Downloads only good once

Hello everyone-
I'm on Windows Vista and lately I'm having a problem with downloads.I can download anything easily enough;but once it's downloaded If I quit the program and try to enter it again I will get a note saying that the shortcut has been removed.If I try to enter the program through "run as admin "I will get the same notice.So basically,it's a one shot deal.Anyone know what's going on?lol

 

Basically any program.
It happened with Yahoo messenger recently.
Interestingly,the programs I had downloaded long ago are still running correctly.
Rebooting makes no difference for the better,just for the worse.
Sometimes I will have downloaded a program,run it smoothly until I shut off the computer or restart,at which point the regular icon will have been substituted with the app.square(setup icon).
This has been happening for months now.

 

As far as different profiles,no,I only log on with the same user name.

 

In essence what is says is something like....the item that this shortcut refers to..... "...exe ",has been moved or changed so it will no longer work properly.Do you want to delete the shortcut?

This always happens after I leave the program the first time.
Anyone there?lol

 

Still trying,but anything I download works only once-very frustrating!

 

No,basically the same thing.
I've tried looking if there's an application I downloaded that is doing this but nothing in the remove programs list seems out of the normal.
I ran malware applications and nothing seems to do the trick.
Thanks for asking Steve.

 

Going through the same ordeal,still.
Some programs I've tried downloading have been Realplayer,Yahoo messenger,games etc.
It's been months since I've been able to download a program that I've been able to use more than once because the icon ceases working after the first time.

 

What you are saying is that the "shortcuts" only work once?
I take it the programs work OK if started from All Programs list?

 

No-after running the program once,it will not longer work,either from the programs or the icon.It's strange too because it will save your progress in the case of a game.
Right now I'm playing the World of Goo game and obviously I will shut it down and I can't continue playing form the icon or startup list so I have to reinstall it each time I want to play it,and it shows the last saved part of the game so all I do is give it continunace.
Thanks for asking.