File associations lost

Where we talk about modern advancements like the abacus and printing press.
User avatar
gcdonner
Posts: 2025
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2016 11:17 am
Location: Holladay, TN
Affiliation: Anabaptiluthercostal

File associations lost

Post by gcdonner »

File associations lost. Several weeks ago now, I had some Win7 updates on my computer and the next day when I turned it on again, all of the shortcuts to my various folders came up with an error message telling me that there was no program associated with the link to open the file and told me to go to the default settings to apply an association with a program.
This is only true of files, such as documents, etc, but no problem with shortcuts to programs.
I have done research online and found some "fixes" that did nothing. As far as I know, there have been no malware attacks or viruses. The first couple of days I simply did a system restore to a previous setup, but unbeknownst to me, there was no memory allotted to the the restore points, so after doing it twice, I couldn't go back before the updates. I even tried deleting the updates manually, to no avail.
I called my service provider who took over my computer and couldn't find anything and then went to my security IT provider and they had two different levels of techs take over my computer and look around and they had no clue, having never seen anything like it before.
While MD was still running I had posted this information and one of the subscribers offered to connect to me and take a look. I don't remember now who it was (he was a rather new member)...
Any ideas would be a great help. I have run several different kinds of scans, went into the registry and made a modification according to one suggestion online that nearly guaranteed it would fix the problem, to no avail again.
I should say that I can access my files by right clicking and bringing the drop down menu, and then clicking on "open". All files have to be accessed this way. The header at the top of the dropdown menu says cmd. There are no associations for the lnk. prefix under the default and by making a single association doesn't do the job either, as my files don't all fit into the same category, like Word, or photos or videos, or pdf. It seems there must be a standard exe. file association of some sort that should be able to do the trick, but I don't know how to do that...YET!
0 x
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed
rightly dividing the word of truth
.
User avatar
Josh
Posts: 23823
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2016 6:23 pm
Location: 1000' ASL
Affiliation: The church of God

Re: File associations lost

Post by Josh »

That's pretty jacked up.

Can you do a reinstall (you can do this without erasing all your files)?

Reinstalling a specific app will bring the file associations with that app back.

If you have a System Restore point from before the file associations went bad, you could try rolling back to that, too.
0 x
Neto
Posts: 4579
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2016 5:43 pm
Location: Holmes County, Ohio
Affiliation: Gospel Haven

Re: File associations lost

Post by Neto »

I remember the discussion, but sorry, I also do not recall who might have offered to do a remote access on your computer. I think I may have commented in that thread, too, but although I have seen something similar to your problem a few times, that was always a problem with the shortcut associations, and in my case (my customers, actually) it was only the non-Administrator account which was affected, and the Restore Point was the only thing that fixed it. But I have also seen that Restore Points get deleted when they get so old, or perhaps after a certain number of later ones. I also don't know what causes a new Restore Point to be created when there is not program being installed of uninstalled. Like you, I have read a lot of instructionals on-line that don't work. Sorry I can't help; I can only commensurate with you.
0 x
Congregation: Gospel Haven Mennonite Fellowship, Benton, Ohio (Holmes Co.) a split from Beachy-Amish Mennonite.
Personal heritage & general theological viewpoint: conservative Mennonite Brethren.
User avatar
gcdonner
Posts: 2025
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2016 11:17 am
Location: Holladay, TN
Affiliation: Anabaptiluthercostal

Re: File associations lost

Post by gcdonner »

Josh wrote:That's pretty jacked up.

Can you do a reinstall (you can do this without erasing all your files)?

Reinstalling a specific app will bring the file associations with that app back.

If you have a System Restore point from before the file associations went bad, you could try rolling back to that, too.
I don't have a restore point from before the associations went bad. I had restored twice, but then each time that Windows updated again, I lost the file associations, which is why I tried to just delete those updates and then stopped any updates for a while, but eventually lost it all again.
0 x
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed
rightly dividing the word of truth
.
User avatar
gcdonner
Posts: 2025
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2016 11:17 am
Location: Holladay, TN
Affiliation: Anabaptiluthercostal

Re: File associations lost

Post by gcdonner »

Josh wrote:That's pretty jacked up.

Can you do a reinstall (you can do this without erasing all your files)?

Reinstalling a specific app will bring the file associations with that app back.

If you have a System Restore point from before the file associations went bad, you could try rolling back to that, too.
We are talking about ALL file shortcuts, whether on the desktop or even once I get into the file folders and want to access subfolders. Right click is the only way around it present, though I have found that when I download a file from online (like a picture) I can't open the file location even by right clicking in the download box.
I wish that Microsoft would fix their glitch, but they have nothing to help, and all the ones even close are assuming a virus or telling one to use their troubleshooting link, which is no longer available for this issue. Go figure.
I will try "cutting" some files and see if when I paste them back they can be accessed.
I also already tried going in with a different user account, with no success.
Thanks for the suggestions.
0 x
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed
rightly dividing the word of truth
.
User avatar
Robert
Site Janitor
Posts: 8522
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2016 4:16 pm
Affiliation: Anabaptist

Re: File associations lost

Post by Robert »

You should be able to reassign file associations. Not surprising that a Windows update changed them. Happens often. Microsoft always thinks they know what we want more than we do.

Right click the file, go down to Open with, select choose another program, pick the program, then check use as default or some such wording.
0 x
Try hard not to offend. Try harder not to be offended.
Just because you are paranoid, doesn't mean they are not after you.
I think I am funnier than I really am.
User avatar
gcdonner
Posts: 2025
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2016 11:17 am
Location: Holladay, TN
Affiliation: Anabaptiluthercostal

Re: File associations lost

Post by gcdonner »

Robert wrote:You should be able to reassign file associations. Not surprising that a Windows update changed them. Happens often. Microsoft always thinks they know what we want more than we do.

Right click the file, go down to Open with, select choose another program, pick the program, then check use as default or some such wording.
Unfortunately, that option is not available in the drop down menu. Where "open" is normally at the top, it now says cmd. This problem affects ALL files, not just some and not just shortcuts on the desktop, it also includes trying to open the file location of a file when it has been downloaded and I right click on the file icon in the download folder in my toolbar. (I use Firefox)
I thought I had totally messed up my computer last night after posting here, by deleting the lnk. extension in the registry. I had no access at all and no way to restore it. Thankfully I did find a program to restore it online...but the problem still persists.
I have already removed the "user" extension in the registry, which was supposed to be an instant fix to the lnk. extension, but again it did nothing.
I'm still looking and if/when I find it, I will report back!
Thanks for all your suggestions so far. Keep them coming...
0 x
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed
rightly dividing the word of truth
.
User avatar
Robert
Site Janitor
Posts: 8522
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2016 4:16 pm
Affiliation: Anabaptist

Re: File associations lost

Post by Robert »

If you can not right click and have an Open with ... option, there is a problem with the Windows install. You will most likely have to reinstall over your existing Windows.
0 x
Try hard not to offend. Try harder not to be offended.
Just because you are paranoid, doesn't mean they are not after you.
I think I am funnier than I really am.
User avatar
Josh
Posts: 23823
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2016 6:23 pm
Location: 1000' ASL
Affiliation: The church of God

Re: File associations lost

Post by Josh »

Windows Updates shouldn't be deleting all file associations.

Can you do a clean reinstall?
0 x
User avatar
gcdonner
Posts: 2025
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2016 11:17 am
Location: Holladay, TN
Affiliation: Anabaptiluthercostal

Re: File associations lost

Post by gcdonner »

Is it possible to do a re-install without losing all my files and programs? I am willing to do that as I am finding that I have also lost "permissions" to many files and even some files appear to have been emptied of photos, etc in the process. The more I investigate the more damage I have found, and as I had said before, it all started with a bunch of windows updates, which when I did a system restore before their installation, corrected the problems.
If I can do a re-install without formatting the hard drive(s) and losing all my files, I am all for it.
Please advise.
0 x
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed
rightly dividing the word of truth
.
Post Reply