Tuesday 22 July 2008

How Can I Remove Desk Top Search From Windows XP?


This was a horrible invention, older hard drives sure don't like it, nor do ruthless real time virus scanners. Talk about making a struggling machine even slower.

So you've tried to uninstall it from add and remove programs and it hasn't gone away?

You've looked for desk top search in ad and remove programs and cant even find it?

I have such a simple solution....

Make sure you have "Show Hidden Files On"  and go into your windows folder and look for a FOLDER CALLED      $NtUninstallKB940157$  go inside it

then go into the folder called   spuninst  and Double click the file called  spuninst.exe

That will Uninstal Desktop Search  :)

Wait i don't have a folder called $NtUninstallKB940157$ what do i do?

Well if you REALLY DO HAVE... "Show Hidden Files & Folders ON"

then chances are you ran something to clean up your system, like windows clean up wizzard or CC Cleaner, essentially removed all the Hotfix Uninstallers.

Solution.. Unpack This Folder to the WINDOWS folder then run the spuninst.exe

Wait.. i un-installed this and now i have realised i like it.. Or i think some program installed i didn't think needed it actually does.. maybe want to un-install or use the program but cant?.

Simple, Re-Install the Desktop Search with this, then when your done, un-install it again with the folder solution above, or install it, do the work and only then run something like cc cleaner.

If you don't trust Our sources or your trying to remove this from a totally different OS, just search the download Centre and "Install the one you need or need the uninstaller for" then you'll have the KB folder to allow you to Uninstall
https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB940157

If it wont re-install, then run it with the   /wuforce  command switch at the command prompt ;)

Meta Data
WindowsSearch-KB940157-XP-x86-enu.exe
WindowsSearch-KB940157-XP-x64-enu.exe