BleepingComputer.com: Desktop icons hijacked by MS Word

I have a laptop running Vista. Recently, all the icons on my desktop and quicklaunch bar have turned into MS Word icons. All the affected icons are shortcuts or folders as opposed to actual data files.
 image001.jpg (77.42K)
Number of downloads: 22

Double clicking on any of these icons opens up a file conversion tool within Word; wordicon.exe.
 image002.jpg (49.74K)
Number of downloads: 17


If I go to the start button and launch my programs and open my files, all seems to be normal. Outlook/Exchange is fine. All my files and documents are there. I've run my virus checker and spyware software; neither detect any problems.

Anyone have any ideas about this? What's caused this and how do I fix it?

Check your file associations. Maybe Words got associated with shortcuts?

I know how to change file associations for data files; for instance, changing a .jpg to default to Photoshop instead of Windows picture viewer... But I don't see how to change the file-type association of a shortcut.

Is the problem just with your desktop and quick launch?
Make a new shortcut and does the Word icon appear?

Any new folder/file created on the desktop will have a Word icon. If I create a folder/file somewhere other than the desktop it comes out normal, but if I create a shortcut to it, it changes to a Word icon.