Desktop shortcuts no longer work after 8.1 upgrade

First off I hope I have this posted in the right place. And I tried searching the forum for similar problems but didn't find any like mine. Found a lot of 8.1 related problems with the desk top but I don't think I found any exactly like my problem.

My problem is ever since I installed windows 8.1 upgrade my desktop short cuts no longer work. Not even the ones under the new start button. I have to manually go into the programs folder, find the program I want to use and launch it from there. Every time I attempt to launch it through the start button or the desk top my win zip program pops up like it wants to unzip it. It never did this until I I upgraded to 8.1
I wished now I would of made a restore point before upgrading so I could get rid of this god awful 8.1. It has my PC totally messed up in trying to launch programs now.

Any idea what is causing this or better yet, any idea on how to fix this?

Also, I suspect the new skydrive has something to do with it since the skydrive folder opens after the win zip program pop's up.
I never used skydrive before and to be honest I really don't like it nor do I want it. I feel like it got shoved onto me.


The images shows what happens when I try to access something from the new start button, but I get the same problem if I have a desk top short cut. Surprizingly the control pannel and windows defender still works on the desk top, it's the only thing that does.

don't have a fix for your issue,but when you go to the original .exe for a program did you try right click on it and choose pin to start to see if it would fix the start shortcut ,
for the zip problem you could try uninstalling and reboot computer and then reinstall it .

Yeah I read a similar thread who's poster had a problem almost like mine but with a different twist of course, and someone, maybe it was you suggested the start menu method. So I tried it and yes they do load from the start menu but doesn't from the desk top. I guess I'll have to get used to using them from there, but it was so handy before to just click on them from the side of the computer I was using. I'll try uninstalling the zip program see if that helps. I seldom use it anyway. And if I need it for something I can always reinstall it.

Like I told someone on a different post my problem is annoying but at least its workable compared to some I have been reading about.

And thank you caper for trying to help me

Yea you were right. It was the Express zip causing the problem. I never had a problem with it before I upgraded to 8.1. I thought the skydrive desk top was the culprit. To be honest I don't even really know what that is other than I remember years ago when Microsoft first introduced it when I used to use msn messenger. I never used it then and I still don't.

Anyway threw the express zip out and everything seems to be working again. I haven't reinstalled it yet since I seldom use it. But if I need it I know where to find it again.

Thank you again caper, your the best!

I guess win8.1 and express zip don't like each other huh? lol

great to see you got it fixed .
as for skydrive it for viewing some of your file on different devices ,I have it setup ,don't use it much ,picture or other file I email with a Microsoft email acct go to my skydrive for me to view or I can let others view them
check it out here .
SkyDrive - SkyDrive