[Thunar-workers] lost file associations

[David Webb]

recently thunar lost all file associations, reading .pdf files as 
text/plain type files, not knowing which application to open files with, 
having .deb files just sit there (in spite of gdebi being installed), 
etc., etc., etc.,

using 1.2.2 on a linux-mint xfce install (katya 11.04) tried reinstall 
w/ apt-get but it says i already have the most recent version. at the 
thunar website most links are dead

i need help please,
by the way, i used file file.pdf and it recognizes it as pdf filetype, 
but thunar says text/plain