Why do all my programs end with .lnk?

I was just toying around with the computer the past hour and all of a sudden, it's mozilla.lnk and registry mechanic.lnk...? Help!

 

.lnk is the extension for shortcut(eg on your desktop),your originals will be .exe's.
Windows usually dont display the .lnk extension but you got around that somehow.

 

LOL, sorry to waste your time with it...anyways, thanks very much for the help! At first I thought it was virus, or worse, spyware, that messed it up but then I remembered that I use Mozilla. Anyways, it's just a shortcut? OK, thanks very much!

 

I have one more problem, I cannot get rid of AntiVir folder in C: drive because I deleted all programs I had that were downloaded min fear of the above mentioned cause....(Spyware and Virus) which it wasn't....

 

Try safe mode

 

Are you saying that all your programs, etc. end with the .lnk extension instead of .exe, .bmp, .zip, etc.?

 

If all your file extensions are .lnk instead of the proper file association (eg; .exe for programs, .jpg for JPEG pictures, .txt for notepad files, etc) try this to fix the file associations in the registry. http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4248.html

 

http://www.liutilities.com/products/winbackup/filextlibrary/files/LNK/

Does that answer your q's?

 

No, I mean I cannot rename them and I prefer they don't end with .lnk or anything else but rather be named what I want them to be named.

 

Download xp antispy http://www.majorgeeks.com/download2062.html
I think there is an option for enabling and disabling the .lnk extension for shortcuts.

 

That's the program I used when it happened and have been searching for it since...but how do I disable it? Is the question mark mean disabled or the OK sign...?

 

Allways show .lnk sufix option should be unchecked.

 

2 More Questions...DO I need to restart and also do I neeed to uninstall programs and re-install them or just restart?

 

Ok, before you do something that is going to cause you more work.

.lnk stands for link, i.e. shortcut. It is a pointer file to the actual file or program. DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT change the file extension.

You must be looking at your start/programs menu with windows explorer and not the actual program files tree on your hard drive.

And yes you can rename shortcuts as longer as your UserID has the correct privilages.

Using XP-AntiSpy make sure that the check box next to Always show *.lnk suffixes is unchecked under Miscellaneous Settings.

Most changes of this nature usually do not require you to reboot, and if so they will take effect at next system reboot.

There should be no need to reload any programs, unless something is corrupted.

 

Thanks very much! That's what makes you guys better than the rest...Not only do you have a Spyware forum, but also forums for other problems...I just turned it on after being at the gym (Yea, I'm huge, and 14!) and I just was gone while it turned on and when I came back, it was gone!

 

Forgive me for posting at such a late date, and late date topic, but this seems to be exactly my burden.

I have rather strange episode of isolated "Ink" problem.

It is only affected by Desktop and Start menu, while thankfully each would lead finding the target to proper file. For same reason everything that is presently clicked as "Ink" is assumed as Windows Media Classic Player file.

Even some folders that are within start menu are not without "Ink" problem.

On many occasions fixed those problems with usual Reg solutions, but this time it is very strange.

Thank you

PS: W2K SP4 is my OS