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This started happening the day after my latest Windows 10 update a few days ago (3/15/23). After starting up my PC, every time I click on a browser icon that is on my desktop - doesn't matter if it is Chrome, Firefox, or Edge - instead of opening the browser, my PC starts to open and display as a rapid slideshow, several, if not all, of the jpeg pictures that I have stored on my desktop. If I try to open the browser from the icon on my Taskbar, this doesn't happen.
At first I thought it was the system hadn't fully loaded after startup yet but today it had been over an hour after start up and it was doing it again.
I notice that when I click on the browser icon, the little arrow that is supposed to show up in the top left corner of the browser icon gets transferred to a jpeg icon. I also notice that if I right click the browser icon to get the pop up menu for it, that the men shown instead is the popup menu for the jpeg file.
I have both Windows Defender and McAfee Live Safe on my PC. Neither has indicated a problem. Yesterday I ran a McAfee quick scan. It showed no problems. However, after the scan was completed, my desktop icons started working normally. I then ran a McAfee full scan and it also showed no problems.
Today, I started the computer up normally after shutting it down normally last night. I didn't touch it for at least an hour after startup. When I tried to open a browser, the same problem appeared again. I ran another McAfee quick scan. it showed no problems. When the scan was done, the desktop started operating normally again.
What is going on? How do I fix this?
The last Windows 10 update was OS Builds 19042.2728, 19044.2728, and 19045.2728
UPDATE, 3/18/23, 8 AM PDT: Today after starting PC, the same problem appeared again. I ran a McAfee quick scan - no problems found. This time, when I tried to open browser icon on desktop, the same problem occurred. I then tried to open Windows Security and run a quick scan from there like I did yesterday, but, the link would not open. I accessed the System Restore menu on my PC, but, it said it was set up to restore to Windows 7! This PC never even had Windows 7!!! So, I did a hard shutdown by holding the power button down for 5-10 seconds until PC turned off. I waited and then restarted it. This time, after restart, everything seems to be working normally! And when I try to bring up the system restore menu, the reference to Windows 7 is now gone. Maybe a startup driver got corrupted during the last Windows 10 update and the hard shutdown/startup fixed that? I will follow up after my next normal shutdown/startup to see if everything still works ok then.
UPDATE 2, 3/18/23, 12:45 pm: Ok - I shut down my pc normally 3 hours ago. I just started it up again normally and when everything seemed ready to go, I tried clicking on the Chrome icon on my desktop. It immediately switched over to a jpeg on my desktop. I tried it one or 2 more times - same result. Then I tried it again, and everything worked normally. I ran another McAfee quick scan - no problems. Then I ran a Windows Security quick scan - no problems. Is anyone reading this? Anyone know what is going on here?
UPDATE 2, 3/18/23, 12:45 pm: Ok - I shut down my pc normally 3 hours ago. I just started it up again normally and when everything seemed ready to go, I tried clicking on the Chrome icon on my desktop. It immediately switched over to a jpeg on my desktop. I tried it one or 2 more times - same result. Then I tried it again, and everything worked normally. I ran another McAfee quick scan - no problems. Then I ran a Windows Security quick scan - no problems. Is anyone reading this? Anyone know what is going on here?
UPDATE 3, 3/19/23, 7:30 AM PDT: First of all, I guess this site is of no use for those of us who aren't computer professionals because I've gotten no feedback at all. Feel like I am wasting my time here looking for help. Anyway, today I started up PC at around 6:30 AM, let it sit there untouched, then tried to open a browser from the Desktop at 7:10 AM. I got same problems again. I noted that not only jpeg files are being opened instead of the browser when I click the browser icon on the desktop, but also some *.doc files I have posted on desktop. I tried to run Windows Security quick scan, but the button would not respond. I ran a McAfee quick scan - it showed no problems. I then opened Chrome from Taskbar. I tried to open Chrome History, Bookmarks, More Tools, and Help but the menus would not open!!! - This is a new observation. They seemed to momentarily flash but immediately closed. I opened Firefox from Taskbar and the same thing happened with it although I momentarily (less than a second) could see the menus for Bookmarks, History, More Tools, and Help. I debated doing a computer reset - brought up the menu to do so and began the initial setup to do it, but, I decided not to and canceled it. At 7:26 AM, I tried again to open the Chrome browser from the desktop icon and it worked! So did everything else. I tried to run a Windows Security quick scan and this time the button worked, it opened, and the scan showed no problems. What is going on here?
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Hello there,
If you have made any restore points try to restore the PC and see if that helps. Are you facing this issue only when your try to open the browsers or other apps also?
Corrupted system files are one of the possible reasons why this issue is happening. Try the below steps and see if they are helpful
Press F8 while booting your computer to access System Recovery options.
Click Troubleshoot.
Select Command Prompt.
Enter the following commands below, then press Enter after each command:
chkdsk c: /f
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /rebuildbcd
bcdboot c:\windows /s c:
Once done with the above commands, restart your computer and see if the problem is fixed.
Hope this resolves your Query !!
--If the reply is helpful, please Upvote and Accept it as an answer–
Thanks for the reply. 1. It happens only when I click on a browser icon that is on the desktop. It doesnt happen when I click on a browser icon that is on the Taskbar. Then after a few minutes and after running a McAfee quick Scan and a Windows defender quik scan - which find nothing - everything seems to work ok. I'll try a system restore - looks like my restore point was the day before I did the latest Windows 10 update, after which the problems started.
OK - I tried a System Restore. After the System Restore restart happened, and after waiting awhile for everything to load up, the desktop icon problem seems to have disappeared. I haven't shut it down normally and tried a normal restart yet - got things to do - but when I do I will post the results. NOTE: I was worried my System Restore was corrupted. After I started it, all I saw on my screen for 45 mins was this message: "Please wait while your Windows files and settings are being restored. System Restore Initializing," accompanied by that ubiquitous spinning circle of white dots. I was afraid it froze because nothing was happening for so long. I called a PC tech about it, was about to do a hard shutdown - he advised me to wait longer as that could cause even more problems. As we talked, the message displayed changed to something like "Now restoring system." I never had to wait that long before.
Thanks again to Limitless Technology. Started up PC normally today, all seems to be ok. The desktop problem did not re-appear. The System Restore appears to have done the trick. Note to anyone not-experienced at this (like me) - It took 45 minutes to almost an hour before the "System Restore Initializing" message changed and said it was "Now restoring system." So, be patient.
UPDATE - PROBLEM RETURNED!!!! 3/23/23, 7:35 AM: Just when I thought everything was fixed, and after successfully shutting down and restarting yesterday, today when I started the PC the problem returned!!!! I clicked on a browser icon on my desktop and instead it tried to open a jpeg file on my desktop. When I tried to click on another browser icon, it tired to open a different jpeg on my desktop. I searched for System Restore, clicked on it, but then canceled it. I then tried to open the browser via a desktop icon and all worked ok. WTH is going on?
UPDATE - PROBLEM RETURNED!!!! 3/23/23, 7:35 AM: Just when I thought everything was fixed, and after successfully shutting down and restarting yesterday, today when I started the PC the problem returned!!!! I clicked on a browser icon on my desktop and instead it tried to open a jpeg file on my desktop. When I tried to click on another browser icon, it tired to open a different jpeg on my desktop. I searched for System Restore, clicked on it, but then canceled it. I then tried to open the browser via a desktop icon and all worked ok. WTH is going on?