How to reset shortcuts (.lnk file) in Windows 7?
Open regedit
from the Start Menu (You can also invoke the file using Run command).
Navigate to the following registry branch:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.lnk
Click on the arrow to expand it and delete the sub-key named UserChoice
.
Exit from Registry Editor.
After this do a reboot.
Follow these steps to save the Registry code below into a .reg
file then import it into the Registry:
- Open Notepad
- Copy and paste the Registry code below into the Notepad window
- Save the file to your Desktop with the name fixshortcuts.reg
- On your Desktop open fixshortcuts.reg and merge the file into the Registry
- Log off and back on to make the changes take effect
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
;LNK file association fix for Windows Vista.
;Updated on April 24, 2007
[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"=-
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk\ShellNew\Config]
"DontRename"=""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile]
@="Shortcut"
"EditFlags"=dword:00000001
"FriendlyTypeName"="@shell32.dll,-4153"
"NeverShowExt"=""
"IsShortcut"=""
[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_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.lnk\UserChoice]
The extension .lnk
is associated with the Lnkfile which is more commonly known as a Shortcut.
To repair the misassociation, open a Command Prompt and type:
assoc.lnk=lnkfile
Press Enter and you should be good to go.