my son-inlaw has associated my .lnk files (shortcuts) to internet explorer.
how do i un associate them so my shortcuts will work again.

On Wed, 7 Mar 2007 18:19:38 -0800, budhaber
<budhaber@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>my son-inlaw has associated my .lnk files (shortcuts) to internet explorer.
>how do i un associate them so my shortcuts will work again.

If you're saying ALL your shortcuts now open IE, that's bad news.
That's also good question. I'm stumped. I was just going to say go to
Control Panel/Default Programs/Associate File type, but oops I don't
see any way to disassociate without substituting another application
when you access the master list of file types.

The problem is a shortcut can be a link to any application so
shortcuts should NOT have their file type changed, so if you associate
it with another application it still isn't going to help because I
just looked at mine and surprise the default is a entry called
'unknown application'. However I see no way to put it back to unknown.
That's why I said you asked a good question. I'm sure its burried in
the Registry somewhere, maybe somebody else knows.

The hard way, doing it one at a time would be to right click on each
shortcut in turn, then open with, then restore each to its rightful
application. Bumber. Have your son-in-law do it. ;-)

Start > Default Programs > Associate Files


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

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\ContextMenuHandl ers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\ContextMenuHandl ers\OpenContainingFolderMenu]
@="{37ea3a21-7493-4208-a011-7f9ea79ce9f5}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\ContextMenuHandl ers\{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\PropertySheetHan dlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\PropertySheetHan dlers\ShimLayer Property
Page]
@="{513D916F-2A8E-4F51-AEAB-0CBC76FB1AF8}"


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.LNK]
"FileOperationPrompt"="prop:System.ItemType;System .FileOwner;System.Author;System.Title;System.Subje ct;System.Comment;System.DateModified;System.Link. TargetParsingPath"
"FullDetails"="prop:System.PropGroup.Description;S ystem.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...
> my son-inlaw has associated my .lnk files (shortcuts) to internet
> explorer.
> how do i un associate them so my shortcuts will work again.

File association fixes for Windows Vista:
http://www.winhelponline.com/articles/105/1/


--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


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