Windows Vista Desktop icons open the last program that ran

OK, this one is weird.

My Vista (Home 32-bit on a 64-bit computer) did this to me today.

I click on a desktop icon to open a program, and instead of opening what I want, it opens the last program that ran.

Verified that if I clicked on a different icon, it still opens the last program that ran.

IF I right click on the icon, it verifies that it wants to open the correct program.

It also will then open the correct program.

But ... then it wants to open that program with all the icons.

Just ran an anti-virus scan (avast!) and it found nothing.

Any thoughts / ideas / etc. on what / why / and how to make it stop?

 

Do a check disc and see if that helps. Also would do a disc cleanup.

 

Ok.

Ran CCleaner before avast! (full scan)

Running MalwareBytes as I type (full scan) and it is reporting "Objects detected: 1" but is still scanning so I don't know what it has found yet.

 

< sigh > Seems I had a little present left over from trying to install a new piece of software yesterday. Will continue to monitor...