From time to time my HP ze4100 laptop running Windows XP professional loses
all the link info to the desktop icons plus the document history is emptied
and no longer updates apparently.

The icon labels come up but all icon images are changed to something
generic, all but Internet Explorer, at least this time. I clik on the icon
and get the following message:

Windows cannot open this file;

File: Microsoft Word.lnk

To open this file, Windows needs to know what program created it. Window can
go online to look it up automatically, or you can manually select form a list
of programs on your computer.
What do you want to do?

Use the Web service to find the appropriate program

Select the program from a list

Neither of the selections are any help so I was wondering if anyone may have
a link to someplace that may have a solution or at least some discussion as
why this keeps happening. The only way I fix it is completely rebuilding the
system and reinstalling the operating system. It appears the registry is
getting jacked up.

Apply the .LNK association fix available here:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User

Windows XP Troubleshooting
http://www.winhelponline.com


"wabitz" <wabitz@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:702D200D-591F-48B2-B9EA-A5A90BA92D06@microsoft.com...
> From time to time my HP ze4100 laptop running Windows XP professional
> loses
> all the link info to the desktop icons plus the document history is
> emptied
> and no longer updates apparently.
>
> The icon labels come up but all icon images are changed to something
> generic, all but Internet Explorer, at least this time. I clik on the icon
> and get the following message:
>
> Windows cannot open this file;
>
> File: Microsoft Word.lnk
>
> To open this file, Windows needs to know what program created it. Window
> can
> go online to look it up automatically, or you can manually select form a
> list
> of programs on your computer.
> What do you want to do?
>
> Use the Web service to find the appropriate program
>
> Select the program from a list
>
> Neither of the selections are any help so I was wondering if anyone may
> have
> a link to someplace that may have a solution or at least some discussion
> as
> why this keeps happening. The only way I fix it is completely rebuilding
> the
> system and reinstalling the operating system. It appears the registry is
> getting jacked up.