Most of my icons and files on my laptop have just changed to read me files only. how to i change them back?

Question

all my desktop icons, and most of my programs say when i click on them windows cannot find them, use the web or choose a program from the list.... please help me to change them back.

Answer 1

if it is all you your documents and icons something is drastically wrong.

If most of them are for the same program (Word for example or Excel) then you have changed what they open with. Right click the Icon or file, select open with, select the correct program from the choices offered (if none browse for it usually in Program Files and the program name) and then accept or ok as appropriate. There is a tick box to always open with this program, make sure you tick it and it wont ask again.

If it is all your program icons and file types then you have a much bigger problem. The less painful is Windows throwing a wobbly, use system restore and go back to time/ date before the problems. Hopefully system restore will put all the icons back to their proper file associations.

First you would be better off running a full system virus scan, you may have a rather nasty infection!

Answer 2

You can change the default program to open a particular type of file. Right click on the file and select Properties. On the Properties dialog box select the General tab and then click on the Change button near Open with: option and select the program that should be associated with that file. For and example, if it is a .doc file then you should select Microsoft Office Word or WordPad.