Fast Solution to Error: All my desktop and start icons changed to .lnk and are plain white after Windows update and reboot.

All my desktop and start icons changed to .lnk and are plain white after Windows update and reboot.

I rebooted the computer after Windows update and I now cannot access any programs using the icons.
Internet explorer can be accessed via help and support and clicking on any of the help suggestions.
Photoshop can be run from the program file as can some
others I tried so there is nothing wrong with  the programs.
I have tried using lnk_fix_w7which I don't know what to do with it and unassoc_1_4 does not work as it does not show .lnk in the listings when I run it.
I cannot use system restore as it has not been working for some time.
Can anyone suggest a remedy for
this problem or would it be easier to reformat?  
James.

Solutions to the Problem All my desktop and start icons changed to .lnk and are plain white after Windows update and reboot.

Download Error Fixer for Free Now

Try downloading lnk fix from the following link.
It is a zip file, extract it and the launch the extracted file.
http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/file-asso-fixes-for-windows-7/
If you face any issue in extracting the zip file, try creating new user account, extract the file there and the log back to the lnk corrupted account and launch the registry (.reg) file.

Use the System File Checker tool to repair corrupted or missing system files:

1. Click Start.
2. Type cmd, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER to open the elevated command prompt (I.e. Command prompt with administrative rights).
3. The User Account Control window should appear, be sure that the action it exhibits is correct, and then press the Continue button.
4. Type or copy paste the below command line into it without quotes:
5. "Sfc /scannow"

Another Safe way to Repair the Problem: All my desktop and start icons changed to .lnk and are plain white after Windows update and reboot.:

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