Serious problem with windows Xp all shortcuts and exe files will not function - It happened again!

[GodHelp me]

Ok it happened again to the same home user. I am having them bring the system
to me tomorrow. I am hoping the ad-aware logs will have a clue as to what is
the cause. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should look for? The
file system is still intact but no programs can be run in normal mode. (also I
did enable a nightly backup of the system data. I will be trying to restore
from that if it will allow me to run that program)

For those who have not seen my original post I have it below.

Thank you for any suggestions.

<=^=>
ok this is really wierd none of the short cuts work and even trying to start
an application directly brings up an error like the computer doesn't know what
to do with this file.... windows is completely unusable. Is there anything
that can be done short of a reinstall? I can not even bring up the system
restore feature.

System is a newer gateway running windows XP home (I saw this once before on
a windows XP Pro box and all they could do was reformat)

there has to be a better way to restore this without reloading

please help
<=^=>

 

[MAP]

Ok it happened again to the same home user. I am having them bring
the system to me tomorrow. I am hoping the ad-aware logs will have a
clue as to what is the cause. Does anyone have any suggestions as to
what I should look for? The file system is still intact but no
programs can be run in normal mode. (also I did enable a nightly
backup of the system data. I will be trying to restore from that if
it will allow me to run that program)

For those who have not seen my original post I have it below.

Thank you for any suggestions.

<=^=>
ok this is really wierd none of the short cuts work and even trying
to start an application directly brings up an error like the
computer doesn't know what to do with this file.... windows is
completely unusable. Is there anything that can be done short of a
reinstall? I can not even bring up the system restore feature.

System is a newer gateway running windows XP home (I saw this once
before on a windows XP Pro box and all they could do was reformat)

there has to be a better way to restore this without reloading

please help
<=^=>

http://dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm

 

[GodHelp me]

That page was perfect I just used the EXE and the LNK and all the problems
were fixed

Thank you so much