How to remove Windows Desktop Search

Question

How can I remove Windows Desktop Search from the taskbar, or at least permanently hide it from the taskbar?  In my original attempt I selected the following:

Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs

Then I selected Windows Desktop Search and "removed" it. Then I rebooted my PC.  When I rebooted, the Search Desktop interface appeared in the taskbar next to the tray.  Now it doesn't appear in the control panel.

Frankly it hasn't been useful, and I don't want it to take up the real estate in my taskbar.  Microsoft, how can I get rid of it or permanently remove it from the taskbar?  And, I shouldn't have to hack around the registry to do this.  Thanks.

 

Ken

Answer 1

Right mouse click the taskbar, select "Toolbars" -> "Windows Search Deskbar" item and uncheck it.

Answer 2

I want to totally remove Windows Desktop Search, not just turn off the toolbar for it. There is nothing in the Add/Remove software pane for Windows Desktop Search, so how does one actually get rid of this resource waster? Besides the CPU processing it wastes while indexing, it does not even search in the areas I want looked most of the time, since I am NOT looking in  the documents areas that it does index. I want to get totally rid of it!

Answer 3

On my WINXP computer under Add / Remove Programs, there is an entry for Windows Desktop Search 3.01.  Trouble is, when I start the uninstall, it throws a list of over 100 programs that "could be affected by its removal" because they were installed after it.  Well, I'm intimidated.  Also doubly vexed with Microsoft, for not only is Windows Desktop Search a resource hog, but at this point it stands between me and the file search methods that I know.

Anybody out there have some better answers? 

Answer 4

Yes, that can be very intimidating (to see all those security fixes that might be affected).  I just uninstalled "Windows Desktop Search 3.01" and rebooted and all is fine.  I just ran WindowsUpdate and all was fine there.  I wouldn't say this is 100% solution, but if it was fine for me, it can be fine for you.

As far as how to search, it will only be an extra step and possibly some more options (that can either be confusing or help you to have better/more refined searches): go to your Start button, and there you should see Find or Search (and from there, just try to follow along).

Hope this helps.

Answer 5

Hope y'all can help me out with some additional ideas on how to completely uninstall win desktop search.  From what I can tell in the Add Remove Progs, Win Desktop Search v 02.06.5000.5378 is listed.  When I attempt to uninstall I get error: "Update could not be removed because newer updates are installed. Please remove the newer updates first."  However Add Remove Progs does not list any other items that are recognizable as another update/version of win desktop search.  I don't want to have to pick files I think might be related and try to hit and miss uninstall one by one just to find it.  Desktop search has not been useful at all for me, just as the Win Live Tool Bar for IE 7 was useless.  I did uninstall the Win Live Tool Bar (not sure if/what may still be left behind).  I'm tired of things like this eating up sys resources and items that auto boot with Win but are next to near impossible to find and disable.  I've tried to use Sys Mech Pro 7 to uninstall progs that don't show up in the Add Remove Programs list and the last time it just locked up.  I'm currently trying out Security Task Manager that lists all running apps/processes and their locations.  However the trial version has limited function and I'm not sure that it can help to uninstall programs completely or if selecting remove will simply remove that one component only and leave the rest of the program files lying around taking up space.  So I'm also trying out some registry edit/cleaners.  Trying out Karen's Registry Pruner.  Any ideas, suggestions, tips, & or pointers to help me accomplish my goal of cleaning out software I don't find useful??????? - Especially Win Desktop Search......

 

PS:  I have already tried searching for info at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows/search/dtsguide.mspx#ERNAC and

http://support.microsoft.com/search/default.aspx?mode=r&query=desktop+search+uninstaller&catalog=LCID%3D1033&1033comm=1&spid=global

 

But I could spend years sorting thru and not finding what I'm looking for as usual with any Win/MS issues I have tried to go to the MS sites for info on.

 

Thanks so much for your time and effort and any and all ideas/help you can provide!

 

Answer 6

No one, not even Bill Gates knows how to remove Live Desktop Search with Add/Remove.

 

How to remove Windows Desktop Search?

Answer 7

Which version of WDS do you have installed? Are you on XP or Vista? Do you see WDS listed in Add/Remove programs?

 

Normally there's a simple uninstaller but some people have reported problems where this is not available {sometimes registry cleaner tools can remove the uninstaller}. If you give me details I can probably give you some more info {or look on the other forums on this topic for more info}.

 

Dave Wood

Answer 8

I have uninstalled WDS 3 times using various means.  I have blocked it on the list of Windows updates, and I have used Autoruns to block its execution. Nothing I've done will permanently remove it or prevent its execution.  This program is so persistent it's difficult NOT to think of it in terms of malware. 

 

I know there are well-meaning folks working on this project.  I understand their desire to compete directly with Google for mindshare, but this is NOT the way to do it.  I am embarrassed for Microsoft that they have allowed this type of thing to go on.

 

If anyone can figure out how to get rid of it for good, please let us know.

 

Jim Lancaster

Dallas, TX

 

Answer 9

 

Windows Search 4 is an optional update on XP, as far as I know it isn't installed unless you explicitly approve it in Windows Update, or you previously had Windows Desktop Search 3 installed. I'm not an expert on the full Windows Update system but I just took a clean XP machine and double-checked, and Windows Search 4 is not installed automatically.

 

Windows Search 4 does come with an uninstaller {as do earlier versions of Windows Search}. In the vast majority of cases on XP it is in Add/Remove Programs {as "Windows Search 4" at the bottom of the list}. This is what makes it so tricky for us to diagnose the issue where some people are not seeing the uninstaller - we have installed and uninstalled WS4 thousands and thousands of times on XP while testing and using the product in Microsoft, and have never seen this issue. The only way I have been able to reproduce this is by using certain registry cleaners that remove Windows Update uninstallers, or by manually deleting C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$\. Once the C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$\ has been removed then there's no way we can uninstall {see below for a way to work around this}. 

 

So my three-step guide for removing WS4 from XP goes like this:

 

1. Check Add Remove Programs and try and uninstall there.

 

2. If that fails, look for C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$\spuninst\spuninst.exe and run it {this is a hidden folder so you'll need to "show hidden files and folders" or use "dir /AH" to see it.

 

3. If there's no C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$ directory do the following:

     - A/ Delete the following reg keys if present:

"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP3\KB940157"

"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\KB940157"

This will make the installer believe no Windows Search 4 is on the system.

 

     - B/ Reinstall Windows Search 4.

This will add the uninstall files back to C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$

 

     - C/ Now the uninstaller should be present in Add/Remove Programs again and can be uninstalled as normal.

 

 

Most people who have had trouble uninstalling Windows Search have been able to do so using the above, although there are other threads on these forums with other approaches.

 

Dave Wood

 

Answer 10

Add/remove programs did not work for me the other times I used it to remove WDS.  I found the uninstaller (spuninst.exe) and used it, and that seems to have done the trick for now.  However, it has been gone before and it come back.  Only time will tell if this fix is permanent.

 

I really appreciate your followup and detailed response.   I have never had problems with other Microsoft software like the kind I've had with WDS.  It has been extremely frustrating.

 

Thanks again,

 

Jim

Answer 11

Cool - let me know if you still have issues. I'm curious too why you have seen it re-install, and why the regular Add/Remove Programs uninstall was not working.

 

One thing to check is that the earlier version WDS 3 has an uninstaller at a different location: C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB917013$ so I wonder if that version is still partially installed in some way that makes Windows Update think it should try and upgrade you to the latest version. So if there is an uninstaller at that location I would try running it too.

 

Dave

Answer 12

Guess what showed up again this morning....So I did some digging, and I have to admit the mistake was mine. 

 

Although I have auto-updates is turned off, and our patch management program (not MS) is configured to block the distribution of WDS via policy, my machine was NOT under any patch management policy. And since my machine is not a member of any policy, I've been getting all patches, feature additions, etc.  WDS kept coming back because my patch management program was doing its job exactly the way I had it configured.

 

Please accept my humble apology, and thanks again for your quick and detailed responses.  They were extremely helpful.

 

Jim

 

 

Answer 13

Thank you... It seems I was overlooking the name for this "update" in the Add/Remove list...

 

It also seems that this search feature does NOT do the job very well... Even after modifying it to search for every file extension it has listed, it would not locate a file I know is in a folder it was searching in...

 

After uninstalling this piece of week old carp, I had twelve hits on my search with the legacy Windows search feature...

Answer 14

Following are my efforts to uninstall it, and then the reasons for trying to uninstall it.  Dave Wood please take notice.

 

1.  Around a week ago, where this piece of ship-it is/was most particularly unbearable, I went to Control Panel - Add and Remove Programs, and selected to delete this one.  On one computer, the dialog panel flickered for a moment and the Windows Search 4 item was no longer shown in the list of programs.  However, the garbage is still running and still causing problems.  On the other computer, the uninstaller actually ran, giving a list of several dozen other programs that this malware was threatening to break, but I told it to uninstall itself anyway.  It almost obeyed.  It didn't tell me that a reboot was necessary, but my experience with Microsoft is long enough, I could figure it out.  The problem is still the first PC where Add and Remove Programs no longer displays this garbage but it's still running.

 

2.  There is no C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$ directory.  (There are directories to uninstall other later stuff, and I do display hidden and system files and the contents of system directories and protected system files and everything.  This directory really doesn't exist, unless a rootkit is hiding it.)

 

3.  I DID download and reinstall Windows Search 4.  This piece of ship-it did reinstall itself.  It's running and making a pest of itself the same as always.  AND STILL there is no mention of it in the Add and Remove Programs list, AND STILL there is no C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$ directory.

 

4.  I am considering deleting directory C:\Program Files\Windows Desktop Search.  Of course that's not the right way to delete a program.  I expect that the right way is going to be FORMAT C and reinstall Windows.  But meanwhile, does anyone really know how to do it?

 

Now here are the reasons why this piece of ship-it needs evacuation.

 

Every 5 minutes it puts up a focus-stealing dialog.  It tells me it can save disk space by reorganizing my Outlook Express folders.  Even if 5 minutes earlier it already did save a negative amount of disk space (i.e. actually increased disk usage) by reorganizing Outlook Express folders, it wants to repeat the process.  If it steals focus while I'm typing from the keyboard, it might just steal keystrokes and ring a bell sound, or it might eat an Enter or Space keystroke and repeat its malicious operations.

 

The thing leaks resources.  What resources, I don't know, but it causes trouble for both itself and other applications.  When the thing has leaked some degree of resources, attempts to open further Internet Explorer windows either display corrupt non-functioning windows or display nothing at all.  When it leaks more resources, Outlook Express cannot even reply to an e-mail message, asserting a false reason that there isn't enough memory.  When it leaks enough resources it stops popping up focus stealing dialogs, and instead it makes a ringing sound like a doorbell every 10 seconds until I reboot.  What a monopolizing pain.

 

Both PCs involved in this have 2GB of RAM.  Typically 1GB are in use at any time, and around 1GB are in use when Outlook Express can't reply to an e-mail message due to not having enough memory.  So memory is not the problem.  Both PCs have several tens of gigabytes of free disk space as well.  One PC has a few gigabytes of e-mail but the other has less than one gigabyte of e-mail stored in their Outlook Express identities directories.

 

To add ship-it to ship-it, in Windows Explorer do a right-click on My Network and select Search for Computer.  Try to search for a computer.  That's right, virtually the only search function that ever used to work has now been removed from Windows.  The context menu entry hasn't been removed, only the functionality has been removed.

 

Windows Desktop Search has got to go.  Someone tell me how.

Answer 15

 "C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallKB940157$\spuninst\spuninst.exe"

This worked for me.

Answer 16

The answer/solution is here: http://www.davidarno.org/2007/10/26/how-to-remove-windows-desktop-search/

Answer 17

Hi All,

I am using Windows Vista (SP2). I deleted Windows Search 4.0 and wish to re-install it. Please help!

Answer 18

Thanks a lot for this simple and most effective solution!

Answer 19

tried everything suggested here, nothing worked, changed ownership of the searchindexer.exe file, denied the "trustedinstaller" all access (WTF is that anyway!?!?!?!?!??) then it stopped reapearing and i was allowed to delete the file

I WIN!!!! FOR PONY!!!

Answer 20

I have tried everything here but to no avail. I've tried to install Windows search 4 so as to be able to uninstall that in Add/Remove programs, but that doesn't work either:

---------------------------

Windows Search Setup

---------------------------

Please uninstall previous versions of Windows Desktop Search before installing Windows Search 4.0

---------------------------

OK   

---------------------------

So HOW do I uninstall previous versions of Windows Desktop Search when it is better hidden away in the system than a virus? None of the KB... folders are there; nothing in add/remove programs, none of the KB... entries in the register, no help that works on the link to another site, but it still keeps indexing and popping up a message that Windows Desktop Search has finished indexing, after having chewed up my computer resources for half an hour so my XP becomes as responsive as trying to pull a car with an elastic.

I use Google Desktop Search and I'm happy with that. I don't need another desktop search program. Google doesn't chew up my computer resources while I'm using the computer to work. Why does Microsoft push unwanted software unto their clients' machines that wastes their computer resources so seriously? This is not the way to become popular.

Please help me getting rid of this malware, Microsoft. Thanks.

Answer 21

All right, it's the MSN Search Toolbar that needs deleting from Add/Remove programs. That does it. That's what contains Windows Desktop Search. To further confuse the user, this program is listed as Barre d'Outils MSN Search in Add/Remove programs on the French XP I'm so unfortunate to have. That's a real nuisance of a name as it means one has to look under "B" to remove a program known as MSN. I hope I finally got rid of it after rebooting. Good riddance.

The message telling the user to remove previous versions of Windows Desktop Search before V4 can be installed is very badly written, as it should point to MSN Search Toolbar.

Answer 22

Thanks for your simple direction on how to remove Windows Search window

Answer 23

I have it in my add/remove programs but when I try to remove it it tells me something to the effect of this action is only valid for products that are currently installed. WTF?! Typical microsoft for you! Right up there with trying to install Microsoft updates and it stops to ask you if you're sure and if you trust where it's coming from.

Answer 24

That I believe!

Answer 25

Dave Woods's answer was helpful to me.

I was able to remove Windows Desktop search by executing the following file:

C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$\spuninst\spuninst.exe

 

Thanks Dave...you are a rock star!

Answer 26

Sep 2010: Here's how I attempted to remove the Windows Desktop Search on a WinXP Pro computer.  It requires a ZIP extraction tool, such as the free http://www.7-zip.org

1. Create a new folder on your desktop - name it whatever you like such as CRAPOLA.

2. Use google to locate and download the installer from Microsoft's server.  Save it to the new CRAPOLA folder you created.

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=site%3Amicrosoft.com+windows+desktop+search+download

For me, the file was named "WindowsSearch-KB940157-XP-x86-enu.exe".

3. RIGHT-CLICK the installer and choose EXTRACT HERE. 

Note that this will dump the contents of the EXE to the CRAPOLA folder.  It will contain a sub-folder named UPDATE.

Also note that, in the CRAPOLA folder, the WDSSETUP.EXE is the installer.  Typing WDSSETUP.EXE /?    in a CMD prompt will display a list of available switches that the installer accepts.

Also note that the UPDATE.INF file in this same folder contains all of the install instructions. The trick to uninstall this app is to launch the uninstaller (spuninst.exe) and instruct it to process the info in the UPDATE.INF file.

 

4. Copy the SPUNINST.EXE from the CRAPOLA folder into the UPDATE sub-folder.

5. Create a NEW text file named "SPUNINST.INF", in the UPDATE sub-folder.

6. Paste into the new text file the following lines (starting below .. until step 7):

 

[Version]

 Signature = "$Windows NT$"
 NtServicePackVersion = 0
 NtServicePackVersionText = "KB940157"
 NtServicePackVersionFullText = "Windows Search 4.0"
 NtServicePackPreviousVersion = 512
 NtServicePackPreviousVersionText = "No KB940157"
 IEVersion = "0.0.0.0"
 DisplayTitle = "KB940157"
 SP_TITLE = "Windows Search 4.0"
 RebootRequired = 1

[SourceDisksNames]

 1 = "Windows Search Source Files"

[SourceDisksFiles]

 msscntrs.dll=1
 mssitlb.dll=1
 searchprotocolhost.exe=1
 searchfilterhost.exe=1
 searchindexer.exe=1
 mssph.dll=1
 mssphtb.dll=1
 mssprxy.dll=1
 mssrch.dll=1
 msstrc.dll=1
 propdefs.dll=1
 tquery.dll=1
 msscb.dll=1
 gsrvctr.h=1
 gsrvctr.ini=1
 gthrctr.h=1
 gthrctr.ini=1
 idxcntrs.h=1
 idxcntrs.ini=1
 msshooks.dll=1
 msshsq.dll=1
 structuredqueryschema.bin=1
 structuredqueryschematrivial.bin=1
 xmlfilter.dll=1
 rtffilt.dll=1
 srchadmin.dll=1
 propsys.dll=1
 searchindexer.exe.mui=1
 mssrch.dll.mui=1
 tquery.dll.mui=1
 mssphtb.dll.mui=1
 mssph.dll.mui=1
 srchadmin.dll.mui=1
 propsys.dll.mui=1
 dsksrch.chm=1
 deskbar.cfg=1
 deskbar.dll=1
 dbsetup.dll=1
 dbres.dll=1
 wordwheel.dll=1
 wwres.dll=1
 msnlDl.dll=1
 msnldlps.dll=1
 msnlExt.dll=1
 msnlExtRes.dll=1
 msnlNamespaceMgr.dll=1
 msnlRed.dll=1
 WdsMktTools.dll=1
 wdsShell.dll=1
 wdsView.dll=1
 WindowsSearch.exe=1
 WindowsSearchRes.dll=1
 MarketStrings.cfg=1
 mapine.dll=1
 mapineres.dll=1
 dbres.dll.mui=1
 msnlExtRes.dll.mui=1
 WindowsSearchRes.dll.mui=1
 wwres.dll.mui=1
 mapineres.dll.mui=1
 xppreviewproxy.dll=1
 Search.adm=1
 WindowsSearchEngine.mof=1
 WindowsSearchEngine_Uninst.mof=1
 oeph.dll=1
 OEphRes.dll=1
 OEphRes.dll.mui=1
 UncPH.dll=1
 UncRes.dll=1
 UncCplExt.dll=1
 UncNE.dll=1
 UncDMS.dll=1
 UncRes.dll.mui=1

[DestinationDirs]

 System32.Files  = 11 ; %windir%\system32 (replace if exist)
 Wbem.Files  = 11, "Wbem" ; %windir%\system32\wbem
 Search.Config.Files = 16419, "Microsoft\Search\Config" ; ...\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Search\Config
 Search.Data.Config.Files = 16419, "Microsoft\Search\Data\Config" ; ...\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Search\Data\Config
 Mui.Files  = 11, "%WDS_MARKET%" ; %windir%\system32\<en-US style locale>
 WindowsDesktopSearch.UI.Files = 16422, "%WDSAppsSubDir%" ; Program Files\Windows Desktop Search
 Ext.files  = 16422, "%WDSAppsSubDir%" ; Program Files\Windows Desktop Search
 Ext.Mui.Files  = 16422, "%WDSAppsSubDir%\%WDS_MARKET%" ; Program Files\Windows Desktop Search\%WDS_MARKET%
 ADM.File1  = 11, "GroupPolicy\ADM" ; %windir%\system32\GroupPolicy\ADM
 ADM.File2  = 17 ; %windir%\inf
 OEPH.Files  = 11 ; %windir%\system32 (replace if exist)
 OEPH.Mui.Files = 11, "%WDS_MARKET%" ; %windir%\system32\<en-US style locale>
 UNCPH.Files  = 11 ; %windir%\system32 (replace if exist)
 UNCPH.Mui.Files = 11, "%WDS_MARKET%" ; %windir%\system32\<en-US style locale>


[ProductCatalogsToInstall.delete.files]

 KB940157.cat

[ProcessesToRunBeforeUninstall]

 "%SystemRoot%\System32\cmd.exe /c ""%SystemRoot%\System32\Wbem\mofcomp.exe %SystemRoot%\System32\Wbem\WindowsSearchEngine_Uninst.mof"""
 "%SystemRoot%\System32\cmd.exe /c ""%SystemRoot%\System32\unlodctr.exe UGatherer"""
 "%SystemRoot%\System32\cmd.exe /c ""%SystemRoot%\System32\unlodctr.exe UGTHRSVC"""
 "%SystemRoot%\System32\cmd.exe /c ""%SystemRoot%\System32\unlodctr.exe wsearchidxpi"""


[Configuration]

 UninstallationType = "Hotfix"
 UnInstallLogFileName = "KB940157Uninst.log"
 EventLogKeyName = "NtServicePack"
 ProductName = ""
 CustomizationDll = ""
 WaitTimeForServiceStop = 0
 OverwriteThirdParty = 0
 RestartDevice = 0
 ServiceFileInUseDetect = "0"
 UninstallCustomizationDLL = wss_SpCustom.dll

[GlobalRegistryChanges]
 DelReg = Del.Reg

[Del.Reg]

 HKLM, SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP%SERVICE_PACK_NUMBER%\%SP_SHORT_TITLE%
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\%SP_SHORT_TITLE%
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Desktop Search
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search Service
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search, "CurrentVersion"
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search, "DataDirectory"
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search, "InstallDirectory"
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search, "UseLowPriorityConfiguration"
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search, "SetupCompletedSuccessfully"
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search, "indexer:ci:MaxRestrictionNodes"
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\Applications
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\CatalogNames
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\CrawlScopeManager
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\CrawlScopeManager_LastKnownGood
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\Databases
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\Gather
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\Gathering Manager
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\Tracing
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\Indexer
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\InstallDirectory
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\PerformanceCounters
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\SearchService
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\UsnNotifier
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\PreviousSettings
 HKCU, Software\Microsoft\Windows Search
 HKCU, Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PropertySystem\PropertySchema
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PropertySystem\PropertySchema, "CachedSchema"
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PropertySystem\PropertySchema, "InstalledSchemasCheckpoint"
 HKCU, Software\Microsoft\Windows Desktop Search

[Del.Reg.PerfCounters.Uninstall]

 HKLM, System\CurrentControlSet\Services\UGatherer
 HKLM, System\CurrentControlSet\Services\UGTHRSVC
 HKLM, System\CurrentControlSet\Services\wsearchidxpi


[Product.Del.Reg.UI]
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Search-ms
 HKLM, Software\Classes\CLSID\{70804ECC-7272-4dc8-AFFC-97CD66AAA282}
 HKLM, Software\Classes\Search.MapPI
 HKLM, Software\Microsoft\Windows Desktop Search

 

7. Save the text file. Make sure it resides in the UPDATE sub-folder, as previously mentioned.

8. Double-click the SPUNINST.EXE file, in the UPDATE sub-folder.

9. Follow the on-screen prompted, to complete the uninstall.

10. Safely ignore the warning that removing this KB940157 may impact other apps.  Rest assured; you are safe to uninstall Windows Desktop Search.  It's a general warning but not applicable to this particular uninstall.

11. Reboot

 

That's it.  You may wish to manually delete the folder C:\program files\windows desktop search

to ensure it's completely gone.  Proof that it's removed can be seen by launching the add/remove programs applet -- START > RUN > type CMD (press enter) > type APPWIZ.CPL (press enter) -- and look for Windows Search 4.0 for Windows XP (KB940157) .. or whatever version is applicable to your O/S.

 

Another hot tip from Paulie D

Answer 27

Finally!!!

The post by DaveWood_MS (Wednesday, November 19, 2008) was the solution to my problem for uninstalling Windows Search 4.0!

I've been installing/re-installing and TRYING to uninstall Windows Search 4.0 for XP (WindowsSearch-KB940157-XP-x86-enu.exe) for days/Weeks!

My problem was:
1. I had no C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$ folder
2. no listing in Add/Remove Programs to remove.

Dave's option 3: - below did the trick for me!!

Thanks Dave!

3. If there's no C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$ directory do the following:
   - A/ Delete the following reg keys if present:
 "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP3\KB940157"
 "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\KB940157"

 This will make the installer believe no Windows Search 4 is on the system.

     - B/ Reinstall Windows Search 4.

 This will add the uninstall files back to C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$

     - C/ Now the uninstaller should be present in Add/Remove Programs again and can be uninstalled as normal.

Chip

Answer 28

PROPOPOSED AWNSER BY (THANKS DAVE) I ADDED A Prorbably obviosious OPTIONAL C

 

     - C/ Now the uninstaller should be present in Add/Remove Programs again and can be uninstalled as normal.

C_OPTIONAL

Step B worked but did not show in add/remove so I had to..
 %systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB940157$\spuninst

 

 

Answer 29

Well done MS

WDS 4.0 is possibly one of the most detrimental products ever released/forced upon the public.

Sometimes I wonder if MS is under instruction to intentionally cause millions of wasted man-hours

Answer 30

I have removed WDS 4, and now any WOrd or Excel files obtained via email are marked as corrupt. Removing the protected View in Office 2010 sorts some out, but other files on a fileshare are all marked as corrupt. Opening up n another machine is fine.

 

This is absolutely awful software

Answer 31

thank you, Dave.

after much searching i found this thread and your response.  C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$\spuninst\spuninst.exe was just what i needed !!  (yes, it came with lots of warnings, but it worked out fine ! )

Michael

Answer 32

To remove the Windows Desktop Search system tray icon, delete 'Windows Search' from the Startup menu.