Member Avatar for louiscourchesne

tried downloading a pic sent to me and could not download, and windows asked what program i wanted to use. i clicked on windows media player.could not get to download this file.
windows media player icon appeared on all my desktop icons and have not been able to acess my icons and open my regular programs

  • 5 Contributors
  • 4 Replies
  • 188 Views
  • 1 Month Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by Member #932792

Dani AI

Generated

This looks like the classic wrong–file‑association problem: when Windows asked which program to open that downloaded picture with and a program was chosen, the association for shortcut (.lnk) or executable (.exe) types was likely changed. That makes every desktop shortcut take the chosen program’s icon (and often prevents shortcuts or programs from launching). ’s symptoms match this behavior. See the registry-based fixes that restore default associations. (winhelponline.com)

Quick, non‑destructive checks and a safe first attempt at recovery:

  • Try Ctrl+Shift+Esc → File → Run new task. Enter explorer.exe to restart shell, or cmd (Run as administrator) to get a command prompt.
  • Rebuild the icon cache (this forces Windows to refresh icons). From an elevated command prompt run the commands below (one line at a time):
    taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F
cd /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local
attrib -h IconCache.db
del IconCache.db /a
start explorer.exe

    That often restores correct icons without touching the registry. (support.microsoft.com)

If icons stay wrong or shortcuts still won’t open, restore the default .lnk/.exe associations by applying a vetted registry fix rather than repeatedly using “Open with.” Download the matching .reg from a trusted source such as the WinHelponline file‑association fixes and merge it while signed in as an administrator. If .exe files won’t run at all, use Task Manager’s elevated Run to create/import the .reg (see the method documented by TrishTech). Back up the registry or create a restore point before merging. (winhelponline.com)

Notes tied to earlier replies: was correct that file‑type associations matter; ’s third‑party tool suggestion can help, but a targeted registry fix is safer and free; ’s pointer to Microsoft troubleshooting is relevant as a first step, but when that doesn’t fully fix things the .reg approach above is the typical next step. Always back up, or use Safe Mode/System Restore if available, before applying registry changes.

Recommended Answers

All 4 Replies

Member Avatar for crunchie

Hi and welcome to Daniweb forums :).

Did you have a question?

Member Avatar for Ritesh_4

download a trial of tuneup utilities 2012, it has the option to fix wrong icons being displayed (hopefully in the trial version, else need to buy a license)

Member Avatar for 117

What kind of image file-type is it?
Did you try to open the image (file-type) in mediaplayer,
The only known file-types I have ever opened with mediaplayer are .gif and possibly .bmp.

Try windows photogallery and see if that works.
If the file (image) didn't work with mediaplayer,
then right-click on the file. A popupmenu should appear.
From there you just click on > Open with...

Then, select the default program in which you want to open the image file-type.
Can be any photoeditor or gallery. Example. Windows Live photogallery.

Remember: files with the same shared file-type will be opened with the same program.
(The default program).

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.