Windows 8 Control Panel - "no programs associated to perform this action".

[Daniel Burgess]

Hi,

I have the 64-bit version of Windows 8.1 Pro. As far as I'm aware, all the latest updates are installed.

For some reason, I cannot open certain shortcuts on the Control Panel (Default Programs, RemoteApp and Desktop Connections, Connect To and Windows Update). An dialogue box titled "Explorer.EXE" appears stating: "This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Please install a program or, if one is already installed, create an association in the Default Programs control panel."

The irony is that the Default Programs panel doesn't seem to have a default program assigned to it!

This means that I cannot access the desktop Windows Update interface, which is obviously a problem. I can, however, use the 'Modern' version of it though the PC settings app.

This is really odd: I can't think of any explanation for it myself: maybe a shell extension that Explorer uses to display the interfaces above is corrupt?

I have run sfc /scannow and it returned with the result that it found corrupted files, but couldn't fix them.

I ran I virus scan; no joy.

And no, I've no idea of any settings that I might have changed / programs I've installed that might have caused this.

I would attach screenshots, but this forum's anti-spam rubbish wouldn't let me.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Daniel Burgess]

Update for anyone else that gets this problem: I couldn't fix this, so I ended up reinstalling Windows (my files weren't affected).

I would post the link for you, but I can't…
Just search for 'Repair Install Windows 8' on Eightforums.

So, yeah, even though the problem's fixed now, I still don't understand exactly what happened.