SIMPLE instructions to REMOVE Windows Desktop Search

Question

I have written to MS without receiving a simple, non-MIS/IT description of how to remove this horribly intrusive add-on, that installed itself DESPITE clicking on DO NOT INSTALL.

So (and without getting into the politics of who is behind this), all I want is the easy way to remove this program.

I have gone into Add/Remove Programs and YES, clicked on Show Updates, but there is NOTHING clearly identified as Windows Desktop Search.

ALSO, and most important, I DO NOT want to disable or screwup other programs/software.

HELP. What is the point of having multiple users with passwords if ANYONE can access the entire history of EVERYONE?

 

Answer 1

Hi,

Before we start working on this I have several questions:

1. WDS should not have installed itself.  What were you doing when this occurred and do you recall how the installation started?
2. If WDS is not showing up in Add/Remove then it likely isn't fully installed - or installed properly.
3. Can you pls clarify what you mean by: "What is the point of having multiple users with passwords if ANYONE can access the entire history of EVERYONE?"

Thanks,

Bill Connors

Program Manager, Windows Desktop Search - Communities

 

Answer 2

Batman -  -  ,

 

where is the instructions to remove this software that does not work..  am in the same position as the communities young lady-man above (writing a letter and speaking of help) . need to get rid of this WDS thing and contract with the google investigation site to install their stuff on my like computer.  have the idea   that google is greater to be the master inspector on my comper.  Now, that is above your reply not mine.  ok?   

 

post via patman resolution on termination of WDS. 

 

dandar,

robin

Answer 3

Rather than beating around the bush can Microsoft please just give some SIMPLE instructions how to REMOVE Windows Desktop Search?

It doesn't appear as an option in add or remove programs on the Control Panel nor can it be removed by using System Restore to restore to an earlier check point.  Windows Desktop Search just kills performance & I just want (like a lot of people) to get shot of it.

Why was it released without an uninstall option? (or at the very least a big health warning that once you install it & see how bad it affects performance that you will have to rebuild your system from scratch to get rid of it)

Answer 4

The following instructions are taken from the Windows Desktop Search Admin Guide which can be found in the Announcements section on the forum's top level page.  Please let me know if this works for you.

Thanks,

Bill Connors

Program Manager, Windows Desktop Search - Communities

Uninstalling Windows Desktop Search

When uninstalling Windows Desktop Search on individual systems, it is recommended that the product be removed using the Add/Remove Programs functionality provided in Windows Control Panel.  When uninstalling from Add/Remove Programs, be sure the check the Show Updates option and uninstall the newest product or product updates first.

 

While using Add/Remove programs to uninstall WDS 2.6.0 or later you may receive a message dialog stating “Setup has detected the following programs on your computer:” followed by a list of updates.  This dialog also states that “If Windows Desktop Search is removed; these programs may not run properly.  Do you wish to continue?”.  This is a due to the fact that WDS is installed using an update.exe package and is listed with other Windows updates.  Some products updates are dependant on previous updates and if one is removed, it may cause issues.  This is not the case with WDS and removing WDS will not disable or impact any other programs or updates listed.

 

When uninstalling Windows Desktop Search through a script or third party product,  if the Add/Remove Programs feature is not an option, it is suggested that the uninstall package (Spuinst.exe) be used, for the most recent versions.  Although Windows Desktop Search does create a system restore point as part of the installation it is not the recommended method of removing the product from users systems.

 

To uninstall Windows Desktop Search, use the Uninstaller package from the following locations for the following versions:

 

Version                        Location

2.6.0.2083                     %systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB907371-V2$\spuninst

2.6.0.2057                     %systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB907371$\spuninst

2.6.5.Beta                     %systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB911993\spuninst

 

Uninstall Options:

1.                   Interactive – Spuninst.exe is run without any command-line arguments. Uninstaller prompts for restart at the end.

%systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB907371-V2$\spuninst\spuninst.exe

 

2.                   Quiet – Spuninst.exe is run using the ‘/q’ or ‘/quiet’ command-line argument. Uninstaller forcefully restarts the system without informing the user after un-installation is complete

      %systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB907371-V2$\spuninst\spuninst.exe /q

          Or

      systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB907371-V2$\spuninst\spuninst.exe /quiet

3.                   Passive – Spuninst.exe is run using the ‘/passive’ command-line argument. Uninstaller prompts for restart displaying the wait time in seconds for automatic restart.

%systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB907371-V2$\spuninst\spuninst.exe /passive

 

Other command-line options are available in /help message. Please run the “spuninst.exe /help” command-line to see the other available options.

 

Uninstalling versions 2.5.0.1082 and 2.5.0.1119

Note: Version 2.6.X will not install properly on a system currently running version 02.05.0.1082 or earlier.  You must first uninstall the older version then install the newer version.

Use the Msiexec.exe program to uninstall.  Below are two suggested methods for uninstalling these packages. 

 

Using the Product Code

To locate the Product code in the registry, click Start then Run and type “Regedit” in the Open drop down box and press enter.  Next browse to the following location:

 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSN Apps\MSN Toolbar Suite

 

The Product Code will be listed in the value of the PC key.  For example version 2.5.0.1082 PC registry value is 7d1dcbba-f6f5-42b4-b90b-f04ace4dfd6c.

 

Execute the following command line, listing the product code with in brackets.  For Version 2.5.0.1082 the command line would be as noted below.  Please note the brackets “{}” are required for this method to be successful. 

Note:  The /x switch causes Msiexec to uninstall the product and the /qn switch will ensure that there is no display while uninstalling.  Please see msiexec.exe help (type msiexec /? From a command prompt) for more information regarding command line options for Msiexec.exe.

 

Msiexec.exe /x {7d1dcbba-f6f5-42b4-b90b-f04ace4dfd6c} /qn

 

 

Using the MSN Search Toolbar Windows Installer (.msi)

The MSN Search Toolbar Windows Installer (.msi) is located in the following location:

 

%windrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\MSN Search Toolbar\<Version Number>\en-us

 

In the path listed above “<Version Number>” is the version of the product being uninstalled, for example 02.05.0000.1082.

 

Use the following command line to uninstall the product.

 

msiexec.exe /x "<Windrive>:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\MSN Search Toolbar\<Version Number>\en-us\MsnSearchToolbar.msi" /qn

 

First method is preferred because the only required variable is the product code that is taken from the registry. For the second method, we need to give the <windrive> and the <version number> of the product installed in the command-line.

 

Answer 5

 

Thank you, this appears to have done the trick (I had version 2.6.5.Beta).

The %systemroot% directory was the windows directory on the C Drive

When I executed "spuninst.exe" it warned me that it might cause PCGuard (the Firewall, AntiVirus, AntiSpyware package supplied by my ISP) not to work so I went off line uninstalled PCGuard, ran spuninst & then re-installed PCGuard without any problems before connecting up to the internet again. 

 

 

Answer 6

Because WDS Enterprise version is installed as an update package you may get warnings while trying to uninstall, even when going through add/remove programs but there are no other dependencies on WDS from other applications so you can basically ignore that.

Answer 7

Ok is there a way to delete it out of Add/Remove programs it says its not on my system but it shows in Add/Remove with out a change/remove button showing and when i try to reinstall the programs it says its still there?

 

How do i remove it i tried this way

 

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

 

C:\Documents and Settings\Owner>msiexec.exe

 

C:\Documents and Settings\Owner>/x
'/x' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

 

C:\Documents and Settings\Owner>msiexec.exe/x{7d1dcbba-f6f5-42b4-b90b-f0b-f04ace
4dfd6c}/qn

 

but it says its not on drive? ok..confused if its not there why cant i reinstall product?

Answer 8

Bill,

 

I installed WDS. I don't like it. I want to uninstall it. I clicked the appropriate line in add remove programs. The tool is still here. I tried to find in on my startup. It's service now does not start but the tool is still on my computer. I want it gone, do you know how?

 

I am not talking about MSN toolbars or anything for ie. I am talking about windows desktop search.

Plus do you happen to know someone or an email form the ie7 people. I am having major issues uninstalling it because its uninstall folder is missing completely. (yes with show updates checked)

Answer 9

If you only installed WDS (not as part of the toolbar suite) use the update.exe information at the top of the uninstalling information.

The MSI Information is for those users who installed MSN Toolbar, which includes WDS. 

Answer 10

I have the exact same issue regarding WDS Enterprise and IE7Beta2Preview (first version). I use CCLEANER and it deletes uninstallers I believe because I don't have either of the two uninstallers and Bill's instructions are not specific for WDS Enterprise withOUT toolbar.

HELP!!

Answer 11

T.Beal,

I'm sorry to hear that you don't find WDS a useful tool.  I can assure you that WDS will not be installed unless you explicity run the installer or your IT organization provisioned it to your system.  I'm not sure what you mean when you say you clicked "DO NOT INSTALL" - what caused you to get a message related to WDS with that option?  Was it your IT organization?

If you installed the "MSN Toolbar Suite" it will include WDS.  You can deactivate just WDS if you still want to use the rest of the Toolbar, or install the Toolbar standalone version.

If you have installed that bundle, it will show up in Add/Remove Programs as "MSN Search Toolbar".

HELP. What is the point of having multiple users with passwords if ANYONE can access the entire history of EVERYONE?

I'm not sure what you're asking about here.  If this is in reference to WDS, it will only index items that are accessible to the current user.  Each user has their own index with only their files and mails.  WDS does not index IE history at all at this time.

 

Answer 12

valef wrote:

Rather than beating around the bush can Microsoft please just give some SIMPLE instructions how to REMOVE Windows Desktop Search? It doesn't appear as an option in add or remove programs on the Control Panel nor can it be removed by using System Restore to restore to an earlier check point.  Windows Desktop Search just kills performance & I just want (like a lot of people) to get shot of it. Why was it released without an uninstall option? (or at the very least a big health warning that once you install it & see how bad it affects performance that you will have to rebuild your system from scratch to get rid of it)

Windows Desktop Search includes an uninstaller.  It was never released without that option.  WDS should never have a noticeable effect on system performance.  If you'd like help determining what is affecting your system performance I'd be happy to help.

To uninstall the standalone WDS package, go to Add/Remove Programs and select "Windows Desktop Search" from the list, then click "remove."

If you installed the "MSN Search Toolbar with WDS" - it will show up as "MSN Search Toolbar" in the Add/Remove Programs control panel.

Answer 13

tinychic wrote:

Ok is there a way to delete it out of Add/Remove programs it says its not on my system but it shows in Add/Remove with out a change/remove button showing and when i try to reinstall the programs it says its still there?   How do i remove it i tried this way   Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600] (C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.   C:\Documents and Settings\Owner>msiexec.exe   C:\Documents and Settings\Owner>/x '/x' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.   C:\Documents and Settings\Owner>msiexec.exe/x{7d1dcbba-f6f5-42b4-b90b-f0b-f04ace 4dfd6c}/qn   but it says its not on drive? ok..confused if its not there why cant i reinstall product?

Looks like you need to put spaces, like this:

C:\Documents and Settings\Owner>msiexec.exe /x {7d1dcbba-f6f5-42b4-b90b-f0b-f04ace
4dfd6c} /qn

Answer 14

Brent_Yager wrote:

I have the exact same issue regarding WDS Enterprise and IE7Beta2Preview (first version). I use CCLEANER and it deletes uninstallers I believe because I don't have either of the two uninstallers and Bill's instructions are not specific for WDS Enterprise withOUT toolbar. HELP!!

I would advise against using a tool that deletes uninstallers...  You're going to have a hard time removing either product if you delete the uninstall program.

You can try deleting the directory from "program files" directly, and deleting the associated registry keys ("Windows Desktop Search" and "RSSearch" under "Software\Microsoft" in both HKCU and HKLM).  Then run a registry cleaner to get rid of the invalid COM registrations. 

If you have trouble deleting the program folder because files are in use, try renaming the file(s) and then rebooting.

Answer 15

Brandon,

I REALLY appreciate the deletion method...IT WORKED!!! I needed to uninstall WDS on my slow@$$ 500Mhz laptop. I'm definitely keeping it on my other machines though, great work!!!

Regards,

Brent

Answer 16

Brandon,
Can you get similar instructions like those you provided for the removal of IE7B2P?
Regards and many thanks,
Brent

Answer 17

Hello mr.t.beal

the Easy why is this to remove  the message from msn tolbar from your pc

1 step install windows cleanup.

2. remove all the programs one bye one

3 isntall again the msn tollbar

4 go to add and remove programs.

5 remove the msntolbar.

this way it work for me.

Answer 18

spiderman,

where do i find this Windows Cleanup (your step 1)

am hoping that like it will like work.

 

dandar gloof

Answer 19

Brandon Paddock MSFT wrote:

... If you installed the "MSN Toolbar Suite" it will include WDS.  You can deactivate just WDS if you still want to use the rest of the Toolbar, or install the Toolbar standalone version. If you have installed that bundle, it will show up in Add/Remove Programs as "MSN Search Toolbar"....

My toolbar is the Ninemsn toolbar with desktop search, i want the toolbar but not the WDS, you said above that you can deactivate the WDS and that's what i want to do but i can't find where to do it? I would be happy to uninstall the entire toolbar and then install the toolbar as a standalone version but where do i find the standalone version?

WDS has caused many problems on my computer and i want to be rid of it!

Answer 20

I have Windows XP Professional.  When I try to uninstall the MSN Search Toolabar by clicking "Remove Program" in the Control Panel, the process stops halfway through and tells me that I have "insufficient privileges to access the directory C:\Config.msi" and that I must log on as administrator to do so.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Answer 21

I forgot to mention that although I'm running Windows XP Professional, it's on my home computer and I'm not part of any network.  That's why the request re. system administrator threw me.

Sherry 

Answer 22

I have Windows Desktop Search installed on my PC and it is listed under Add or Remove Programs. Therefore if it isn't listed then you haven't got it. Or else what you have got is something retending to be Windows Desktop Search.

I have had various versions of Windows Desktop Search installed on my PC and am currently running version 3 and all of them were easy to remove using the standard unistall option which exists with all of them.

Given that your version doesn't have unistall then I'd first ask where you got it from. If it was from Microsoft's site then why did you install it if you didn't want it and if it was from elsewhere then why did you install it or rather how did this program install itself.

 

Answer 23

Thanks for the instructions.  I needed to remove Windows Desktop Search and reinstall it.  I was playing with one of the other seach engines and it seemed to have whacked the user interface for WDS.  All is running correctly now.  Thanks again,

Answer 24

I attempted to uninstall WDS because I like the old windows search method.  However, none of these file addresses exist on my computer.

Version                        Location

2.6.0.2083                     %systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB907371-V2$\spuninst

2.6.0.2057                     %systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB907371$\spuninst

2.6.5.Beta                     %systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB911993\spuninst

Also, WDS does not appear in my add and remove programs.  I do not have MSN toolbar, nor have I had it.  I can find WDS within its program file directory.  When I installed the WDS, I did so using the office 2007 Beta version.  any help would greatly be apperciated.

Answer 25

i would like to enquire why WDS has affected my computer speed so much
Everything hangs if i open WDS, by fear of which i have stopped using the search option itself. this is very strange, and i'm trying my best to remove WDS. i guess it is not meant for average machines, only fast ones. it has quite noticeably potentially halved my speed
how come?

Answer 26

Brandon,

     I believe the subject line here includes the word "Simple", I have yet to see a single post that appears simple.  I am a user, not a programmer.

     I inadvertently installed (did not uncheck the selection box) Search Desktop during a windows suggested up date.

     It immediately caused havoc on my machine,  I received error messages and it seemed to be interfering with shutting down the machine.

       ( I repeatedly had to try to get the machine going again via reboot)

     I decided that I had to uninstall so I went to the control panel, found the item in the uninstall utility, and selected remove.  Some stuff happened, and the line item for the utility was gone from the uninstall window.

     But it was still there!  And still functions????

     Currently the error messages it is generating are so frequent and interrupt my work that it is rendering my machine useless.  Every time I press send error report it simply generated another error message. 

AppName: windowssearchfilter.exe      AppVer: 2.6.5000.5378     AppStamp:4415dfed
ModName: kernel32.dll      ModVer: 5.1.2600.2945      ModStamp:44ab9a84
fDebug: 0       Offset: 00012a5b

    This app has effectively stopped my work,  I need a resolution asap. 

47 interuptions by error message as I type this.

Stephen

 

Answer 27

I still don't understand how to uninstall WDS Is there no simple way to do it. I really slowed down and messed up my laptop. I clicked on the button in my Outlook and follow the instructions. Please help me get rid of this POS.

Thxs

Answer 28

I think this is a rather complicated way of fully removing Windows Desktop Search (hereinafter: WDS). FYI: my operating system is Windows XP Home Edition.

I fully agree that the best to go is to uninstall going through $NtUninstal<whathaveyou>$. Unfortunately I remove all those directories regularly. I always thought that those directories related to Windows updates that I would never uninstall again. I was not even aware that there was one that related to WDS. On the other hand you can question how good uninstallers are in what they are supposed to do: fully uninstall the programs you no longer want or use.

I was very unhappy with WDS. The program gave all sort of errors in my event logs, errors I could not find a solution for. So I decided to remove WDS 3 entirely from my system. That was easier said than done. Shame on M$ for NOT providing a proper uninstaller for WDS 3.

But in the end I succeeded in fully uninstalling WDS 3. Here is how it goes:

1.      Have a look at your system tray. Do you see that magnifying glass there? Okay, right-click on it and terminate it.

2.      On into Administrative Tools (Start -> Control Panel -> Performance and Maintenance -> Administrative Tools) and open Services. Look for a service called Windows Desktop Search, right-click on it and stop this services. Right-click on it again, choose Properties and disable the service.

3.      Have a look at your taskbar. Do you see that little square box. Okay, right-click on the taskbar and go to Toolbars. There you ‘ll find Windows Desktop Search as toolbar. Click on it and you will see that the box disappears.

4.      Open Explorer (WIN+E) and go to C:\Program Files\ Windows Desktop Search. Delete the entire directory. If Windows does not allow that, you need a tool to release the directory. For that purpose I use a program called Unlocker. You will find it here: http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/#download. Install it, go back to C:\Program Files\ Windows Desktop Search, right-click on it and open Unlocker, follow the instructions and remove the entire directory.

5.      Reboot your machine.

6.      After reboot, go to Administrative Tools and open the event viewers for Sytem and Application. You will probably still see some warnings and errors that relate to WDS.

7.      Next step is to clean the registry of all entries that relate to WDS. For that purpose I use a tool called jv16 PowerTools. You ‘ll find it here: http://www.macecraft.com/jv16powertools2006 . It is actually a collections of tools, one of which is: Registry finder. Open Registry Finder and type in: Windows Desktop Search. The program will come back with all the occurrences of WDS in the registry. Select all these occurrences and create a backup reg-file; just in case something would go wrong. Right-click on the list again and remove everything.

8.       Reboot your machine and notice the time of reboot.

9.      After reboot go back to Administrative Tools and open the event viewers. Look at both System and Application. After the time of reboot the logs should only show information. All errors and warnings should be gone.

10. Open Explorer (WIN+E) and go to Find. Let Windows find everything that relates to Desktop. Delete all occurrences of Windows Desktop Search.

11. One last thing, you have to do. Right-click on Taskbar -> Toolbars. You will see there a toolbar called Windows Search Deskbar. That is an CLSID in the registry. Open Regedit and search for Windows Search Deskbar. Remove the CLSIDs that you find. Right-click again on Taskbar -> Toolbars and you will see that the entry is gone.

Finally I would like to advice you to install Google Desktop. It offers so much more. WDS is a far cry from what it should have been.

Answer 29

Additon to my previous instruction for removing WDS:

Later on I got 1 error message in my System log. This error related to Terminal Services that refused to start. I found the solution on this page: http://www.administrator.de/index.php?content=33a0daec079f4f5023c0d9159b4d560f

The solution is in the contribution of chris1561. It is in German, so let me translate it for you:

"It is centainly already too late for this answer, but here is the solution:

HKeyLocalMachine / Software / Microsoft / MSLicensing / HardwareID

delete the key: ClientHWID."

Reboot and the key will be recreated. It seems to be problem in XP SP2.

You see why I think that computers are like women. Any idea why the renewel of this key is NOT automatic? It must be an inner logic that is beyond me.

 

Answer 30

I had the same trouble. Downloaded WDS from the Microsoft website but some months later I wanted to uninstall it. I went to "control panel/ add and remove programs" but Desktop Search was not listed. I am not very technically minded so none of the solutions in the forum were much use to me. However, I noticed that a couple of replies said that it always comes with the uninstall option. Not really true, although I'm sure it was intended to be included. I went to the Microsoft website again and downloaded the latest version of MDS. Lo and behold! When I went to "Add and remove programs" there it was! I removed the program in the normal way without any problems - easy! Now let's see if my computer speed gets back to normal.

Answer 31

That is a simple way to remove WDS, but it did not work for me. Worst is that WDS does not fully uninstall itself. Your registry is still littered with remnants of WDS. The reason is that for commercial reason M$ does not want you to uninstall WDS. And that is why M$ does not provide a good uninstaller for WDS.

 

Answer 32

WDS includes an uninstaller that is fully tested and built using the standard Windows Update package technology.  WDS fully uninstalls everything that it can, however every uninstaller on Windows is unable to delete files or registry keys belonging to users other than the one who initiates the uninstall.  That is part of the designed Windows security model, though it does have the unfortunate side effect of some (completely benign, but no longer needed) registry keys to be left in the registries of other user accounts who have run WDS.

Answer 33

I'll try this as well.  Just wanted to mention that this program seemed to install without permission on my computer as well.  I must have unknowingly approved during one of my automated updates.  I'll pay more attention next time but my feedback is that the add on and removal process is annoying.  I feel the add on option should have been more clearly emphasized.

Thanks again for the instructions.

Answer 34

I have WDS on my (work) Windows 2003 Server, with 3gigs of memory and a P4 processor.  WDS actually works great on this machine, and it successfully would pause indexing when I was working.  I didn't have any beefs with WDS.   However, I did have some issues that could be related to other applications, etc, so I decided to uninstall IE7 Tool Bar, WDS, etc. 

I uninstalled IE7 Tool Bar first via Remove Programs feature, and restarted machine (habit).  Upon returning to Remove Programs, I can't locate the WDS entry to uninstall it.  But I can open WDS and it works, etc.  I have CCleaner and opened it, and I see WDS as an entry there (but of course, it can't locate uninstaller; probably due to careless CCleaning, previous and past).

So, I basically wanted to point out that either CCleaner removes uninstall info for WDS, or removing IE7 Tool bar first, might cause the issue.  Either way, it's not easy to remove it appears.

My decision to remove is entirely lack of need currently, and WDS works awesome (on my machine).  I can see how this can be trivial for an average machine and user, since I'm an ASP.Net developer, and what-not.

Answer 35

DelaCombo wrote:

I have WDS on my (work) Windows 2003 Server, with 3gigs of memory and a P4 processor.  WDS actually works great on this machine, and it successfully would pause indexing when I was working.  I didn't have any beefs with WDS.   However, I did have some issues that could be related to other applications, etc, so I decided to uninstall IE7 Tool Bar, WDS, etc.  I uninstalled IE7 Tool Bar first via Remove Programs feature, and restarted machine (habit).  Upon returning to Remove Programs, I can't locate the WDS entry to uninstall it.  But I can open WDS and it works, etc.  I have CCleaner and opened it, and I see WDS as an entry there (but of course, it can't locate uninstaller; probably due to careless CCleaning, previous and past). So, I basically wanted to point out that either CCleaner removes uninstall info for WDS, or removing IE7 Tool bar first, might cause the issue.  Either way, it's not easy to remove it appears. My decision to remove is entirely lack of need currently, and WDS works awesome (on my machine).  I can see how this can be trivial for an average machine and user, since I'm an ASP.Net developer, and what-not.

Is "wds..." registry entries related to Windows Desktop Search?  I find these in my registry too after removing all "Windows Desktop Search" entries.   I still have it listed under "Start > Programs", and CCleaner still lists it as an application.

Answer 36

I have a similar problem with WDS self installing.  It was installed by XP's Automatic Update software.  Also when I look into my "Add/Remove" there is no mention of the WDS... well, not in a format that would make any sense to the average user.  All that I get, after clicking on the "Show updates," is a bunch of the "Hot fixes", "Security Updates" and regular "Updates".  But each of these have some nonsense number code with no description that makes any sense.

 

All I want to do is remove this "Window Desktop Search" as it is being such a resource hog, and making my system just bog done.

 

How does one get rid of this software that in all frankness, is rubbish when compared to the earlier version of "Search" that comes with windows?

 

Thanks

James McMillan

Average Computer User

Answer 37

I just want to comment on the attitudes displayed in this thread, because they are very telling.  A large number of people have posted here with the problem that WDS will not uninstall.  Interestingly, despite the evidence from these people, most of whom are probably normal intelligent PC users there has been a consistent lack of help from many of the MS certified respondents who really should be the ones helping out.  Simply continually stating that there is an uninstall tool in add/remove programs is not good enough when evidence suggests the tool doesn't work.

Here are the facts:

1: WDS does include an uninstall feature.
2: that feature seems to be inconsistent - despite whatever the MS official line is.
3. Many, many sensible, intelligent an competent users cannot seem to get the uninstall feature to work.
4. The add/remove feature is flawed.

I am an IT specialist with a number of years experience particularly in Windows and Windows Servers.  Regardless of what the MS officials and MSFTs say on this forum, WDS can be a dog to remove.  So far I have failed to do it.  Yet it is not running on my machine as a service, it did appear in add/remove, but using this did nothing to removing the program, but did get rid of the add/remove entry.  (FYI: I am using the latest version -WDS 3.1)

There is clearly a flaw with the add/remove feature on this product - no amount of denials and patronising answers on this forum will fix this.  Only the WDS team at MS can do this, something they seem wholly uninterested in doing.

Kneewax

Answer 38

 

KneeWax,

 

I had to chuckle at your post. From what you say, you had WDS on your system and then went to Add/Remove programs and clicked Uninstall.

Now it's not running any longer on your system and the option to remove is gone from control panel. As an IT Specialist, have you considered that maybe it's been removed?

 

Had to ask...

Answer 39

Actually Jeff, if you read what I wrote - not what you expect to see - what I said was clicking add/remove removes the entry from the add/remove list. IT DOES NOT UNINSTALL THE PROGRAM!   Which remains on the machine, and running.   This is the problem that I have encountered and awful lot of people seem to be having. 

Or perhaps in haste I didn't write it too well, in which case, my apologies.

Either way, for a number of people, the add/remove function is simply not actually removing the program from the machine.  BTW: When I said it is not running in services, it appears that is actually was, but under a the name Window Search, not the WDS name as in the earlier version.  My mistake. 

For anyone still struggling with the WDS removal, Coyette's instructions in Post 3 are the only ones that worked for me.

Finally, I have got rid of the thing, which was my main aim.
Kneewax

Answer 40

 

I had to ask... It was a 300 lb gorilla in the room...

 

I think that part of the confusion about this is that there are at least 3 different flavors of WDS that are delivered in at least as many ways. Depending how it's installed it may not show WDS in the control panel it may be MSN Toolbar with WDS or some permutation of that. Then depending what OS you are running things change a little there as well. Vista comes with WDS as the windows search option, for example.

 

I have to say that I have been lucky. I've never seen the system hits or uninstall issues and have pushed it out to several systems. I know I'd be interested in what utilities, OS etc you are running on the systems that are having these issues and the MS guys probably wouldn't mind seeing it either. At least that way if there is a confilct somewhere I can test those packages before pushing them out to my systems/org.

 

Glad you got it handled!

 

JR

Answer 41

I'm with Jeff...I would happy to pass this info along to the setup people.

Answer 42

I am an IT consultant with 20 years of experience supporting Microsoft and mixed environments.  I have installed WDS on a pet 2003 server running SP2 and have found that the interface does not work for me (search filters and options are not all that useful at this point) and I tried to uninstall it using the "Add / Remove" applet in Control Panel.  The uninstall failed to remove WDS.  Now WDS is no longer in the "Add / Remove" program list, and WDS itself is still present.

 

I have to say that it is bizarre to me that there is no on / off toggle option for this product so that a standard search can be specified as a personal preference, especially with a new product that is essentially a beta.  And yes, I realize that the standard search can be invoked with a single extra mouse click.  It should really be a trivial matter to uninstall this product, and it isn't.  This makes the Microsoft WDS team look bad, and they should address this.

Answer 43

Excellent work Coyette - worked a treat - finally I am rid of this malware - cheers

Answer 44

I had the same issue recently. I downloaded the latest version of WDS 3 from Microsoft, installed it on top of my current WDS then uninstalled it via Add/Remove programs. Hope this works for anybody out there getting this issue.

Answer 45

Same here.

 

Trying the install 3.01 and uninstall to remove. I find it very frustrating when other programs remove themselves quite easily and quickly that I am spending hours trying to find out how to remove this software that runs constantly.

 

Update! New install didn't create an Add/Remove entry (maybe because I had already tried to uninstall it that way?). Great!

 

What is up with this?

 

C

Answer 46

Re-installing didn't help make the uninstall program re-appear.

In my case, I believe that WDS got installed when I succumbed to the nagging "click here for Instant Search" in MS Office 2007. I didn't see the uninstall anywhere.

Where did the uninstaller go? Are you SURE there is an uninstaller even when it gets "stealth installed" by pressing that button in Office 2007? I DID run CCleaner recently, but I didn't THINK it was removing uninstall information. That would seem to be a Bad Idea.

I am very unhappy with WDS. Noticeably bogs down my Dell e1705 notebook w 2 Gig RAM running Windows XP SP2. Sheesh guys!

It has cost me hours installing utilities, searching, trying to figure out how to be rid of this software. Nothing personal, but it really slows me down, and I thought I had a fast machine!

I finally broke down and I'm using the method described by coyette, above. (stopping programs and services, deleting program files with unlocker utility, deleting registry entries with utility, then cleaning up COM entries with registry cleaner). I say again, sheesh!

Shame on Microsoft for this one. This has cost me hours.

Answer 47

I have no luck trying to uninstall WDS 3.01.  I've installed it again and again, no problems, but it does not show up on un Add/Remove list.

The log file from c:\windows\kb917013.log shows:

 

     0.688: CreateUninstall = 0,Directory = C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallKB917013$

 

and there is no such directory created, even when searching through command prompt.  There is no such directory on the computer.  I would think it should =1

There is an entry of KB917013.cat in some directoy, windows\system32\catroot\blah blah blah

 

So it looks to me like the culprit is the installer not creating the uninstall directory.

Is there a way to force the installation to create the install directory? A switch?

I've downloaded the KB917013.exe install from MS, saved to desktop, but would like to know if it can be switched to create the uninstall dir.

 

Anyone any ideas?  I believe this is why it is not creating the uninstall on some computers.

 

sam

 

 

Answer 48

None of these folders exist for me.  How do I remove Windows Desktop Search and also how do I determine what version I am running? Thanks.

 

Version                        Location

2.6.0.2083                     %systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB907371-V2$\spuninst

2.6.0.2057                     %systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB907371$\spuninst

2.6.5.Beta                     %systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB911993\spuninst

Answer 49

I finally got it off. The problem is for some reason, it isn't creating the uninstall directory (which is mentioned in the log file).

 

So I installed WDS on another machine and it DID create the $NTKB917013$ uninstall directory. So I zipped that up, moved it over and unzipped it into the WINDOWS directory of my problem machine and ran the spuninstall.exe inside the folder.

 

No more WDS on the machine. Uninstalled on the other machine and no more WDS.

 

Your Mileage May Vary.

Answer 50

Thank you RClayH!  That did the trick for me.  Even better it was very simple and definitely preferrable to trying a manual uninstall.

 

Answer 51

I tried to remove WDS using add and remove programs and after the widows XP wizard goes through its list I get an error message  - The handle is invalid.-  I too have experienced a great decrease in speed and I cannot read all of my drives to include in my searches.

Answer 52

Hello,

 

Same problem here. I installed WDS 3.01, my system is beyond sluggish and now I can't uninstall it because it doesn't show up in the Add/remove programs list and there is no 917013 uninstall folder to be found.

Anyway, since I don't have the luxury of being able to install it on another machine (nor would I want to, cos I might get stuck with it there too...), can anyone zip up this uninstall folder and post it somewhere, please please please !!

 

Or has someone found another way of getting rid of it?

 

Thanx!

Vincent

Answer 53

User above gave the best info for removing this program. Add/Remove Prgrams gave an error due to a Microsoft patch or update. Went to Microsoft update and did a history search of installed updates and there it was. I don't remember the version or if it was even provided. Running the spuninst as recommended did the trick. See UNKNOWN below. Thank you!

Version                        Location

2.6.0.2083                     %systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB907371-V2$\spuninst

2.6.0.2057                     %systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB907371$\spuninst

2.6.5.Beta                     %systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB911993\spuninst

UNKNOWN                    %systemroot%\NtUninstallKB926356-V2$\spuninst

Answer 54

 

Many Thanks RCIayH, this is the only solution i found on the internet.

 

by the way if you havn't another pc to install WDS to follow RCIayH steps you can download this file and unzip it in your windows directory to complete the steps
the file here http://www.2daytech.com/$NtUninstallKB917013$.rar 

Answer 55

T.Beal wrote:

I have written to MS without receiving a simple, non-MIS/IT description of how to remove this horribly intrusive add-on, that installed itself DESPITE clicking on DO NOT INSTALL. So (and without getting into the politics of who is behind this), all I want is the easy way to remove this program. I have gone into Add/Remove Programs and YES, clicked on Show Updates, but there is NOTHING clearly identified as Windows Desktop Search. ALSO, and most important, I DO NOT want to disable or screwup other programs/software. HELP. What is the point of having multiple users with passwords if ANYONE can access the entire history of EVERYONE?

Answer 56

 

Answer 57

I couldn't possibly agree with you more!

I got annoyed with Office 2007 telling me how I had to have this program installed to get the full benefits of their suite.. well after telling it NO the first 100 times, I finally broke down and clicked Yes.  BIG MISTAKE.

I've removed virus's from computers that are 100 times easier to get off.  In fact, that's what I would call this horrible application: a virus

A big /rude to you MS.  You owe me 3 hours of my life back.

Answer 58

 

Thanks for the link to the download!  That worked.  Kinda funny that this is a MS site but no moderator offered this up to any of us!

Answer 59

I have got wds and it tells me it is not running and to remove and reinstall, I dont know how to do this and my machine is running so slow, it is difficult to use.  Please help

Sue

Answer 60

I just wanted to say thanks.  Once I found KB917013 spuninst in the Windows Directory for version 3.01, there was no problem to uninstall.  I did not read all the posts here, however, I believe Office 2007 helped me to install WDS in the first place.  Note:  I knew there was a reason I did not use this program before now; it's very annoying - the regular Windows Search works just fine for me, thank you very much!  Thanks again for your post. 

Answer 61

Thank you so much for posting that uninstall folder MRashed !!
I finally got rid of wds

Answer 62

I followed the instructions to remove wds, it must have taken two hours to get the add remove programs listed, my machine is going so slow, the last updates were 15/08/07, should i have removed these as well?.  It did make a bit of difference to the speed but not a lot and I am still having trouble when opening items.  Please can you help Sue

 

Answer 63

Thanks for your link, MRashed!

Answer 64

Coyette's method works absolute wonders. WDS doesn't have to be listed as a "service" (*cough* *cough*), and it seems that step 2, 3, 6, 9 and 11 are not necessarily compulsory.

Thanks Coyette!

EDIT: I'm never trusting Windows Desktop Search ever again, even if it's *only* "an option". Hope MS makes sure that uninstallation won't be flawed in the future.

Answer 65

I am sorry, but this is a bunch of bs. if this is how microsoft office 2007 and accounting works. im using star office and quicken for my new business. sounds to me like the riaa is searching for unlinscenced music, in fact ill make my next computer an apple.

Answer 66

I just wanted to download a gallery picture from MSN spaces and ended up with this unwanted wds hoggin my system. Thank you Microsoft, once again!

Fortunately with the help of the people here (of course not of the moderators) I just got rid of it.

Answer 67

^----Hahaha jimmy get a load of this guy

Answer 68

I also didn't install this product like many people here. What a load of ***.... I did how ever install the Windows Live Photo Gallery Beta, and unchecked all additional software, and even read on the Photo Gallery Blog that this component was not needed.  There is no excuse for this, so don't try to defend why this happened, an apology would be better than giving excuses as to why this software installed. 

Answer 69

Funny because I didn't even swear in my post and they *** it out.  The guy two posts up uses lots and nothing, that's great..

 

Answer 70

 

Hey (the person who typed in bold red), this is not right. If you can abuse the designers like this, why not design something better than WDS and show us?

 

 

PS: WDS did install itself without notifying (thats true) and there was no "uninstall" option in Add/Remove (that is why I am in this forum.) Nevertheless, turning on "show updates" did the trick.

 

I would have used WDS if it wasn't that flashy. It kind of had a too "flashy" feeling: as if the UI was designed for a kid. The application is no doubt a great one, but it should have been a bit more subtle and hidden, appearing as if it is a part of the normal windows.

 

Answer 71

So, I removed the windows update package for today that was the windows desktop search ***. I removed it in the Controlpanel/add/remove programs. Then half of the applications I hade runnings shut down but nothing more happen, that by the way lost me some hours work!! Next I restart the computre hoping that windows dekstop search would be removed and I would have the previous version where I can search in files and all in all like way better then this new uggly lacking search engine. But nope! The desktop search is still installed on my computre and I checked the update in add/remove programs and there the update is successfully removed, so what is this?! How do I get ridd of this annoying new search? And why did the remove option in add/remove programs fail?!! And whey did it close down half of my applicatiosn?!

Answer 72

yes this program auto downloaded and installed bypassing my WSUS config. here is a fix that you can put in startup scripts to nuke the ***.

%systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB917013$\spuninst\spuninst.exe /passive
net stop wuauserv
cd %systemroot%
del /s /q SoftwareDistribution
net start wuauserv

if you dont delete software distribution dir than it just reinstalls the next time you restart.

Answer 73

I unlocked the files in the folder and deleted them all, seams to have solved the problem

Bad m$ bad m$

Answer 74

Thank you MS for making my IT life a little more like hell. I have WUS configured to NOT install new fetatures. Only fing updates and patches. So how in the he11 did this search thing get installed?! I have 15+ and growing emails from my users asking how to get this "thing" off there desktop! Why can't they right click it and have an option to not show it.. let's not even go over again why it's even installed!

Please kill yourself,
Junk

Answer 75

Thanks for that Coyette, but the search pane in explorer has now changed

and they have MURDERED my little DOGGY 

 

At least WDS has gone

Answer 76

Thanks you so much Mohamed! You just made my day a lot nicer. I really hate the windows desktop search and had no idea that getting rid of it would be such a hassle.

Answer 77

Bill,

I'm having a frustrating time trying and failing to remove the MSN Toolbar. I am getting a message over the tray icon of  Windows Desktop Search the reads, "#gen_windows_desktop_search# has detected a problem and is rebuilding your index. Then an error message window pops up (again and again until I finally exit the desktop search from the right mouse button menu exit command in the tray) that reads, " Windows Desktop Search Tool Tray Admin has encountered a problem..."

 

I  get the following message when I try to uninstall the program using "Add/Remove Programs" and both methods you recommend for removing version 02.05.000.1082...ie the "Product Code" method and the "MSN Search Toolbar Windows Installer. All generated the same problem and failed to remove the program. So now I'm stuck with a failed Microsoft Add in causing endless grief whenever I start my computer. How can I solve this?

 

 

Answer 78

This post was more useful than all the others before it, without exception. Worked very well. Plus the bonus of learning about the Unlocker!

Thanks!

Answer 79

Mr. Connors,

 

I am a system builder and a Microsoft partner. I custom build Gaming Systems and extreme technology. I never use indexing of any sort since Windos XP as it degrades performance and burns up hared drives just as over scanning for viruses can overheat a hard drive. I have wds 3.01 and dislike this guy because I do not use indexing and constantly have to ckick on classic search anyway. Add remove tool gives me the handle is invalid. i click ok and then i get "the was not uninstalled." Notice that the program name is not in the error statement. Extra info; i have MSN Mess. but did not install toolbar. I am running office 2007 Enterprise that came wit my Action Pack.

 

This may be a nifty utility for a business server with a huge inventory and a wide client base but for common users and game junkies it is really a mute point. Computers now a days are fast enough that even if you have several thousand emails a non-indexed search takes less than a minute. Indexing wants to run when the computer boots using up resources that would be better put to booting windows and runs in the background suposedly using very little processor time. This is a true statementr however you guys never seem to realize that harddrives are not truly multi tasking equipment and while indexing is using the drive the swapfile or paging file is creating a traffice jam because it has to be accessed at the same time. So when are you guys going to learn how to hyper thread or better hyper port? a hard drive?

 

DHaff, Systems Engineer

 

Answer 80

 

I may be misinterpreting some of the posts. When I click the uninstall for WDS in the Add/Rem programs section, I get an error message saying "The update could not be removed because newer updates are installed. Please remove the newer updates first". There are no listed updates for WDS in the Add/Rem programs section. Where do I go from here?

Answer 81

Hopefully you can help.

 

I have the removal option in add/rem programs for WDS, but when I select remove I get a message stating "The update could not be removed because newer updates are installed. Please remove the newer updates first". There are no updates lised under add/rem programs and can't find them anywhere else.

Answer 82

 

Thank you for share the information.

Answer 83

The Item to remove is hot fix KB915800 after you click chow all updates.

 

 

Hope this helps.

 

Robert

 

Answer 84

every time i try to remove windows desktop search i have a an warning pop-up telling me that programs might not run properly.
How can i avoid this or what should i do to unistall it without problems ?

thanx,
james

Answer 85

 

This is not true. WDS was installed by our WSUS on its own.

Answer 86

It did install itself on my PC as well (without asking)!

 

Answer 87

 

When running the Uninstall process for WDS. (%systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB917013$\spuninst\spuninst.exe /p)

It also turns off Quick Launch bar on our client desktops.  The clients don't have admin rights and this has become a big issue with our users.  Has anyone found a work-around?  In our instance by creating the user profile it brought back the Quich Launch toolbar.

Answer 88

Hi,

I tried all of those methods but I can't find any uninstallers anywhere at all. Not in the add remove programs, in any of the updates folders and not in the application data folder.. Is there a way to disable it from being the default search tool? Thanks.

Answer 89

Bill -

 

Microsoft should be ashamed of Windows Desktop Search.

 

1. Every time we log on, the VERY first thing we do is 'snooze indexing' since the indexer consumes so many resources on our systems we cannot do anything else.

 

2. WDS is slower finding stuff than the old search assistant.

 

3. WDS is slower finding stuff than Google Desktop.

 

4. WDS starts a bunch of programs running. I could see maybe one; the indexer. Everything else is the result of poor software design.

 

5. When we removed ALL directories from the list of directories the indexer uses, the indexer STILL consumes so much CPU/memory we cannot run. If the list is empty, what the h*ll is it indexing????

 

6. When WDS gets installed, it 'hides' the Search Assistant; there is no longer any direct access to it. When you click on Start-->Search you get WDS; you have to then click on 'Use Desktop Search Assistant' to gain access.

 

We have removed WDS from all our systems. They now run faster all the time, and we can find stuff more quickly.

 

Gary Sloane

SB/US Engineering Inc.

 

Answer 90

 

Windows Desktop Search is affecting MY performance.  I don't need to find documents.  I organize documents so that I know where to look for them.  What I do need to find is text in the documents, so that when information changes, I can find the documents that reference that information.  So every time I press Windows-F, I have to click on the link to the Search Companion.  Worse, the default window size seems to be tied to the Windows Explorer window size.  If that is too small, you can't see the Search Companion option.  There isn't even a way to scroll down in that pane.  I have to expand the window in order to get to the link that will take me where I want to go.  Stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

I didn't learn to type 60 wpm in order to keep my hands on a mouse all day!

 

I did not set up this computer.  It came from our IT department this way.  Windows Desktop Search 3.01 is listed in Add/Remove Programs.  However, when I click on it, I get (after a confirmation) "This action is only valid for products that are currently installed."

 

 

Answer 91

 

What I do need to find is text in the documents, so that when information changes, I can find the documents that reference that information.

 

You can do this using WDS (finding words, text etc. in docs) and it's actually a lot faster then using the old search utility.  As for how to get rid of this if you find that you'd rather use the old search companion and wait while it does it's brute force search, you can contact your IT team and they should have no problems removing it.  However, I'd suggest you give WDS a try.  I do similar work where I need to find specific words or phrases in one of many subfolders and I find that WDS makes finding what I need a lot faster and easier then using the companion tool.  But that's just me...

 

Good luck!

 

JR

Answer 92

From the registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSN Apps\MSN Toolbar Suite\Version is listed as 03.01.6000.72 these instructions do not work. The program is not listed in Add\Remove Programs. The search tool doesn't find half of the things the old search finds. Running XP pro and its this sort of irremovable "features" that I'm not touching vista without vlite.

Answer 93

I too am trying to uninstall WDS and I'm getting the same error...

 

"This action is only valid for products that are currently installed"

 

I think your reply is inappropriate.

 

Rather than further encouragement not to uninstall the product I'd prefer clear instructions on how to resolve this problem.

 

 

Answer 94

 

>What I do need to find is text in the documents, so that when information changes, I can find the documents that >reference that information.

 

You can do this using WDS (finding words, text etc. in docs) and it's actually a lot faster then using the old search utility.

 

How about some instructions instead of a useless assertion?

 

The options in WDS that I see are: author, date, size, file name, folder.  Which of these mean "A word or phrase in the file:"? 

 

Oh, I get it.  Even though I'm searching for files on our network file server, I'm supposed to type what I'm looking for next to the button that says "Desktop."  How intuitive.  What a brilliant design.  Ya know, good Web site designers read Web Pages That Suck, and good interface designers used to read the Interface Hall of Shame (before the Webmaster had a kid and stopped updating it, more's the pity). 

 

Well, WDS won't run on the file server, because I'm not indexing it.  Geez, maybe I don't want to index 15 years worth of documents unrelated to what I'm doing.  WDS tells me to use Search Companion. 

 

Suggestion 1: If WDS is smart enough to know I should be using Search Companion, maybe it should be smart enough to fire up Search Companion for me.  Maybe it could even, ya know, pass along a few parameters.  "Hey, SC, she's looking for 'Michigan' in files in the \\support_docs\server folder.  Can you help her out?"

 

Suggestion 2: If WDS is smart enough to know that where I'm searching isn't indexed, how about a one-click option to index the folder I told it to search.  How about making "Index for WDS" an option when right-clicking on a folder? 

 

The process of adding a folder to the index is too cumbersome.  It's as stupid as having selected a folder and going to Tools / Map Network Drive and having the Map Network Drive popup have no idea what folder you want to Map.  Hmm, maybe the one I just highlighted.

 

Who is testing the interface over there at Microsoft?  I'm guessing in an effort to make the software clueless-user friendly, Microsoft is testing with people who have the lowest level of computer knowledge.  The problem is, those people TRUST you.  They don't question you when you say "Because."  As in, why does Windows have two key-combos to get to the Desktop, Windows-M and Windows-D, but pressing Windows-D will bring your windows back up and pressing Windows-M won't?  

 

See, you build to the clueless, but alpha test on the L33T, and so ordinary working people get very, very frustrated. 

Answer 95

 

I found the simplest way yet!

 

In RegEdit, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Desktop Search\DS and set "ShowStartSearchBand" to 0, and you'll get the default search behavior back.

 

All hail Scott Hanselman! 

Answer 96

I wrote a MSI file that I deploy with AD that'll pull WDS off of any system that it is run on. The project homepage is http://sourceforge.net/projects/trbdk3wds/
I'll get that MSI posted as soon as the project gets approved.

Answer 97

Brandon...If you are still on board with Ms...........

what a bunch of hockey puck your spiel has been!..........

Nice freakin company line.........

 

I just now have experienced this issue with WDS..... PIECE OF *** MS !

 

 

GET RID OF IT NOW !!!!!!!!!!

TELL ME HOW TO GET RID OF IT NOW TOO !

 

 

The *** doesn't show up in add/remove etc...

 

and NOW.... I shut it down in MSCONFIG and it TELLS ME I DO NOT HAVE ADMIN AUTHORITY !

 

WHAT THE HECK HAVE YOU DONE TO MY COMPUTER MS ???????????????

 

 

 

Answer 98

Sorry those instructions are utterly utterly useless! I don't have any of the uninstall folders listed and there is no version number in the registry so can't use any of the other suggestions. As for the idea that it is not having an impact on my system that is just plain wrong, but I won't go into the gory details here. I just want the horrid thing off my system! More ideas please.

Answer 99

Does the above listed procedure apply to removing Windows Desktop Search 3.01 as well?

 

Answer 100

Here's instructions on how to clean up your machine if Automatic Updates has put Windows Desktop Search on your machine. I've done it once, via Add/Remove ..

Answer 101

 

I must agree with you on all points of your statements. The Desktop search thing is about the most useless program I have run into in a long time. I do not remember ever being asked and do know when or where Windows Desktop Search installed itself but it sure magically replaced the Search Companion that works with the Desktop search thing. Your post may not be the most helpful but it is true! This happened to me twice on different computers..

Answer 102

 

I've found a very easy way to remove the Microsoft Search Tool.

 

Assuming that you’ve had no luck using the add/remove tool in the control panel

 

1.       Go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/default.mspx re-download the version you currently have on your machine.

 

2.       Re-install the newly downloaded application.

 

3.       As soon as the installation is complete go to add/remove programs in the control panel and verify the date of the install (should be today’s date).

 

4.       Click uninstall

 

5.       Re-boot you’re machine (do not skip this step)

 

6.        Enjoy how much faster your machine is without all the system resource drain

 

Answer 103

I downloaded "Windiows Search 4.0" from Microsoft for testing purposes and would like to remove it too.  It was not part of a bundle, but a stand alone install.  When you mention WDS, are you also referring to Windows Search (WS)?  I'm asking because I've searched for instructions for removing/uninstalling Windows Search, but have only found instructions for WDS. 

 

Thanks

Rob Wagner

Answer 104

Yes, when I referred to "WDS" I was referring to Windows Desktop Search".

 

 

Re-install the offending program (WDS) and then immediately remove it before restarting the computer.  Problem solved.

Answer 105

I have removed “WDS” (Windows Desktop Search) from several of our computers.

 

• Go to Microsoft and reinstall whichever version you currently have.

 

• Once you have installed the program immediately go to Add/Remove programs and uninstall “WDS”

 

• Re-boot your computer.

 

• You do not need to spend any time messing with the registry.

 

• NOTE:  Outlook will have a blank line where the utility is supposed to be.  Simply ignore it.

 

 

Answer 106

I dislike having to tell you this as I am fond of most Microsoft products but WDS is extremely buggy. I use Win Xp Media Center Edition and I installed WDS from the Windows Update site and it corrupted my Outlook Express program. Immediately upon installing it, everytime I opened OE I got messages that OE needs to compact my messages/folders and even though I allowed it to do so it continued to display the same message. It also created other problems with OE that were very annoying. OE kept "beeping" at me when opened using the default Windows sound for Exclamation forcing me to constantly close and reopen the program. Once WDS was uninstalled I had no more problems. It would be a useful tool when the bugs are fixed.

Answer 107

What a sorry piece of s/w.  When you click on search network places for a computer, it brings up this stupid desktop that has no way to search for a computer.  I removed it from my client's computer.  Doesn't Microsoft ever vet their products on real people???

 

 

vern

 

Answer 108

I have Vista Home Premium and WDS installed without any interaction from me. One day I saw it as an icon of it next to the 'start' button, wondered what it was and left it, not knowing if deleting it would cause problems. Only microsoft installs I have performed on my computer have been Microsoft Office 2003 and Microsoft OneNote.

Answer 109

 

Hi everybody.

 

Your cannot uninstall Windows Desktop Search 4.0 cause you did clean-up with CCleaner?

 

Cause nobody are great in troobleshooting, Here the Uninstall folder of Windows Desktop Search 4.0 for the English version on Windows XP. You just have to download the file, extrack the folder named "$NtUninstallKB940157$" into C:\Windows then go into it, then into the folder spuninst, then double-click on spuinst.exe. It should remove all entry of WDS 4.0. Reboot after uninstall and it should work great.

 

Here The link: http://rapidshare.com/files/136773896/WDS40_Uninstall.zip.html

 

If anytime nobody need it again and rapidshare has deleted my file, please send me e-mail at [e-mail]

I'll create another link to download it.

 

Have a great day

 

Xtrem3

Answer 110

I agree 100% and how do we
1) get a doggone answer
and
2) keep MS for telling us what WE want?????????

All I want is a running program that is NOT intrusive
any idea how to get this????

Answer 111

 

Mr. Bill, This is your reply for a request to "simple" uninstall???? Good grief do you not know that the bulk of people out here are not computer techies?  I have read all the posts here and i must say... it really feels like a farce. Microsoft would never put out a package without a uninstall package??  For that not to be a lie in many peopples eyes they will have to learn to be as savy as you to uninstall this. Not installed without our consent?? I suppose in the strictest sense this is true as you "do" label it in the "auto" updates installer. But you hide behind that excuse b/c Microsoft "recomends" the express installer which would not show you the "knowledge base xxx" "version" of the search tool.

 

As an IT administrator for a number of companies I am increasingly disappointed in MS ploys and directives aimed at "pushing" people into products they dont want.

 

As difficult as you have made it to uninstall and as elusive as the surprise install of this product, adding to that the dismal explanations for MS policy here... you can sure bet each and every one of my 3000+ clients will never see this product again...

 

Microsoft is thinking small to think we the customers will continue to put up with their deceptive ploys...

 

Ron

Answer 112

This removes WDS but does not remove the indexing service that was installed along with the update. The indexing icon still appears in the system tray and shows that the application is still running upon restarting the system.

 

Is there a way to remove this application (or completly disable it) without searching removing the system binaries?

 

Answer 113

stop the service and set it to disabled will prevent any indexing from happening.

swithcing this value from 1 to 0 will make search assistant the default search provider again:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Desktop Search\DS\ShowStartSearchBand

Answer 114

Here is how to uninstall the Microsoft Desktop 4.0 Search engine in Windows XP SP3.

 

First, I always recommend moving, not deleting, the $NTUninstall... folders from the \Windows folder BEFORE doing any new updates.   This makes finding these things much easier.

 

1. Go to C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallKB940157$ folder, your drive letter may be different.
2. Open the SPUNINST folder.
3. In this, or any of the uninstall folders, there is a file called SPUNINST.INF.  By right clicking this file, and selecting OPEN, it will show you under the [VERSION] section, what this uninstall program is for.  The KB940157$ should say "Windows Desktop Search 4.0".
4. Also in this folder is a file called SPUNINST.EXE, right click this file and select OPEN it will run the uninstall process for removing the Windows Desktop Search 4.0, on Windows XP SP3.
5. You will need to reboot to finish the uninstall, and then this KB folder will no longer exist in the Windows directory.

 

This process can be used to find MOST of Windows updates and patches.

Answer 115

It seems there are several things going on here.

 

1)  The main purpose for WDS is to compete with Google desktop search, and not to benefit the consumer per se.

 

2)  Clearly Microsoft makes it easy to load desktop search and much more difficult to uninstall.  Sure it includes an uninstaller, but clearly lots of people are having difficulty with it.

 

3)  Whenver someone posts in this forum about WDS being slow, or not working properly someone is there to jump in and offer support for the product.

 

4)  Whenever someone posts in this fourm about WDS being difficult to uninstall, the party line seems to be that they must have done something wrong.

 

5)  Clearly some people have done something wrong by deleting the uninstaller, but not everyone has done this.

 

6)  I've been in computer support for a long time.  One thing I've learned is to listen to my users.  If a lot of people tell me something, then there's something to it, even if the users aren't using exactly the right language.

 

7)  In this case, the users are clearly saying that lots of users have problems with WDS and lots of users have problems uninstalling it.  To the WDS team, who seems to be truly in love with their own product, it probably seems unthinkable that anyone would even want to uninstall WDS, but they do.

 

8)  The users are clearly asking for a more foolproof way of uninstalling WDS.  Microsoft seems unwilling to provide this.

 

9)  This behavior is quite a bit like the spyware vendors who make it difficult to uninstall their product.

 

10)  Perhaps Spybot, and AdAware could start offering an uninstall option for WDS since its behavior about uninstallation seems akin to spyware.

 

11)  If Microsoft wants to really compete with Google they should consider this:

 

I have accidently installed Google toolbar or desktop before and it is easy to uninstall.  Try it sometime.  If Microsoft really wants to compete with Google they have to be as user friendly as Google, instead of trying to be like big brother and trying to force stuff on you and make it difficult to remove.

Answer 116

Seems as though anytime a Microsoft Tools product is installed, such as SQL 2005 or VS 2005 (2008 now but I am not sure it installs the WDS), the WDS is reinstalled.  I disabled the WindowsSearch.exe by renaming the exe to something else which kept it from reinstalling, but then the Reporting Services started whining about an Administrator account.  I can't see anyway around it.  It looks as though the old ideal where F3 provides a file search is replaced with the less effective, over-bloated copy of search called WDS.   I am trying everything I can to keep it from running on my systems because, as from my tone, it is not something I like having on my system.   If a future release of Windows comes out, I am hoping they either improve the search tool or provide a way for use to use the older, less bloated file search engine that has been on every copy of windows since nt4 came out (perhaps earlier, I don't remember if 3.11 used a file search from the F3).  When XP came out, it became more difficult to configure the F3 button to work properly until one learns that searching with F3 is and Advanced search feature (apparently Microsoft did not want people searching for files?) and now this horribly bloated tool (WDS) is out to help all the people who couldn't figure a way around the search.

 

That's my take anyway.  It is one new feature that Microsoft has come out with which has not only become a huge disappointment but moreover, a huge reconfiguration nightmare.

 

Answer 117

 

Generally there should be an uninstall option in Add/Remove Programs to uninstall Windows Search 4 on XP. Most often when this option is not present it's due to the C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$\ directory having been deleted somehow. We are still curious to understand better the circumstances where this can happen - we know this can happen with certain registry cleaners but if people are experiencing this problem for another reason we 'd like to know the details. It is very much not the search team's desire to make Windows Search hard or impossible to uninstall.

 

If the uninstaller has been deleted like this, and there's no C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$\spuninst\spuninst.exe to manually uninstall {note this is a hidden file}, then the option I would recommend trying is this:

 

1/ Delete the following reg keys:

"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.

 

2/ Reinstall Windows Search 4.

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

 

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

 

Let me if this works for you or anyone else. I think this may be a bit simpler than some of other methods people have detailed on these forums.

 

Dave Wood

 

 

Answer 118

I ran Windows Update yesterday and got WDS installed somehow.

I've never installed any betas that I know of.

I don't want it, and I want my old search assistant functionality back by default.

 

I don't have "Windows Desktop Search" in my add/remove programs.

I don't have "MSN Search Toolbar" in my add/remove programs.

I don't have a $NtUninstallKB907371-V2$ folder nor a $NtUninstallKB907371$ folder

 

How do I then uninstall it ?

Answer 119

Further issue:

 

I only have a (Default) key (value not set)
and a Version key 04.00.6001.503

I have no PC key

Answer 120

Another issue:

 

When checking %windrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\

There is no MSN Search Toolbar folder.

 

I just want to get rid of this software !

Answer 121

Ah this is better.

I have the folder C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallKB940157$

Yet Desktop search does NOT show ( as I asid before) in any of the usual places.

 

So now I can remove it with C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallKB940157$\spuninst

Answer 122

Guy Foxx wrote:

I attempted to uninstall WDS because I like the old windows search method.  However, none of these file addresses exist on my computer. Version                        Location 2.6.0.2083                     %systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB907371-V2$\spuninst 2.6.0.2057                     %systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB907371$\spuninst 2.6.5.Beta                     %systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB911993\spuninst Also, WDS does not appear in my add and remove programs.  I do not have MSN toolbar, nor have I had it.  I can find WDS within its program file directory.  When I installed the WDS, I did so using the office 2007 Beta version.  any help would greatly be apperciated.

 

None of these are availabile,

WDS had to be installed with XP Service Pack 3.

No Option to not install.

 

I have removed from Startup.

 

Hoping for One more shot at searching for a solution before hacking the registry.

There is no version information in the Search Interface

There is no Remove

Search and Indexer spike processor to 100% during the rendering of every web page.

making the workstation completely unusable and stopping background services.

This causes a redundant lock while browsing complex web development projects.

 

URGENT, PLEASE HELP

 

Answer 123

In Add or Remove Programs

Check for Windows Search 4.0

 

That is how it appeared on my machine. No WDS or MSN WDS or .....

I don't have a clue how it got installed on my machine other than through XP Service Pack 3. I looked for the WDS in add remove and then did the Reg search and uninstall but ..nothing. Then noticed the Windows Search 4.0 in Add or Remove Programs.

That was the version # I saw in the Registry.

Worked for me.

 

Answer 124

This solution worked perfectly!  Thanks much!!!

 

Answer 125

Guy,

 

Windows Search is not installed with XP SP3. But we have recently added Windows Search 4 to Windows Update as an optional {not required} update.

 

If you have Windows Search installed and want to remove it there normally should be an option to uninstall it in the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel.

 

===============

 

Some people have reported not having this uninstall option in Add/Remove programs. Most often when this option is not present it's due to the C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$\ directory having been deleted somehow.

 

If the uninstaller has been deleted like this, and there's no C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$\spuninst\spuninst.exe to manually uninstall {note this is a hidden file}, then the option I would recommend trying is this:

 

1/ Delete the following reg keys:

"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.

 

2/ Reinstall Windows Search 4.

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

 

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

 

Let me if this works for you or anyone else.

 

Dave Wood

 

Answer 126

To remove the lastest version of Windows Search 4.0 from KB940157 (I removed it from XP Home)

 

Start

Run

%systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB940157$\spuninst

 

Back to the old search.

Answer 127

Worked a treat, the file name was slightly different but your post was several years ago.

Windows search, or Windows msn search. the optimum word is "search"

Answer 128

Guys,

 

I had a situation where I was stuck with 3.01. The icon to uninstall was present in the Add/Remove Programs but clicking it would result in a "This action is only valid for products that are currently installed". I could not upgrade to 4.0 either and reinstalling the same version did nothing.

 

I came to the conclusion that being 3.01 was already installed, the installer was not recreating the uninstall folder, so I followed the instructions below from Dave only that replacing the KB940157 with KB917013 which was the 3.01 number. After deleting the key (because I only found the first one) I reinstalled version 3.01 and this time it did create the uninstall folder in the Windows folder. I then ran the uninstall through the Add/Remove Programs and that did the trick. My machine is back to good old search.

 

I hope that works for other people out there so you don't have to spend 3 hours searching and trying stuff like I did. Don't forget to reboot your machine afterwards just to make things "official", lol....

 

To the creators of this feature: I love Microsoft, I really do, but I think I will stick with Google for Search functionality, at least for now.... In my case my problem with the tool was not speed (even though I did notice some change) but the intrusiveness of it. I wanted my regular file search and all of a sudden I am presented with this *** on the side that I have no idea what it is or how to use that I have never seen before. Perhaps some introduction and an ON/OFF switch would help?

 

DaveWood_MS wrote:

Guy,   Windows Search is not installed with XP SP3. But we have recently added Windows Search 4 to Windows Update as an optional {not required} update.   If you have Windows Search installed and want to remove it there normally should be an option to uninstall it in the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel.   ===============   Some people have reported not having this uninstall option in Add/Remove programs. Most often when this option is not present it's due to the C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$\ directory having been deleted somehow.   If the uninstaller has been deleted like this, and there's no C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$\spuninst\spuninst.exe to manually uninstall {note this is a hidden file}, then the option I would recommend trying is this:   1/ Delete the following reg keys: "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.   2/ Reinstall Windows Search 4. This will add the uninstall files back to C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$   3/ Now the uninstaller should be present in Add/Remove Programs again and can be uninstalled as normal.   Let me if this works for you or anyone else.   Dave Wood

Answer 129

I have news for you Bill! WDS also installed itself on my laptop without my authority - it just appeared one day! I also will be glad to see the back of it.  As far as I am concerned there is too much unsolicited software junk sent out by many companies.  I do not want extra add-ons, registry cleaners, video converters, automatic updates etc. etc.  If I want them, I'll go looking for them. That includes SP3, which is documented on the web as causing all sorts of problems. I spend a lot of time removing all this garbage from friends and customer registries aft it slowing down their PC's. Never had this problem with DOS. My mottos is 'don't fix something if it aint broke'.

Answer 130

I have 10 of these files spuninst.exe's all with diffrent GUIDs in Windows\Softwaredistribution\download

attempt to run any and error msg. UPDSPAPI.dll was not found.

Desmond.

Answer 131

Peter Scott wrote:

I have Windows Desktop Search installed on my PC and it is listed under Add or Remove Programs. Therefore if it isn't listed then you haven't got it. Or else what you have got is something retending to be Windows Desktop Search. I have had various versions of Windows Desktop Search installed on my PC and am currently running version 3 and all of them were easy to remove using the standard unistall option which exists with all of them. Given that your version doesn't have unistall then I'd first ask where you got it from. If it was from Microsoft's site then why did you install it if you didn't want it and if it was from elsewhere then why did you install it or rather how did this program install itself.

Obviously you don't know what you're talking about - Just because something works on YOUR computer doesn't mean that it works with ALL Windows configurations.

 

Having been a tech for 15 years and programming in C++ for the past 6 years I can assure you that no program is 100% guaranteed to work on EVERY system - there are just too many variables to consider (not professing to know everything!!).

 

I have Windows Search 4 installed on my computer and it does NOT show up in the Add/Remove Programs list.

It is the latest stand-alone Window Search for XP (32 bit) (WindowsSearch-KB940157-XP-x86-enu.exe) downloaded from the Microsoft site this morning at:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/choose/windowssearch4.mspx?tab=Install%20It

it's currently running on my system and I have used it after installing it.

 

There is absolutely no mention of it in the Add/Remove Programs at all (yes, the updates checkbox is checked) - not under "Desktop", "Microsoft", "Search", or "Windows". It's not listed as a either a stand-alone program nor as a KB###### update.

 

I think Microsoft definately needs to get their programmers together and create a more user-friendly uninstall option for this product as there are a lot of people that are struggling with this issue.

 

I have had 9 customers in the past 2 months request me to remove it for them - 6 of them were the same as myself (and others) and had no entries in the Add/Remove Programs to facilitate easy & simple removal for them.

 

I'm lucky as I clone my hard drive very often so that I have a very simple and fast restoration process if something goes awry and in 10 mins I'm back to where I was prior to the installation.

 

I don't have the registry entries listed in my registry and I have no easy uninstall option. I'm not interested in spending the next week or two looking for a solution so I'm simply going to back up my files, reclone from my most recent image and copy my files back over - 10 mins tops and Windows Search 4 is gone forever - never to be tried again.

 

 

Answer 132

 

I have the same problem.  I can not uninstal WDS!!

 

MS Search 4.0 was installed on an sbs 2003 thought windows update although it was not selected.  Which has made it very slow.
We want to remove MS Search 4.0.  However there is no entry in add/remove
prog. There is not an unistaller package in the windows dir ie
%systemroot%\$NtUninstallKB907371-V2$\spuninst

So how do you uninstall this beast?

 

 

Thank You in advance

Answer 133

John,

 

Reposting my instructions from above:

 

Windows Search is not installed with XP SP3. But we have recently added Windows Search 4 to Windows Update as an optional {not required} update.

 

If you have Windows Search installed and want to remove it there normally should be an option to uninstall it in the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel.

 

===============

 

Some people have reported not having this uninstall option in Add/Remove programs. Most often when this option is not present it's due to the C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$\ directory having been deleted somehow.

 

If the uninstaller has been deleted like this, and there's no C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$\spuninst\spuninst.exe to manually uninstall {note this is a hidden file}, then the option I would recommend trying is this:

 

1/ Delete the following reg keys {one or both of these should be 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.

 

2/ Reinstall Windows Search 4.

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

 

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

 

Let me know if this works for you {or anyone else}. As usual, if you have any information on whether the C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$\ directory could have gotten deleted somehow that would be really helpful to us.

 

Dave Wood

 

 

Answer 134

ok did what you said deleted the reg keys by the way it is an sbs server 2003.  Tried to reinstall wds 4.0 and it failed.

 

Now how do you uninstall and update that you did not select.  Or at least give us a step by step manuel uninstall. or fix the problem with an wds 4.0 uninstaller.  There is a problem here look at all of the posts!  We need to get this problem not issue fixed.

Answer 135

You can get the missing uninstaller from here.  I cannot locate the original link that led me to this, but I tried it and it worked perfectly on my production servers.

 

http://rs6.rapidshare.com/files/136773896/WDS40_Uninstall.zip

 

 

 

Answer 136

 

Works great.  Now why could microsoft provide this?

 

Thanx for you help

Answer 137

Hi! thanks a lot, now, i really uninstall it, which is a not good software, and i wonder why MS do not patch with an uninstall program?

Answer 138

Bill Connors MS wrote:

Hi, Before we start working on this I have several questions: WDS should not have installed itself.  What were you doing when this occurred and do you recall how the installation started? If WDS is not showing up in Add/Remove then it likely isn't fully installed - or installed properly. Can you pls clarify what you mean by: "What is the point of having multiple users with passwords if ANYONE can access the entire history of EVERYONE?" Thanks, Bill Connors Program Manager, Windows Desktop Search - Communities   I'm sorry but I experience the same. Whithout any notification I know of my laptop is slowed down to it's minimum performance by Windows Desktop Search. In one hour it reads 2 Gb of data which must also be checked by the virus scanner. It gives me nothing positive in return. So: how do I remove this nonsense. no Thanks, Roy Appelman

Answer 139

He is how I remove wds

 

You can get the missing uninstaller from here.  I cannot locate the original link that led me to this, but I tried it and it worked perfectly on my production servers.

 

http://rs6.rapidshare.com/files/136773896/WDS40_Uninstall.zip

 

1) Why couldn't ms have given this info.

 

2) WDS should not have installed itself.  You are right but it did!

 

3) If WDS is not showing up in Add/Remove then it likely isn't fully installed - or installed properly.  Don't know  ask windows update.

 

4) Please make everyone happy and get ride of wds. or remove it from windows update so it is not automatically installed!

 

Answer 140

re 1 )  Hm, yes, why couldn't MS have given this info? 

 

a) MS does not want to admit that they could be wrong.

 

b) MS wants you to keep WDS for some reason, even if you don't like it, and even if they could fairly

easily have fixed problems and make enhancements that would have made WDS useful & userfriendly.

 

Why, for example, is there no method to find a file by its extension (you know: *.doc, *.xls) that you as enduser

get to define and at the same time also by date.   

The simple DOS based utility programs of about 1984 through 1993 had that capability, and then, ever since "Windows Explorer" appeared, finding a file by its extension became "outlawed".  Who makes such decisions? Mr Grinch?

 

And, please don't get me started about permissions!  Garrr!!! 

(Dear MS, I own my computer. How much do I have to pay you to get permission to use my computer?)  Garrr!!

While I am at it:  Will anyone ever fix SQL to make it more userfriendly?  I won't ever try MICROSOFT DYNAMICS

because it uses SQL, which is a painfully unintuitive and horrible "Structured Query Language".  Ever wonder how much

business MS never gets, because it never understands what part of its software is unintuitive, and therefore, for the

home user, of no use ?  But I digress.  

 

c) May be there is a hidden reason that there is no MS MVP (Most valuable professional) that is connected to WDS,

    and that the WDS helpfile makes no mention about uninstalling.

    There is no HELP - ABOUT info anywhere in the program, no product ID, no version ID, no update

    ID.  There is no info about lead programmers, project managers, etc.  It has all the feel of a

    skunk works product, or an illegal drive-by killer program. No one wants to be responsible for it.

 

    Speaking of feel: The program acts as if a service like GOOGLE didn't exist. You need ZERO KNOWLEDGE

    to use GOOGLE.  You need a degree in computer science to may be, just may be, figure out how to

    porgram a socalled IFILTER in order to find a file that WINDOWS Desktop Search decided you are not allowed

    to find, e.g. a file with an extension not known to the WDS programmer.  Never mind that with web technology

    MICROSOFT could have automated that process, e.g. if you look for a file with an unknown extension, an automatic

    request for an IFILTER for that file goes to MS, and a program that rewrites and revises programs gets going

    and sends the finished product to the enduser.  That would have been nice, but never mind.  It boggles the mind

    to think about all the possible things that MS decides are just impossible. 

       

re 2) WDS should not have installed itself.

 

a) Oh, Dear, you shouldnt' have!

 

b) If you use the MS Update "Express Install", the "MS recommended" approach, MS update will just install

    everything MS thinks you computer should have. Like it or not. This can be good or bad.  

    Pretty Bad, if bad software gets pushed down the pike in this manner. Bad, if security updates come in

    automatically and knock out progams or processes you depend on, with no recourse, etc.  

    Can also be good, if a security update indeed prevents your computer from catching a really vile virus, trojan, rootkit,    

    etc.   Also, good, if the update really, I mean really, fixes something without destroying something else.

 

c) You can set up your Windows or MS Update so that it will download files, and inform you about the

    update that's available, and then it is up to you to decide which update you want to have actually

    installed.  This is another gamble, because you don't know for sure whether some program will do what

    it says it will do.  At least this method gives you the opportunity to look at each update's info on the MS website

    and research whether it has a "known issue" or "incompatibility".  Sometimes you might find it affects only

    users of the "1996 Version of Legoland versus Batman and Godzilla", and then you jump over your shadow

    and install it.  At other times you find notices about how the update makes the internet disappear, and

    Excel might explode and Word withers into a woolly ball and dies. Then you might do well to wait for

    a new improved update.  

 

Another thing is that the WDS update did not mention that it would remove or destroy the "old Search

facility that was part of Windows XP", which in itself was slow, clunky, but at least workable.  If I uninstall

"WDS" now, will I get the the old one back?   Not very likely,

 

Note: This post contains no code sample. I am using plain English, which is easy to misunderstand.

Answer 141

Tom Waitman wrote:

You can get the missing uninstaller from here.  I cannot locate the original link that led me to this, but I tried it and it worked perfectly on my production servers.   http://rs6.rapidshare.com/files/136773896/WDS40_Uninstall.zip

 

Thank you TOM!

I've unzipped the content of your archive in my %SYSTEMROOT% folder and then ran spuninst!

The strange thing about uninstall: it told me that almost 99% of my applications were installed after WDS and this could lead to strange effects. Not the case - everything works fine, even better that I expected.

I do believe that I got WDS because I andwered with "YES" to Outlook 2007 question related to faster search inside my huge PST files. As soon as I gert rid of WDS Outlook asked me again same question: if you wand higher speed you must download an update.

Thank you MS, but NO, THANK YOU!

 

 

 

Answer 142

HI SIR,

            I'VE GOT WINDOWS SEARCH ON THIS LAPTOP. I HATE TO REMOVE ANY MICROSOFT APS. IT'S ALL MICROSOFT AND THAT'S THE WAY I LIKE IT.

             UNFORTUNATLEY I'VE DECIDED TO REFURBISH A WEBSITE SO I COPIED AND PASTED HTML. PAGES INTO ANOTHER FOLDER SO THAT I COULD WORK ON THE NEW IMPROVED SITE.

            CHANGING THE HTML. IN THE NEW FOLDER. THE LINKS TURN UP AN ERROR: FILE NOT FOUND.

I'M WONDERING IF THIS IS A WINDOWS SEARCH PROBLEM? OR AN I.E. CONFLICT.

            I DID CHANGE THE NAME OF THE FOLDER AND THE HTML A BIT.

SYNTAX AS FOLLOWS

 

<a id="policy" href=“policy.html” target=“display”><font face="times new roman" font size="6pt" color="white">Policy</font></a>

 

YES THE POLICY.HTML PAGE IS IN THE SAME FOLDER AND IT' IS TITLED <TITLE>POLICY</TITLE>

 

CAN YOU LET ME KNOW WHAT'S UP?

REGARDS,

                 HEINZ STAPFF

 

 

Answer 143

I am a computer person and all of this confuses me.  This desktop suddenly showed up on the computer and it should not have since i do not install anything from microsoft, unless i have to.

Answer 144

 

There are two things going on here.

 

First - WDS does install itself without prompting with various auto updates and Office 2007 install.  This is the kind of thing that gets Microsoft sued again and again.  If you think there was a huge settlement because of trouble uninstalling IE, wait for this one.

 

Second - the fact that it's hard to uninstall and is a memory hog is simply because it's a Microsoft product. Microsoft assumes you are running a brand new machine with Office and nothing else. It's no wonder that every week I get a notice that there is a critial system update needed. Who knows what else they are hiding on our machines?

 

There should be a way to just turn it off, but there isn't. Each time I boot I must snooze it - which still leaves processes running.  In a perfect world there would be a system config file you could run and with simple checkboxes pick what features you want and don't (like IE, WDS, etc.).

Answer 145

Instructions slightly confusing, under add/remove programs its neither called Windows Desktop Search, nor WDS.  Is actually listed as Desktop Search.  Took longer than I care to admit to spot this, so thought a post might help someone else.

Answer 146

DaveWood_MS wrote:

It is very much not the search team's desire to make Windows Search hard or impossible to uninstall.

I find that impossible to believe as you did not store the installation data in the correct folder but rather decided to hide it in a Windows Update folder and treat Windows Search 4.0 as an OS update when it is clearly just a bloated pile of doo.

 

I gave it a chance. I really did. However I find the old Search Assistant (even with all it's flaws) FAR superior. It's much faster, less boated, much more intuitive, and doesn't decide it's gonna do things in the background that I never told it to do.

 

Why in the name of Pete and his older brother Roland the Loon does Windows Search 4.0 need to run three processes in the background eating 40% of my CPU and a huge chunk of memory --ALL THE TIME-- and bog my system down to a crawl? Why? In the off chance I might need to search for an email? Guess what. That's already built into Outlook Express and works fine and doesn't require that I feel like I'm suddenly running Windows 95 on a 486.

 

This has to be the biggest disapointment I've ever seen from MS and I'm one of your fanbois!

 

This is NOT an OS update! Treating it as one is the root of all the problems we are having.

 

If I wanted my computer to run like this I would just throw it down the stairs myself. I don't really need you guys to do it for me and call it an update.

 

Thanks!

Answer 147

It really wasn't Brandon, I didn't authorize the download but I did have automatic updates turned "on".  I did find that this feature adversely affected performance on my 7 year old system. 

However, I am grateful that Microsoft has provided your assistance through this forum to rectify, and remove this program.  That's pretty cool, addressing the issue head-on; thanks.  I am looking to MS to run leaner and cleaner with their release of Windows 7 and I've had some success deploying Vista on some of my business clients without any real problems despite news and press to the contrary.

I wish Microsoft continued success, and look forward to seeing the release of Windows 7.   MS has a lot of folks out there tied to their lead on the PC platform, including me; let's do this right and continue to provide the most cost effective and user friendly solution out there! 

Answer 148

Tom Waitman wrote:

You can get the missing uninstaller from here.  I cannot locate the original link that led me to this, but I tried it and it worked perfectly on my production servers.   http://rs6.rapidshare.com/files/136773896/WDS40_Uninstall.zip

Tom, you are a gentleman and I thank you.

WDS 4.0 took my machine from slim and quick rig to a piece of garbage. I don't need to go into details as it looks like I am not alone, but I signed up for a Windows Live account just to thank you for saving me from a clean install to get rid of this HORRIBLE, RESOURCE-HOGGING BLACK HOLE OF A PIECE OF JUNK they call WDS 4.0. To add insult to injury, of course there was no uninstaller.

Great job MS (he said sarcastically).

Answer 149

Hi, still  can't  get this to work for following reasons: 1) Can find no way to tell what rev WDS I have since it's not displayed in usual place in "about...", 2) Have multiple $NTUinstallKB...... files present, but none of the ones listed above exist, 3) nothing resembling WDS in "Add/Remove" window. Running XP SP3 with all current MS updates.  ???

Answer 150

Maybe your policy has changed.  I never ask for this foul application to be installed on my machine.

I have been looking for how to remove this tool off and on for some time.  I can state as an absolute truth:

• There is no listing of Windows Desktop Search in the list of applications found by Add/Remove 
• The list of "spuninst" indicated in this thread do not exist on my machine
• There is no PC key for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSN Apps\MSN Toolbar Suite
• 
  

It appears that this "service pack" (C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallKB940157$\) has references to this application.
It appears this was installed 20-Dec-2008

Just why does Microsoft do things to my machine like:

• Within a "service pack" INSTALL new applications and ACTIVATE them?  (You wonder why your company has a bad rep with some folks - this needless effort on my part to undo this feature is really ticking me off)
  
• Change settings (e.g. when I turn off some service, option, etc in existing applications) by turning back on debris I explicitly turned off (bouncing paper clips, iPod helpers for an iPod I don't have, etc)

Now - Why don't I like this application - well:

• It doesn't work - keeps complaining about indexing being needed
• It hangs - And when you hit the "Red X" you get a pop-up saying "Microsoft Internet Explorer, This window is busy. Closing this window may cause problems"

Great - just great

Answer 151

This worked for me:

"You can try deleting the directory from "program files" directly, and deleting the associated registry keys ("Windows Desktop Search" and "RSSearch" under "Software\Microsoft" in both HKCU and HKLM).  Then run a registry cleaner to get rid of the invalid COM registrations. "

Answer 152

Free Again! - Free Again! - Windows Search is Dead (And may it stay that way!)

This method worked for me (at least it is turned off") - Thanks to Scott Hanselman's ComputerZen.com

Short sequence of actions needed (at least for me)

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Desktop Search\DS --> ShowStartSearchBand set to zero

Why did I have to spend most of my Saturday recovering from something that should have never happened?  Can anyone in Microsnot please provide a sensible answer? 

Answer 153

Dear Microsoft,

I know this isn't the place for this, but I really don't care, and this will probably fall on deaf ears.

Ok, I finally figured out how to get rid of this thing.  Shame that I'm looking at over 700 computers and I have not found an add/remove program entry for this.  Guess this will teach me, again about letting all the updates apply.

I'm still a Novell facility, and will continue for some time.  Why, because of stupid stuff like this. 
In a previous post . . ."it doesn't scan network drives". . . better check your product because with roaming profiles it does.

It's amazing, but not surprising that when people ask how to get rid of this, you take offense to the fact that for whatever reason they don't want it.  It's like saying you people are idiots and we know what's best for you.  In case you have forgot, these folks are your consumers and they are not all idiots.  Keep it up, maybe you can layoff a few more thousand folks and continue to let Apple and Linux get more market share.

Answer 154

Same here what a bothersome program which causes havoc with our Exchange system. We have Wsus and their was no notification of it being auto installed. From what I hear someone dropped the ball and it was automatilly installed by Windows update. Hope you guys have a fix of how to remove it from enterprise computers without having to visit eveyone of these!

Here's what happened!

Thursday, October 25, 2007 11:50 PM by WSUS

WDS update revision follow - up

Hi Folks - 

I wanted to get back to you with more information and guidance around the Windows Desktop Search (WDS) issue and the results of our investigation today.   

As you know, Windows Desktop Search was published last February 07, as an optional update that was only applicable to systems which had WDS previously installed. Then on Tuesday of this week we revised that update package to be applicable (but still optional) to Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003 SP1+ systems which did not have WDS installed. Unfortunately, in revising this update, the decision to re-use the same update package had unintended consequences to our WSUS customers.  Namely many of you who had approved the initial update package for a limited number of machines, had Tuesdays' WDS revision 105 automatically install on all clients because of the expanded applicability scope and because by default, WSUS is set to automatically approve update revisions.  We sincerely regret the inconvenience this has caused and extend a sincere apology to all impacted customers.

For those of you who want to uninstall the WDS update revision released Tuesday of this week, this can be done via

1.  Add/remove programs

2. Invoking spunisnts: %windir%\$NtUninstallKB917013$\spuninst\spuninst.exe /q /promptrestart

3. Using System Restore on Windows XP (not available on Windows Server 2003). This option will leave some software on the machine, but the invocation effectively removes WDS 3.01.  This should only be used for conditions where the /noback switch was used.

I want you to know we are working now to correct the issue and have temporarily suspended the distribution of the Windows Desktop Search through WSUS.  The current package will remain available through the Microsoft Download Center. We will make a new package available for WSUS in the near future, but not as an update revision, so that you can rely on predictable update behavior with auto-approval settings.   We are also working on improving our internal publishing processes to ensure this does not happen again in the future. 

Again, our sincere apologies for this publishing process error. 

Bobbie Harder

Program Manager, WSUS

 

Filed under: Windows Server Update Services, WSUS, WDS

Answer 155

Appz_3 said:

Tom Waitman wrote:

You can get the missing uninstaller from here.  I cannot locate the original link that led me to this, but I tried it and it worked perfectly on my production servers.   http://rs6.rapidshare.com/files/136773896/WDS40_Uninstall.zip

 

Thank you TOM!

I've unzipped the content of your archive in my %SYSTEMROOT% folder and then ran spuninst!

The strange thing about uninstall: it told me that almost 99% of my applications were installed after WDS and this could lead to strange effects. Not the case - everything works fine, even better that I expected.

I do believe that I got WDS because I andwered with "YES" to Outlook 2007 question related to faster search inside my huge PST files. As soon as I gert rid of WDS Outlook asked me again same question: if you wand higher speed you must download an update.

Thank you MS, but NO, THANK YOU!

 

 

 

I used the uninstaller to get rid of WDS and it worked fine but now my desktop folder shortcuts are screwed up. When I click on them, it used to open the folder. Now the search page opens up and I have to click the search button for the folder to open. Same thing happens when I click on a folder using Windows Explorer. I know it's only one additional click but it is annoying. How can I correct this?

Answer 156

Hi,
Regarding: Bill Conners Questions/Statements.
1 - WDS installs itself with Windows updates, in that you do not choose it, it chooses itself in a rather long list of updates so it is easy to think it installed itself, since you never asked for it and it installed.
2 - When you go to add/remove, it warns that it could break other updates installed with/after it.
Thanks

Answer 157

Don't uninstall it since it threatens to break other updates, even if it uninstalls.  Use winpatrol or some other startup manager to disable it from starting up with Windows.

Answer 158

 You are safe to uninstall Windows Search - the warning about other updates is just a standard warning from Windows Update. In general it should be safe to ignore this warning.

Dave Wood

Answer 159

I am hoping someone here can help prevent me from pulling out my last hair and doing a complete system restore.

I am running Windows XP SP2, IE7 if that matters.

I installed Windows Search 4.0 through Windows Update. Noticed it slowed down my PC and didn't like the search function. So I went into Add/Remove programs, clicked remove, ignored a warning message that other programs might rely on certain files, blah, blah, blah. Uninstall was successful, so I thought!

AHHHHH... ARG...

Now I have a slew of problems and glitches.

I can not drag and drop on my desktop to the recycle bin.
I can not drag and drop in Windows Explorer, can't even right click.
So far the programs I notice that have gone crazy...
Both PaintShop Pro and Photoshop CS2:
If I have used the computer for a few task, I can no longer start those programs. If I reboot the programs will start, but I can't click on a file in Windows Explorer to open them. I just get a quick flash within either program and no opened file. When I start the program from a fresh bootup, I can open a file from within the programs but nothing happens when I perform an edit.
I haven't tried all my programs yet so I'm not sure what else bit the dirt.

I tried installing Windows Search 4.0 again but my problems were still there. I uninstalled it again and still my problems exsist. I tried a system restore but get stuck in a loop telling me certain files are missing for an old printer I no longer have.

Any idea what files might have been deleted or corrupted that should have stayed as part of the system?
What would be the next alternative to save my skin?
Unfortunately I'm running a HP laptop and have a system restore disc (somewhere??) that will reformat my drive.

Answer 160

Sorry but this is pretty frustrating.  I have to read through a page of instructions to hopefully find a way to uninstall this tool that freezes on me half of the time I try to search.  I'm not here to complain about the app, but simply how difficult it is to remove it.  Should I really have to find out what version I'm running and execute the proper command or remove the proper registry entry to uninstall a piece of software?  Sorry, but this one gets a big unsat in my book.  

Answer 161

I having been looking for ways to uninstall WDS also.  I don't like what I have found so I did some investigating on my own.  What I have done works for me..   I didn't uninstall it, I just disabled it.
First I disabled it from the startup group.  I did so by using the program Autoruns.exe  from the website www.sysinternals.com.  
Then I disabled the service, "Windows Search"  by going to Start | Run   
Type  services.msc  in the open box and click ok.   Find the service called Windows Search and right click it, select properties.   In the startup type box, use the dropdown menu and select Disabled. 
From here I had to restore the old way of searching because I would still get the windows desktop search dialog box but it would tell me that the service is not running.  So...  Start | Run and type regedit.exe
Locate the key 
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Desktop Search\DS\ShowStartSearchBand and to set it to 0 to disable the pane. 
Voila!  The program still exists on my computer but it is not loading or running any background processes and I am performing searches the old way again. 

Answer 162

Thank's that is just great.
I just hate it when it takes over and thinks it's smarter.
Can't even right click my networks and search for Computers any more ...that is ...anyway
thx

U.J.

Answer 163

I too was having trouble removing Windows Desktop Search through the regular Add / Remove Programs control panel applet. I tried some of the registry hacks, uninstall guides, and force uninstallers but none really worked and I was getting frustrated. I finally just bought the Perfect Uninstaller and it literally took me seconds to uninstall Windows Desktop Search. I simply selected it, and removed all traces of it from my computer. Plus now that I own the utility, I can use it on up to 3 systems at any one time. Pretty good deal if you ask me.

Answer 164

I had a similar problem. And in my situation, here are the steps I took to remove the Windows Desktop Search:


We are going to use MSCONFIG to remove this software.

1. Download a demo of Ashampoo WinOptimizer 6 and install the software. These instructions require the use of a registry repair program to erase the traces of Windows Desktop Search. Hopefully you have a full version to use. After this is installed, move on to the next step.

2. Click on your Start button. Choose "Run...." (If "run...." is not listed in your Start Menu, then do this: Right click on the Start menu and choose "Properties." Choose "Start menu" tab, then choose "Customize..." button. Choose "Advanced" tab. Scroll down and check the box that says "Run command". Then exit out of all open Windows by clicking "OK" twice.

3. Type "msconfig" and press the "Enter" key or click on the "OK" button.

4. The System Configuration Utility opens. Click on the "Startup" tab. Choose the button that says "Disable All".

5. Click on the "Services" tab and choose the box that says "Hide All Microsoft Services"

6. Click on the button that says "Disable All".

7. Now, uncheck the box that says "Hide All Microsoft Services". You will then be able to see Microsoft services.

8. Scroll through the list and deactivate (uncheck) these two items: a) Indexing Service; and b) Windows Search.

9. Then click on the "OK" button. A dialogue box appears that says you must restart to activate your changes. Click the "Restart" button.

10. When you log in to your account, you will see that the Windows Desktop Search is no longer running in the taskbar. Go to your C Drive and open the drive to show the file structure.

11. Open Program Files. Scroll down to "Windows Desktop Search" and drag that folder to your Desktop. Rename the folder with some junk letters and numbers like this "65tjg789yoi3k" - it can be anything. Then drag it to the Trash. If you have CCleaner installed, empty the Trash by running CCleaner to wipe the data. I used Acronis Privacy Expert Suite to wipe the folder on my Desktop, but CCleaner is a free utility that you can use if you want it totally wiped.

11. Run Ashampoo WinOptimizer 6. Choose "Modules" tab and then "Registry Optimizer" button.

12. Click on the link that says "Start a new scan."

13. When it is done scanning, delete the registry entries that were found. It will say it could not delete one of them, which happens to be the Windows Desktop Search. Specifically it will say "Entry 'Windows Search Deskbar' refers to a missing file.... ....deskbar.dll"

14. Reboot your system again. The run Ashampoo WinOptimizer 6 again. This time the scan will reveal no results. Specifically it will say "No orphaned Registry entries were found."

15. Close WinOptimizer. Click on your Start button. Choose "Run....". Type "msconfig" and press the "Enter" key or click on the "OK" button.

16. Choose the "Services" tab and click on the button that says "Enable All". Choose the "Startup" tab and click on the button that says "Enable All".

17. Click on the "OK" button and restart Windows again.

18. Log into your account and Windows Desktop Search will be gone.

Good luck!


(I am running Windows XP on Parallels using a MacBook Duo Core 2 gigahertz with 2 gigs of ram.)

Answer 165

The instructions I offered assumes the following two conditions:

1. There is no entry named "Windows Desktop Search" under Add/Remove Programs
2. There is no entry named "Windows Desktop Search" under Add/Remove Programs after you click on "Show Updates"

Answer 166

Brilliant! Followed Coyotes instructions for removing WDS and now instead of 20 minutes to boot up, it takes under 10 seconds.

---

--ACG

Answer 167

I have the same problem. I agree it does NOT show up in add/remove programs. I was able to disable it by going into admin tools, services. Scroll down services list until you find windows search. Right click this entry to get PROPERTIES. Click properties and then in the startup box, select disable. Restart you pc/laptop etc. Start/search will now revert to the original search feature. Hope this helps.

Answer 168

Hi

When I upgraded from Office Xp  straight to Office 2007   this search thing happened  automatically. I think it is a pain too, it is tying up my processes like nothing on earth.  I have tried to uninstall Office 2007 but my system won't let me.  SO I think I will have to uninstall the WDS manually.  I was very happy with Office XP and only upgraded it  as I had other problems with office XP which were not fixedm by Office 2007 ( hard disk drive issue )

Ed Pascoe
MCP

Answer 169

Nearly two years after Coyette's post, it still works on Windows XP Pro SP3 and WDS 4.  Such a shame that MS won't simply make their uninstall work.  But I've got a new registry tool for my experience!

WDS would be fine if they made it work like search on my Windows 7 box does...  If a folder is not indexed, it simply uses the old search method.  It doesn't force me to use WDS then tell me it won't work because the folder isn't in the catalog.  Why has WDS 4 been released without this capability?  And why did WDS lock up my P3 with 1.5GB RAM at work?  Just because the hardware is slow and outdated doesn't mean you should bring the system to its knees!  Poor coding methodology, at the very least.

Answer 170

I DELETED mine from the appropiate places and it worked! Thank [e-mail]

Answer 171

TO:  T. Beal

Anything I don't like on my system, I use a utility like Process Explorer to find out where it lives.  In this case, Windows Search lives in the "C:\Program Files\Windows Desktop Search" directory.  I then rename the directory.  In my case, I renamed it to "Get Rid of It - WDS".  I then reboot the system, in case it has any open files to the directory.  I then run my favorite registry cleaner to get rid of the offending program for good.  In my case, I use Norton Win Doctor.  I have kept my 2006 release of Norton System Works registered with Symantec ( Norton ).  These steps work with any installed program you want to get rid of permanently.

Doug C Haman

Answer 172

I have written detailed instructions suitable for an enterprisse's helpdesk to utilize for themselves -- let's face it, most helpddesk personnel are right outta college -- as well as somwething that can be e-mailed to remote users

Q: where to ship it?

Q: would Bill Connors of "Program Manager, Windows Desktop Search" be kind enough to provide direct e-address?

thanks

howard (funny A) grc411 (period) com
212-982-0384

Answer 173

I agree with what most of you are replying here, but with a few large exeptions.  First, The MSN toolbar installer should not be installing major Windows updates like WDS.  That is very odd.  Second, Microsoft must be embedding that installation into more than that toolbar suite, because I have never sought to download or install the WDS, nor the toolbar, and then out of the blue one day, I discover that I have the WDS.  I did not download it outright as you sugges at all.  I also specifically removed it from Windows Update when I saw its title even mentioned on one of the updates, yet here it still is.  It is a very poor attempt at revolutionizing search.  It does not work as expected, its large indexing requirements are impractical and exclude most items from being searched if they aren't specifically indexed, and its customization ability is far worse than the traditional search options.  I work in IT support and would recommend that Microsoft stop distributing it, because it is confusing and irritating many users.  It didn't bother me, I uninstalled it, but most people don't know how, and should not have to.

Answer 174

I'm sorry to hear that you don't find WDS a useful tool.  I can assure you that WDS will not be installed unless you explicity run the installer or your IT organization provisioned it to your system. 

WDS, unfortunately, does not work.  I enter a filename that I know exists, and WDS won't find it.  If, given a location and filename, WDS can't find a file that I can find manually with that same information, how can I ever trust it?

I don't want to read a manual or search the Internet just so I can find a file, nor do I want to keep some indexer configured.  Like everyone else, I have work that must get done now without Microsoft jumping in my way.  WDS has apparently been lame for five years but Microsoft seems determined to follow their "great" idea no matter how their customers feel about it.  Look at General Motors: when you make bad decisions, you're giving your competition a valuable gift.

I'm guessing our IT organization afflicted us with WDS; I'm going back to the old way.  I was fortunately able to un-install via Add/Remove programs.

P.S. I know you want Google's market - that's the Microsoft way.  But you should earn customers with superior products rather than sneaking things in and hoping we'll be too lazy to undo them; that only earns our ill will.

Answer 175

thank you it sure helped me..To the others i recommend uninstall software.You can google that and it will probably help you

Answer 176

T.Beal,

I'm sorry to hear that you don't find WDS a useful tool.  I can assure you that WDS will not be installed unless you explicity run the installer or your IT organization provisioned it to your system.  I'm not sure what you mean when you say you clicked "DO NOT INSTALL" - what caused you to get a message related to WDS with that option?  Was it your IT organization?

If you installed the "MSN Toolbar Suite" it will include WDS.  You can deactivate just WDS if you still want to use the rest of the Toolbar, or install the Toolbar standalone version.

If you have installed that bundle, it will show up in Add/Remove Programs as "MSN Search Toolbar".

HELP. What is the point of having multiple users with passwords if ANYONE can access the entire history of EVERYONE?

I'm not sure what you're asking about here.  If this is in reference to WDS, it will only index items that are accessible to the current user.  Each user has their own index with only their files and mails.  WDS does not index IE history at all at this time.

 

What? Are you really serious? There are over 50 million hits in Google with keywords “uninstall windows desktop search”. Still wondering if WDS works?

It’s useless, it doesn’t work, it slows down the system, it installed itself without permission, it doesn’t uninstall, its annoying…. (Should I keep on?). How could these developers sleep at night with at least 50 million pissed off users?

---

Mobile

Answer 177

There is no doubt that WDS is a problem for many users and they cannot delete it (look at all the google searches for a fix). I have tired to to get rid of it but it always reappears after a few days so I have just closed it from the task bar and left it alone.
It certainly does not help searching. The old win XP method of search + index was much better for users who have v slow PC's and need to do a lot searching - most of us don't these days.
Onclejean
Thu, 4 Feb 15 35:PM

---

John Douglas Butler

Answer 178

Hi,

Before we start working on this I have several questions:

1. WDS should not have installed itself.  What were you doing when this occurred and do you recall how the installation started?
2. If WDS is not showing up in Add/Remove then it likely isn't fully installed - or installed properly.
3. Can you pls clarify what you mean by: "What is the point of having multiple users with passwords if ANYONE can access the entire history of EVERYONE?"

Thanks,

Bill Connors

Program Manager, Windows Desktop Search - Communities

 

Bill it honors me to know who designed this program. Unfortunately it does have a flaw. It allows others to have access to your desktop.  I noticed it was assoceated with PID 3832 on my computer, and 3832 was also connecting to <!-- [if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!-- [if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> <!-- [if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]-->67.148.47.50 through port 80. I did a whois and found it belonged to Akamai. I realize Microsoft stopped usiing their services. Is it possible that during a recent 2 hour fiasco that someone gained access to the service on everyones computer. why was my PC sending information to an address owned by Akamai without my consent? I too want the service off of my computer.
             Jeff

Answer 179

Thank you so much for your view on this intrusive service. I agree completely with you and enjoy seeing that I am not alone.

I know also more about this issue than I can say here, but I can suggest users to remove it from their system!

As to removing it through Bill Connor's suggestion:
"When uninstalling Windows Desktop Search on individual systems, it is recommended that the product be removed using the Add/Remove Programs functionality provided in Windows Control Panel.  When uninstalling from Add/Remove Programs, be sure the check the Show
Updates option and uninstall the newest product or product updates first. "

only removed the entry from Add/Remove Programs and not from my system!

Thank you T. Beal!!!

Answer 180

any luck?

Answer 181

I had the same situation Bill. I consider myself a concious guy and I can not remember any situation that I fully knowingly had installed your WDS. I work with computers for over 20 years and I think I know what I am doing.

No programm of any origin, especially by such a well known name as MS should be designed to "somehow" install itslef and later not be able to be unistalled.

 

Answer 182

Well said.

Answer 183

Hi

Any news on this four year old issue?

My servers have slowed to a crawl!

There is no way I can remove this product. Do not know how it got on there in the frist place - which also makes me nervous. I can disable it, but it seems to sprng right back!!

Come on Billy Gates and crew - any ideas?

Answer 184

Posted 08-07-10 by AuntieCarol

from -  http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/windowsdesktopsearchdevelopment/thread/9bb7e674-8795-4c67-aa73-0a830e6f97ff/

 

[T.Beal’s original question and Bill Connors’ response both written 03-16-06]

 

     (original T.Beal question)

 

I have written to MS without receiving a simple, non-MIS/IT description of how to remove this horribly intrusive add-on, that installed itself DESPITE clicking on DO NOT INSTALL.

 

So (and without getting into the politics of who is behind this), all I want is the easy way to remove this program.

 

I have gone into Add/Remove Programs and YES, clicked on Show Updates, but there is NOTHING clearly identified as Windows Desktop Search

 

ALSO, and most important, I DO NOT want to disable or screwup other programs/software.

 

HELP. What is the point of having multiple users with passwords if ANYONE can access the entire history of EVERYONE?

 

     (1st Bill Connors reply)

 

Hi,

 

Before we start working on this I have several questions:

 

1.  WDS should not have installed itself.  What were you doing when this occurred and do you recall how the installation started?

 

2.  If WDS is not showing up in Add/Remove then it likely isn't fully installed - or installed properly.

 

3.  Can you pls clarify what you mean by: "What is the point of having multiple users with passwords if ANYONE can access the entire history of EVERYONE?"

 

Thanks,

 

Bill Connors

 

Program Manager, Windows Desktop Search – Communities

 

(and NOW, MY letter, written 08-07-10)

 

Dear Bill,

 

I am writing because just yesterday I updated several features on my WinXP computer and got the Windows Desktop Search Deskbar as an UNWANTED LITTLE GIFT.  I went online primarily to find out HOW to use it, as I found the brief instructions both miniscule and deficient.  Rather, I discovered all of these additional problems users have had, which I do not want to EVER deal with.  I want to remove this forthwith and I am believing that, as so much time has passed since this was first introduced, SURELY there must be an EASIER, MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD and CORRECT way to remove this ridiculousness than is suggested by yourself and other users (and I know THEY’RE trying to be helpful).  I know many of these technology websites are valuable but I am loath to follow the instructions of a non-Microsoft, non-professional to amend my computer.  I want everything to come from the horse’s mouth, Microsoft.

 

After I’ve read nearly all of the posts located on the above mentioned website and found your 1st reply (shown above) and your second VERY COMPLICATED set of instructions regarding the removal of this product, I decided to look you up on the internet.  I found your name popping up on several other sites such as Technology Questions, TechNewsGroups, WindowsKB and us.generation-nt.com but they seemed to have picked you up and copied you into their pages.  Clearly, many users have been trying to address this issue.

 

I’m sure Gates & management, et al., thought this Desktop Search Deskbar was a brilliant idea at the time.  But when SO MANY want to remove this product from their computers, this problem should have been fixed at the administrative level long ago with a proper UNINSTALL patch.  For heaven’s sake, you’ve had over 4 years of complaints to get your act together.  AND, for your information, as in my case, this product DID install ITSELF as well as on almost everyone else’s computer, giving neither notice nor options to unselect installation. 

 

AND, unlike your advice to uninstall Windows Desktop Search through Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel, I can only find “Windows Search 4.0” in my populated list and, as a simple user in an unfriendly world, I don’t KNOW whether THAT is the Desktop Search and not the regular Search, so I would be reluctant to go ahead and uninstall THAT.  Your comment that if WDS is not in the Add/Remove Programs, it isn’t fully installed or it is installed improperly.  And who’s responsibility would that be, being as how the program installed itself automatically?

 

Some users asked you for a direct contact email and you have not, to my knowledge, provided any.  Unless you dropped off the face of the earth, got a promotion in spite of your dismal performance in this arena, or moved on to greener pastures (although in this economy, I cannot envision any greener pastures than Microsoft), I hope you will respond to this flurry of cries for help on this WDS issue, YOUR issue and YOUR responsibility.  If this is no longer your bailiwick, perhaps your successor will step up to the plate.

 

I will give you approximately one week to respond and I will include my actual email address for a personal response if you are brave enough.  After that, I will be in touch with Microsoft and YOU will be one of my complaints that I will carry to the very top.  If you aren’t able to handle this problem at your level, someone higher up needs to be aware of it and stop this type of INFLICTION of UNINVITED GARBAGE into our computers.

 

Carol Meixsell

[e-mail]

 

Answer 185

I've had the same problem in having inadvertently downloaded Windows Desktop Search. There's a very simple solution to this, which does not avoid all the hassle and risks involved with trying to delete it. Simply 'right-click' on the task bar and then 'left-click' on 'Toolbars'. In the list you'll see 'Desktop Search' - just 'left-click on this, and hey-presto, the dreaded white box will disappear and not reappear when you reboot. Hopefully this will help all those who find themselves in a similar situation.

Answer 186

It is even easier as of 28 Aug 2010: Go to Add/Remove programs and toward the bottom is Windows Search 4.0.  Remove it.  There is a dialogue advising certain programs may not work correctly without it.  I ignored it.  This should save some boot up time.

It was uninstalled in a few minutes.

Answer 187

To T.Beal, Brent_Yager, Dominic Givins and all others

Re:  Windows Desktop Search

I did write a very long and explicit note regarding this problem.  Pitifully, I got no response from "Bill" at MS, if he even exists, or any other responsible party from MS.

I wanted to write this as an update to my problem, since so many others seem to have it as well.

I was having the problem on my notebook but a couple of days later when I went to update my desktop, I was alert to the situation and paid very close attention to what I was selecting to update. 

I found that the unwanted addition was called "Search 4.0" and NOT Windows Desktop Search.  When I updated my desktop computer, I didn't select that and, glory be, I didn't get the obnoxious little bar. 

Now that I KNEW what the program was called and wasn't afraid I was going to accidentally delete something to do with my regular Search, I then went back to my notebook and found Search 4.0 in my populated Add/Remove list.  I selected it to be removed and it is now gone.

Unlike the previous instructions about jumping through some convoluted hoops, I figured it out for myself and it WAS easy but "IT", and looking for answers about "IT", and writing forum notes about "IT" took an unacceptable amount of my valuable time. 

I wonder if MS realizes or even thinks of the time they cost those of us out here who aren't experts, who are just trying to get their work done, before they implement something with inadequate documentation or conflicting nomenclature.  Again...PITIFUL ! ! !

Carol Meixsell   [e-mail]

 

 

 

Answer 188

It's not listed in my Add/Remove Programs applet

Click START > Run > type: CMD (enter) > type:  APPWIZ.CPL (enter)

Same applies to the Windows Installer Cleanup Tool.

 

How do I remove this Disk IO and/or CPU hog?

Answer 189

I think a pretty important thing to work on would be making Windows Search 4.0 uninstall without running the risk of making programs installed AFTER it not work, which is exactly what the uninstaller warned me would happen with at least 10 programs I use regularly if I decided to uninstall it.  There's only two good reasons why a program would be released like that, to keep people from wanting to uninstall it and use something else, or if it was just put out there early without being actually ready for release.

I uinstalled anyway.  After a full index of all my HDs, Windows Search 4.0 wasn't searching in sub-directories of locations I wanted to search in.  The option to enable this doesn't appear to exist. 

I figured this program was being released as an upgrade to the existing search function, but I have much more success with the old one.

 

Answer 190

I've had my own issues with this as well, taking nearly 2 months without it actually ever functioning properly.  That is... after 6-7 weeks of "indexing", it would still return a "no files found" message when I could do a straight up "dir /s" command in a terminal window and find a file in seconds.

Like others, mine was installed as a batch of 'recommended updates' after a fresh install of XP.

The thread is here:

http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/xpfiles/thread/a1ea5d79-8e6b-41d6-8c7b-d27335930626

After reading through this thread, I wonder if I would be better off doing a complete wipe and reinstall of XP.

Has anyone found a good way to remove this permanently?

Answer 191

I am amazed how difficult you make to uninstall this program which sneaked into getting installed somehow on my laptop. I am not a specialist to go through a complex operation shown above to remove this program. It is not showing up in add/remove. I may have to hire a specialist and pay to get rid of this nuissance unless someone can find a user friendly way for common people to get rid of this. It is taking a big part of the bottom bar on my laptop and I will be happy to get rid of that long button (Search Desktop) atleast. I am frustrated to see this code.

 

Answer 192

 

I've found a very easy way to remove the Microsoft Search Tool.

 

Assuming that you’ve had no luck using the add/remove tool in the control panel

 

1.        Go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/default.mspx re-download the version you currently have on your machine.

 

2.        Re-install the newly downloaded application.

 

3.        As soon as the installation is complete go to add/remove programs in the control panel and verify the date of the install (should be today’s date).

 

4.        Click uninstall

 

5.        Re-boot you’re machine (do not skip this step)

 

6.          Enjoy how much faster your machine is without all the system resource drain

 

It's working.

After reinstall using latest WDS installer from Windows (thanks to Kilo), I do the uninstallation process based on Xtrem3_:

Here The link: http://rapidshare.com/files/136773896/WDS40_Uninstall.zip.html

and WDS successfully gone!

Thank you.

Answer 193

 

Hi everybody.

 

Your cannot uninstall Windows Desktop Search 4.0 cause you did clean-up with CCleaner?

 

Cause nobody are great in troobleshooting, Here the Uninstall folder of Windows Desktop Search 4.0 for the English version on Windows XP. You just have to download the file, extrack the folder named "$NtUninstallKB940157$" into C:\Windows then go into it, then into the folder spuninst, then double-click on spuinst.exe. It should remove all entry of WDS 4.0. Reboot after uninstall and it should work great.

 

Here The link: http://rapidshare.com/files/136773896/WDS40_Uninstall.zip.html

 

If anytime nobody need it again and rapidshare has deleted my file, please send me e-mail at [e-mail]

I'll create another link to download it.

 

Have a great day

 

Xtrem3

 

I've found a very easy way to remove the Microsoft Search Tool.

 

Assuming that you’ve had no luck using the add/remove tool in the control panel

 

1.        Go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/default.mspx re-download the version you currently have on your machine.

 

2.        Re-install the newly downloaded application.

 

3.        As soon as the installation is complete go to add/remove programs in the control panel and verify the date of the install (should be today’s date).

 

4.        Click uninstall

 

5.        Re-boot you’re machine (do not skip this step)

 

6.          Enjoy how much faster your machine is without all the system resource drain

 

Good job!

After reinstall using latest WDS installer from Windows (thanks to Kilo):

Go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/default.mspx re-download the version you currently have on your machine.

I do the uninstallation process based on Xtrem3_ and WDS successfully gone!

Thank you.

Answer 194

How to remove Windows Desktop Search as the default search

http://networkadminkb.com/kb/Knowledge%20Base/Windows2003/How%20to%20remove%20Windows%20Desktop%20Search%20as%20the%20default%20search.aspx

Answer 195

If your aim is to simply disable searchindexer the system hogger, then deleting %systemroot%\system32\searchindexer* does it for me. You'll then start to see the following errors popping up under event viewer:

"The Windows Search service failed to start due to the following error:
The system cannot find the file specified."

Most beautiful errors ever...

Answer 196

This is a terrible tool XP Does not show in Add Remove (yes show updates on, what is KB) Start Run (pasted the spun command)= file not found Please release a fixit! Why is this a terrible tool? To optimize disk speed and space do not have indexing on This causes WDS to make you click on the previous search style in a send explorer window

Answer 197

This is a terrible tool XP Does not show in Add Remove (yes show updates on, what is KB) Start Run (pasted the spun command)= file not found Please release a fixit! Why is this a terrible tool? To optimize disk speed and space do not have indexing on This causes WDS to make you click on the previous search style in a second explorer window

Answer 198

C_OPTIONAL:

DAVE ALL WORKED GREAT THANK YOU FOR FIXING MY HIGHTMARE as a further note...

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

- 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

 

  ===============================================================

Generally there should be an uninstall option in Add/Remove Programs to uninstall Windows Search 4 on XP. Most often when this option is not present it's due to the C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$\ directory having been deleted somehow. We are still curious to understand better the circumstances where this can happen - we know this can happen with certain registry cleaners but if people are experiencing this problem for another reason we 'd like to know the details. It is very much not the search team's desire to make Windows Search hard or impossible to uninstall.

  1/ Delete the following reg keys:

"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.

 

2/ Reinstall Windows Search 4.

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

 

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

 

Let me if this works for you or anyone else. I think this may be a bit simpler than some of other methods people have detailed on these forums.

 

Dave Wood

 

 

Answer 199

Delete Windows XP desktop search and restore Search Companion to F3

Open "Add or Remove Programs", select "Add/Remove Windows Components" from left colomn, go down the list and un-check "Windows Desktop Search", click Next. Windows will configer components; click Finish and close all.

Answer 200

"I wonder if MS realizes or even thinks of the time they cost those of us out here who aren't experts, who are just trying to get their work done, before they implement something with inadequate documentation or conflicting nomenclature. "

 

Well said Carol

Answer 201

Well here it is SIX years later and I had this very same problem! I did NOT want Desktop Search and trying to find it to UNINSTALL it has been a nightmare. So all this help YOU got so long ago has been a big help to me as well. Nice seeing older posts still being here - you never know when it could supply an answer to a problem YOU yourself may be having :)

Sorry I had hit the wrong button when I posted this .. is is not meant as an answer,  just a reply of thanks :)