Desktop program links opening as text?

[geo]

I posted this question on launchpad but I haven't received any answers yet. This is an odd problem with my clean reinstall of 7.10. This is new and I've never seen this before.

So I've reinstalled 7.10 last night and updated it today. It is as up to date as I believe it can be - but this problem was occurring even prior to updates - but on the fresh new installation of 7.10 ONLY.

Ok, to put a link to a program on the desktop, I have to right-click something like Firefox or Evolution or some other program link from the Applications
menu and place the icon on the desktop.

It usually results in the
program (Firefox, Evolution, etc...) being double-clickable from the
desktop, right? It always has up until now...

Now, I tried to put Firefox on the desktop and double-click on it. I got the following (below) instead. Why?

And yes, the same thing happens when I try with Evolution (e-mail) or some other program, when I create new links out of existing menu-listed programs. It seems that once it's on the desktop, it's no longer a link to the program.

The icons don't change - only the behaviour changes..

Firefox for example:

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Encoding=UTF-8
Name=Firefox Web Browser
Name[ca]=Navegador web Firefox
Name[cs]=Firefox Webový prohlížeč
Name[es]=Navegador web Firefox
Name[fa]=مرورگر اینترنتی Firefox
Name[fi]=Firefox-selain
Name[fr]=Navigateur Web Firefox
Name[hu]=Firefox webböngésző
Name[it]=Firefox Browser Web
Name[ja]=Firefox ウェブ・ブラウザ
Name[ko]=Firefox 웹 브라우저
Name[nb]=Firefox Nettleser
Name[nl]=Firefox webbrowser
Name[nn]=Firefox Nettlesar
Name[no]=Firefox Nettleser
Name[pl]=Przeglądarka WWW Firefox
Name[pt]=Firefox Navegador Web
Name[pt_BR]=Navegador Web Firefox
Name[sk]=Internetový prehliadač Firefox
Name[sv]=Webbläsaren Firefox
Comment=Browse the World Wide Web
Comment[ca]=Navegueu per el web
Comment[cs]=Prohlížení stránek World Wide Webu
Comment[de]=Im Internet surfen
Comment[es]=Navegue por la web
Comment[fa]=صفحات شبکه جهانی اینترنت را مرور نمایید
Comment[fi]=Selaa Internetin WWW-sivuja
Comment[fr]=Navigue sur Internet
Comment[hu]=A világháló böngészése
Comment[it]=Esplora il web
Comment[ja]=ウェブを閲覧します
Comment[ko]=웹을 돌아 다닙니다
Comment[nb]=Surf på nettet
Comment[nl]=Verken het internet
Comment[nn]=Surf på nettet
Comment[no]=Surf på nettet
Comment[pl]=Przeglądanie stron WWW
Comment[pt]=Navegue na Internet
Comment[pt_BR]=Navegue na Internet
Comment[sk]=Prehliadanie internetu
Comment[sv]=Surfa på webben
GenericName=Web Browser
GenericName[ca]=Navegador web
GenericName[cs]=Webový prohlížeč
GenericName[es]=Navegador web
GenericName[fa]=مرورگر اینترنتی
GenericName[fi]=WWW-selain
GenericName[fr]=Navigateur Web
GenericName[hu]=Webböngésző
GenericName[it]=Browser Web
GenericName[ja]=ウェブ・ブラウザ
GenericName[ko]=웹 브라우저
GenericName[nb]=Nettleser
GenericName[nl]=Webbrowser
GenericName[nn]=Nettlesar
GenericName[no]=Nettleser
GenericName[pl]=Przeglądarka WWW
GenericName[pt]=Navegador Web
GenericName[pt_BR]=Navegador Web
GenericName[sk]=Internetový prehliadač
GenericName[sv]=Webbläsare
Exec=firefox %u
Terminal=false
X-MultipleArgs=false
Type=Application
Icon=firefox.png
Categories=Application;Network;
MimeType=text/html;text/xml;application/xhtml+xml;application/xml;application/vnd.mozilla.xul+xml;application/rss+xml;application/rdf+xml;image/gif;image/jpeg;image/png;
StartupWMClass=Firefox-bin
StartupNotify=true
GenericName[en_CA]=Web Browser



      
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