how to fix all files have a .LNK (all my window 7 files turn to .Lnk)

How to fix Windows error (Complete Guide)

If you are trying to start a program from a desktop shortcut and to your surprise nothing happens or Windows is asking you with what program would you like to use to open the .lnk file.

If this is happening then you have a Windows Registry error,which is caused by a failed Windows update,a faulty driver or in some cases a computer virus.

How to fix .LNK extension error (Virus Removal Guide)

This page is a comprehensive guide which will remove restore the .LNK file association settings and remove all malware from Windows.
Please perform all the steps in the correct order. If you have any questions or doubt at any point, STOP and ask for our assistance.

• To remove the browser redirect, follow these steps:

• STEP 1: Restore .LNK file association settings in Windows registry
• STEP 2: Scan your computer with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
• STEP 3:  Scan your computer with HitmanPro
• (OPTIONAL) STEP 4:  Scan your computer with Zemana AntiMalware

STEP 1: Restore .LNK file association settings in Windows registry

The main reason of this error is because your machine does not recognize the .exe extension because of an error in your Windows Registry, to fix this issue, you can use any of the below steps to fix it.

OPTION 1: Use Rkill to restore your file association

1. You can download Rkill from the below link.
   RKILL DOWNLOAD LINK (his link will open a new web page from where you can download “RKill”)
2. Double click on Rkill program to stop the malicious programs from running.
   
3. RKill will now start working in the background, please be patient while this utiltiy looks for malicious process and tries to end them.
   
4. When the Rkill tool has completed its task, it will generate a log. Do not reboot your computer after running RKill as the malware programs will start again.
   

OPTION 2: Use the “Repair .lnk (Shortcuts) File Association” tool

1. You can download the Repair .lnk (Shortcuts) File Association tool from the below link
   REPAIR .LNK FILE ASSOCIATION DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download Repair .lnk (Shortcuts) File Association)
2. Double click on the previously downloaded file, then click on the Start button.
   

OPTION 3: Use System Restore to restore your system to an earlier state

1. Open System Restore by clicking the Start button .
2. In the search box, type System Restore, and then, in the list of results, click System Restore.
3. Follow the steps in the wizard to choose a restore point and restore your computer to an earlier state.

OPTION 4: Manually remove the unwanted registry change

1. Click Start Menu, and then type regedit in the Start Search and press ENTER.
2. Browse to the following registry branch:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.lnk
3. Click on the arrow to expand it and delete the sub-key named UserChoice.
4. Exit from Registry Editor and reboot your machine.

STEP 2: Scan your computer with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a powerful on-demand scanner which should remove all types of malware from your machine. It is important to note that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will run alongside antivirus software without conflicts.

1. You can download download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware from the below link.
   MALWAREBYTES ANTI-MALWARE DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download “Malwarebytes Anti-Malware”)
2. Once downloaded, close all programs, then double-click on the icon on your desktop named “mbam-setup” to start the installation of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.
   
   You may be presented with a User Account Control dialog asking you if you want to run this file. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
   
3. When the installation begins, you will see the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Setup Wizard which will guide you through the installation process.
   
   To install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware on your machine, keep following the prompts by clicking the “Next” button.
   
4. Once installed, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will automatically start and will update the antivirus database. To start a system scan you can click on the “Scan Now” button.
   
5. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer for malware. When Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is scanning it will look like the image below.
   
6. When the scan has completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware has detected. To remove the malicious programs that Malwarebytes Anti-malware has found, click on the “Remove Selected” button.
   
7. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now quarantine all the malicious files and registry keys that it has found. When removing the files, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware may require a reboot in order to remove some of them. If it displays a message stating that it needs to reboot your computer, please allow it to do so.
   
   After your computer will restart, you should open Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and perform another scan to verify that there are no remaining threats

---

STEP 3: Scan your computer with HitmanPro

HitmanPro can find and remove malware, adware, bots, and other threats that even the best antivirus suite can oftentimes miss. HitmanPro is designed to run alongside your antivirus suite, firewall, and other security tools.

1. You can download HitmanPro from the below link:
   HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download “HitmanPro”)
2. Double-click on the file named “HitmanPro.exe” (for 32-bit versions of Windows) or “HitmanPro_x64.exe” (for 64-bit versions of Windows).
   
   Click on the “Next” button, to install HitmanPro on your computer.
   
3. HitmanPro will now begin to scan your computer for malware.
   
4. When it has finished it will display a list of all the malware that the program found as shown in the image below. Click on the “Next” button, to remove malware.
   
5. Click on the “Activate free license” button to begin the free 30 days trial, and remove all the malicious files from your computer.
   

---

(OPTIONAL) STEP 4: Scan your computer with Zemana AntiMalware

Zemana AntiMalware is a powerful utility which will remove malicious browser extensions and other malware from Windows.
This step should be performed only if your issues have not been solved by the previous steps.

1. You can download Zemana AntiMalware from the below link:
   ZEMANA ANTIMALWARE DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will start the download of “Zemana AntiMalware”)
2. Double-click on the file named “Zemana.AntiMalware.Setup.exe” to start the installation of Zemana AntiMalware.
   
   You may be presented with a User Account Control dialog asking you if you want to run this file. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
   
3. Click on the “Next” button, to install Zemana AntiMalware on your computer.
   
4. When Zemana AntiMalware will start, click on the “Scan” button.
   
5. Zemana AntiMalware will now scan computer for malicious files. This process can take up to 10 minutes.
   
6. When Zemana AntiMalware has finished it will display a list of all the malware that the program found. Click on the “Next” button, to remove the malicious files from your computer.
   
   Zemana AntiMalware will now remove all the detected malicious files, and at the end a system reboot may be required to remove all traces of malware.

---

Your computer should now be free of malware.
If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove any browser redirect from your machine, please start a new thread in our Malware Removal Assistance forum.

We love Malwarebytes and HitmanPro!

We really like the free versions of Malwarebytes and HitmanPro, and we love the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Premium and HitmanPro.Alert features.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Premium sits beside your traditional antivirus, filling in any gaps in its defenses, providing extra protection against sneakier security threats.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Premium Features

HitmanPro.Alert prevents good programs from being exploited, stops ransomware from running, and detects a host of different intruders by analyzing their behavior. HitmanPro.Alert will run alongside your current antivirus without any issues.

HitmanPro.Alert Features

« Remove Quickprivacycheck.com pop-up ads (Virus Removal Guide)

Remove DO SEARCHES homepage (Virus Removal Guide) »

18.1k Likes4.3k Followers

Helping people since 2010

MalwareTips has been around since 2010, and we pride ourselves on offering detailed, clear, and easy to understand guides that anyone can use to remove malware for free.

Be part of our community!

Our community has more than 39.000 registered members, and we’d love to have you as a member!
Join us and take part in our unbiased discussions among people of all different backgrounds about security and technology .
Register Now (it’s free)

TIP: What is “malware”?

Malware - short for malicious software - is an umbrella term that refers to any software program deliberately created to perform an unauthorized and often harmful action.
Viruses, backdoors, keyloggers, spyware ,adware, rootkits, and trojans are just a few examples of what is considered malware.
A few years ago,it was once sufficient to call something a 'virus' or 'trojan horse', however today's infection methods and vectors evolved and the terms 'virus and trojan' no longer provided a satisfactory definition for all the types of rogue programs that exist.

TIP: Avoid malware like a pro!

Keep your software up-to-date. This is especially true for things like your operating system, security software and Web browser, but also holds true for just about any program that you frequently use. Viruses often take advantages of bugs or exploits in the code of these programs to propagate to new machines, and while the companies that make the programs are usually quick to fix the holes, those fixes only work if they have been downloaded to your computer.
It's also important to avoid taking actions that could put your computer at risk. These include opening unsolicited email attachments, visiting unknown websites or downloading software from untrustworthy websites or peer-to-peer file transfer networks.