"=""
"NeverShowExt"=""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\CLSID]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Offline Files]
@="{750fdf0e-2a26-11d1-a3ea-080036587f03}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\OpenContainingFolderMenu]
@="{37ea3a21-7493-4208-a011-7f9ea79ce9f5}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@=""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\DropHandler]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\IconHandler]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\ShimLayer Property Page]
@="{513D916F-2A8E-4F51-AEAB-0CBC76FB1AF8}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.LNK]
"FileOperationPrompt"="prop:System.ItemType;System.FileOwner;System.Author;System.Title;System.Subject;System.Comment;System.DateModified;System.Link.TargetParsingPath"
"FullDetails"="prop:System.PropGroup.Description;System.ItemType"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.LNK]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.LNK\OpenWithList]
"a"="Skype.exe"
"MRUList"="gfdceba"
"b"="mspaint.exe"
"c"="PhotoViewer.dll"
"d"="DllHost.exe"
"e"="wmplayer.exe"
"f"="OIS.EXE"
"g"="iexplore.exe"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.LNK\OpenWithProgids]
"lnkfile"=hex(0):
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.LNK\UserChoice]
"Progid"="Applications\\iexplore.exe"


As you can see I've changed the associated file to .lnk a couple times so far