All icons and "file types" have changed. Anyone know why?

Hi everyone. I'm new to BC. Hope someone here can help me with my problem.

Yesterday every single icon on my desktop, Task Bar, Start-Menu, and even in the extended menus have ALL changed to the iTunes logo/icon. Every. Single. One.
If I try to open something-- whether it's a document, inserted CD, Internet Explorer, etc. --iTunes opens instead.

I've right-clicked on every shortcut I have on my desktop and Task-Bar and I've viewed the Properties of each consecutively, and they all say that their File Type is iTunes (with the suffix ".lnk" at the end.)
Now, I CAN open the programs labeled as iTunes, but I have to go around the direct short-cuts and main menus; opening with a right-click is what I've had to do from the computer sub-menu of the Start Menu.

The only "different" thing that I've done recently is tweaking the Auto Play options in the Control Panel (I wanted to watch a movie, and the default program was annoying.)
But even after I reset them all back to Default, the icon problem and File Type issues have remained.

Does anyone have an idea why this is happening? (I own a new Acer laptop running on Windows 7, if that helps with anything.)

All suggestions will be much obliged.

Edit: Moved topic from Introductions to the more appropriate forum. ~ Animal

Sorry, guys-- I shouldn't have posted the question in this forum.

Edited by i_say_potato, 26 December 2010 - 11:13 PM.

No problem, I have moved your topic for you.

Hi

That must be stressful to see all the I tunes icons. However this may help you This tutorial should be of some help http://helpdeskgeek.com/windows-7/remove-file-type-associations-in-windows-7/

Coxchris, thanks for the link. I clicked it and read through what was in it, but it wasn't anything I wasn't familiar with.

My problem has resorted to this: I know how to change the Default Programs and etc. But when I do, the icons and file types that have been changed DON'T CHANGE BACK to what they were before this mess.
(I was under the impression that if I changed the primary Default Program then things would even out.)

I went to the sub-menu from the Computer link in the Start Menu and when I looked at the files under the Acer(C:) disk, their file-types seem normal-- but if I try to make new shortcuts and delete the "iTunes" ones, then either I get one of those "You do not have permission to..." pop-ups, or the new shortcut/icon shows up as an iTunes icon.

I'm trying to figure out a way to revert everything back to what they were before iTunes suddenly started absorbing it all.

Also, someone told me that if I deleted iTunes, then the original file types should sort themselves out.
This sounded fishy to me.
Does anyone have any good advice in response for that bit of strange advice?