A possible quick fix would be to copy the following (between
the dashes) into Notepad, and save as link.reg (no .txt extension):

------------------------------------------------------------------

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[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"=""

[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\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"

------------------------------------------------------------------

Double-click on link.reg, and allow the merge. On the other hand, you could
just check each of the above keys and values against your registry entries
to see what's up.

Dean



"budhaber" <budhaber@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:695A155B-54D4-4994-B1FC-A82FA017EBA8@microsoft.com...[color=blue]
> my son-inlaw has associated my .lnk files (shortcuts) to internet
> explorer.
> how do i un associate them so my shortcuts will work again.[/color]