Article ID: 254950 - Last Review: November 1, 2006 - Revision: 1.1

Shortcuts and .lnk Files Do Not Work in Windows NT Workstation

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This article was previously published under Q254950
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
256986  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/256986/EN-US/ ) Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

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SYMPTOMS

There are several locations in the registry that are responsible for causing shortcuts to work correctly. If any of these keys becomes corrupted or is missing, shortcuts may not work or may work erratically.
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CAUSE

These problems can be caused by shutting down Windows improperly, or by a third-party program that modifies the registry.
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RESOLUTION

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

Create a text file with the following contents. Save the text file with a .reg extension (not the default .txt extension for text files). Double-clicking this file will restore the default registry key settings for .lnk files. When you double-click the file, you are prompted to verify that you want to make the changes to the registry. Click Yes.
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Contents of the .reg File

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@="Shortcut"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\InProcServer32]
@="shell32.dll"
"ThreadingModel"="Apartment"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\ProgID]
@="lnkfile"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\shellex]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\shellex\MayChangeDefaultMenu]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Approved]

"{500202A0-731E-11D0-B829-00C04FD706EC}"="LNK file thumbnail interface delegator"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Shell.ThumbnailExtract.Lnk.1]
@="LNK file thumbnail interface delegator"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Shell.ThumbnailExtract.Lnk.1\CLSID]
@="{500202A0-731E-11D0-B829-00C04FD706EC}"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{500202A0-731E-11D0-B829-00C04FD706EC}]
@="LNK file thumbnail interface delegator"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{500202A0-731E-11D0-B829-00C04FD706EC}\InprocServer32]
@="C:\\WINNT\\System32\\thumbvw.dll"
"ThreadingModel"="Apartment"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{500202A0-731E-11D0-B829-00C04FD706EC}\ProgID]
@="Shell.ThumbnailExtract.Lnk.1"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{500202A0-731E-11D0-B829-00C04FD706EC}\VersionIndependentProgID]
@="Shell.ThumbnailExtract.Lnk.1"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\lnkfile]
@="Shortcut"
"EditFlags"=hex:01,00,00,00
"IsShortcut"=""
"NeverShowExt"=""

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\lnkfile\CLSID]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\lnkfile\shellex]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\lnkfile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\lnkfile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\lnkfile\shellex\DropHandler]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\lnkfile\shellex\IconHandler]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.lnk]
@="lnkfile"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.lnk\ShellEx]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.lnk\ShellEx\{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]
@="{500202A0-731E-11d0-B829-00C04FD706EC}"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.lnk\ShellNew]
"Command"="RunDLL32 AppWiz.Cpl,NewLinkHere %1"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Shell.ThumbnailExtract.Lnk.1]
@="LNK file thumbnail interface delegator"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Shell.ThumbnailExtract.Lnk.1\CLSID]
@="{500202A0-731E-11D0-B829-00C04FD706EC}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile]
@="Shortcut"
"EditFlags"=hex:01,00,00,00
"IsShortcut"=""
"NeverShowExt"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\CLSID]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\DropHandler]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\IconHandler]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@="Shortcut"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\InProcServer32]
@="shell32.dll"
"ThreadingModel"="Apartment"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\ProgID]
@="lnkfile"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\shellex\MayChangeDefaultMenu]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk]
@="lnkfile"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk\ShellEx]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk\ShellEx\{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]
@="{500202A0-731E-11d0-B829-00C04FD706EC}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk\ShellNew]
"Command"="RunDLL32 AppWiz.Cpl,NewLinkHere %1"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{500202A0-731E-11D0-B829-00C04FD706EC}]
@="LNK file thumbnail interface delegator"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{500202A0-731E-11D0-B829-00C04FD706EC}\InprocServer32]
@="C:\\WINNT\\System32\\thumbvw.dll"
"ThreadingModel"="Apartment"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{500202A0-731E-11D0-B829-00C04FD706EC}\ProgID]
@="Shell.ThumbnailExtract.Lnk.1"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{500202A0-731E-11D0-B829-00C04FD706EC}\VersionIndependentProgID]
@="Shell.ThumbnailExtract.Lnk.1"
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APPLIES TO
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition
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Keywords: 
kb3rdparty kbenv kbprb KB254950
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