This issue where clicking an app icon in Windows opens a different app could be due to several reasons, such as a corrupted user profile, a problem with the Start menu, or issues with the app shortcuts. Here are some steps to troubleshoot and fix the problem:
- Restart Your Computer Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve the issue.
- Check for Windows Updates Make sure your system is up to date:
- Go to Settings > Update & Security.
- Click Check for updates.
- Rebuild the Icon Cache Rebuilding the icon cache can often fix icon-related issues:
- Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
- Type the following commands one by one and press Enter after each command:
- ie4uinit.exe -show
- taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F
- DEL /A /Q “%localappdata%\IconCache.db”
- DEL /A /F /Q “%localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\iconcache*”
- shutdown /r /f /t 00
- Reset the Windows Start Menu Open Windows PowerShell as an administrator. Run the following command:
- Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
- Recreate the App Shortcuts Sometimes, the shortcuts themselves may be corrupted. Recreate the shortcuts:
- Delete the existing shortcut.
- Navigate to the app’s installation directory.
- Right-click the app’s executable file and select Create shortcut.
- Move the new shortcut to the desired location.
- Check for Malware Malware can sometimes cause unexpected behavior. Run a full system scan using Windows Defender or your preferred antivirus software.
- Create a New User Profile If the issue persists, try creating a new user profile:
- Go to Settings > Accounts > Family & other users.
- Click Add someone else to this PC.
- Follow the prompts to create a new user account.
- Log in with the new account and see if the issue persists.
- System Restore If the problem started recently, performing a system restore might help:
- Go to Control Panel > System and Security > System.
- Click System protection in the left pane.
- Click System Restore and follow the prompts to restore your system to an earlier point.
- Reinstall the Problematic Apps If specific apps are causing the issue, try reinstalling them:
- Uninstall the problematic apps.
- Download and install the latest versions from the official websites.