Question about Outlook Express

I cannot open attached links or shortcuts contained within an email message.  For example; someone sends me a message or a company sends me an offer and highlights a quick link to got to a web address, I click on it and nothing happens. I get no error message or anything. This started happening just recently. I know of no changes in programs that would have caused this. I also performed a system recovery to an earlier date with no luck in resolving this issue.