Known issues for Windows Desktop Search and Cortana in Windows 10
This article describes the known issues that may occur when you use Windows Desktop Search or Cortana in Windows 10.
Original product version: Windows 10 — all editions
Original KB number: 3206883
Summary
Home users: This article is intended for use by support agents and IT professionals. If you’re looking for more information about website error messages, please see the following Windows website:
Known issues
Issue 1
Desktop Search or Cortana can’t find shortcut files (.lnk)
Symptoms
On a computer that’s running Windows 10, Desktop Search or Cortana, you cant find shortcut files (files with an LNK extension). The issue occurs regardless of whether the shortcut files are in indexed locations.
Status
Microsoft is aware of this issue and is investigating it.
Issue 2
Desktop Search or Cortana don’t find files that have a URL extension.
Symptoms
On a computer that’s running Windows 10, you can’t find files that have a URL extension by using Desktop Search or Cortana.
Status
This is by design. The search filters the results to eliminate noise that’s caused by non-app shortcuts.
Issue 3
Windows Desktop Search shows no results if you have your Internet Options settings configured to disable website data.
Symptoms
When you try to search from the Start menu or from Cortana on a Windows 10-based computer, you receive no results. This behavior occurs if you have your Internet Options settings configured to disable local caches and databases.
You can disable local caches and databases by using one of the following methods:
- Using Internet Explorer: Internet Options ->General tab ->Browsing History — >Settings — >Website Data Settings — >Caches and databases tab ->Allow website caches and databases (clearing the check box)
- Using Registry Editor:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\BrowserStorage\AppCache] «AllowWebsiteCaches»=dword:00000000 - Using Group Policy:
Group Policy under either or both User and Computer configuration:
Administrative Templates>Windows Components> Internet Explorer>Internet Control Panel>General Page>Browsing History>Allow websites to store application caches on client computers
Cause
This issue occurs when the user disables the use of caches and databases through Internet Options or Group Policy. Doing this prevents the application that uses AppCache from storing data locally, and the application must have access to the web content that would have been used initially to populate the cache. If a computer has no Internet access and has the option configured to disallow the Web Platform APIs from using AppCache (The Allow website caches and databases option is cleared), Desktop Search doesn’t work.
Resolution
To work around this problem, change the configuration of Desktop Search through Group Policy. To do this, follow these steps:
- Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box.
- Type gpedit.msc, and then press Enter.
- In the Group Policy Editor, navigate to the following location:
Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Search
- In the pane on the right, double-click Don’t search the web or display web results in Search.
- Select Enabled.
- Click Apply, and then click OK. Desktop Search will now avoid using any of the Web Platform APIs to acquire content from the web. This also mitigates the impact of disabling website caching and databases.
More information
Windows Desktop Search, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Store Apps use a feature called Application Cache (AppCache), which enables the creation of offline web apps and webpage caching. AppCache also lets the apps that use it boost performance of web content by reducing the number of requests made to the hosting server.
Удаление Windows Desktop Search 4.x
В этой статье предлагается решение неприятной ситуации, связанной с тем, что Windows Desktop Search 4 (WDS) в большинстве ситуаций не удаётся удалить стандартным способом! ..
Зачем удалять? Дело в том, что продукт явно сырой! Очень часто при установке Windows Desktop Search производительность всей системы сильно снижается. Исправить ситуацию почти невозможно, поэтому последняя надежда – на деинсталляцию… которая невозможна! Тема периодически обсуждается в Интернете, но на неё не обращаешь внимания, пока сам не столкнёшься с такой же проблемой, как в моём случае – после наложения обновления до версии 4.1 – мой компьютер стал работать вдвое медленнее, время его реакции на мои действия возросло с секунд до минут, и стало понятно, что без реанимации 80% времени и ресурсов будет отдаваться только великолепному WDS , а не работе!”
По ссылке архив для корректного удаления WDS 4.x
18 комментариев на «Удаление Windows Desktop Search 4.x»
Огромная благодарность автору за очень полезный ресурс. Скачала быстро, удалила надоевшую ненужную липучку мгновенно! Низкий поклон автору!
Удивительно, что, спустя 6 лет, это кому-то помогло 🙂
Uninstall Tool v3.1.1 Build 5240 Portable
и в три секунды всё прекрасно удалилось
СМС это просто защита от спамеров, как в Контакте. Нечего страшного. Качайте! Всё работает!
А зачем там спрашивают СМС при установке?
Красиво! Пара-тройка минут делов-то… Благодарю!
Случайно «намотал подарочек» 🙁 в официальных апдейтах.
ОГРОМНОЕ спасибо! Наконец-то получилось освободиться от навязчивого сервиса… и без сверхусилий. А то стандартными средствами из «Установки и удаления программ» не удаляется… Хитрые майкрософты, очевидно, свой Windows Search спецом «гвоздями прибивают», чтоб у пользователя возможности отказа не было… 😉
БОЛЬШОЕ СПАСИБО! — я долго не мог решить ПРОБЛЕМУ удаления этой липучей программы Windows Desktop Search 4.0, пока не нашёл Ваш сайт! — мгновенно избавился от грязи, навязанной моему компьютеру этой программой!
БОЛЬШОЕ СПАСИБО! — я долго не мог решить ПРОБЛЕМУ удаления этой липучей программы Windows Desktop Search 4.0, пока не нашёл Ваш сайт! — мгновенно избавился от грязи, навязанной моему компьютеру этой программой!
Windows desktop search remove
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Answered by:
Question
How can I remove Windows Desktop Search from the taskbar, or at least permanently hide it from the taskbar? In my original attempt I selected the following:
Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs
Then I selected Windows Desktop Search and «removed» it. Then I rebooted my PC. When I rebooted, the Search Desktop interface appeared in the taskbar next to the tray. Now it doesn’t appear in the control panel.
Frankly it hasn’t been useful, and I don’t want it to take up the real estate in my taskbar. Microsoft, how can I get rid of it or permanently remove it from the taskbar? And, I shouldn’t have to hack around the registry to do this. Thanks.
Answers
All replies
I want to totally remove Windows Desktop Search, not just turn off the toolbar for it. There is nothing in the Add/Remove software pane for Windows Desktop Search, so how does one actually get rid of this resource waster? Besides the CPU processing it wastes while indexing, it does not even search in the areas I want looked most of the time, since I am NOT looking in the documents areas that it does index. I want to get totally rid of it!
On my WINXP computer under Add / Remove Programs, there is an entry for Windows Desktop Search 3.01. Trouble is, when I start the uninstall, it throws a list of over 100 programs that «could be affected by its removal» because they were installed after it. Well, I’m intimidated. Also doubly vexed with Microsoft, for not only is Windows Desktop Search a resource hog, but at this point it stands between me and the file search methods that I know.
Anybody out there have some better answers?
Hope y’all can help me out with some additional ideas on how to completely uninstall win desktop search. From what I can tell in the Add Remove Progs, Win Desktop Search v 02.06.5000.5378 is listed. When I attempt to uninstall I get error: «Update could not be removed because newer updates are installed. Please remove the newer updates first.» However Add Remove Progs does not list any other items that are recognizable as another update/version of win desktop search. I don’t want to have to pick files I think might be related and try to hit and miss uninstall one by one just to find it. Desktop search has not been useful at all for me, just as the Win Live Tool Bar for IE 7 was useless. I did uninstall the Win Live Tool Bar (not sure if/what may still be left behind). I’m tired of things like this eating up sys resources and items that auto boot with Win but are next to near impossible to find and disable. I’ve tried to use Sys Mech Pro 7 to uninstall progs that don’t show up in the Add Remove Programs list and the last time it just locked up. I’m currently trying out Security Task Manager that lists all running apps/processes and their locations. However the trial version has limited function and I’m not sure that it can help to uninstall programs completely or if selecting remove will simply remove that one component only and leave the rest of the program files lying around taking up space. So I’m also trying out some registry edit/cleaners. Trying out Karen’s Registry Pruner. Any ideas, suggestions, tips, & or pointers to help me accomplish my goal of cleaning out software I don’t find useful. — Especially Win Desktop Search.
But I could spend years sorting thru and not finding what I’m looking for as usual with any Win/MS issues I have tried to go to the MS sites for info on.
Thanks so much for your time and effort and any and all ideas/help you can provide!
No one, not even Bill Gates knows how to remove Live Desktop Search with Add/Remove.
How to remove Windows Desktop Search?
Which version of WDS do you have installed? Are you on XP or Vista? Do you see WDS listed in Add/Remove programs?
Normally there’s a simple uninstaller but some people have reported problems where this is not available
I have uninstalled WDS 3 times using various means. I have blocked it on the list of Windows updates, and I have used Autoruns to block its execution. Nothing I’ve done will permanently remove it or prevent its execution. This program is so persistent it’s difficult NOT to think of it in terms of malware.
I know there are well-meaning folks working on this project. I understand their desire to compete directly with Google for mindshare, but this is NOT the way to do it. I am embarrassed for Microsoft that they have allowed this type of thing to go on.
If anyone can figure out how to get rid of it for good, please let us know.
Windows Search 4 is an optional update on XP, as far as I know it isn’t installed unless you explicitly approve it in Windows Update, or you previously had Windows Desktop Search 3 installed. I’m not an expert on the full Windows Update system but I just took a clean XP machine and double-checked, and Windows Search 4 is not installed automatically.
Windows Search 4 does come with an uninstaller
So my three-step guide for removing WS4 from XP goes like this:
1. Check Add Remove Programs and try and uninstall there.
3. If there’s no C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$ directory do the following:
— A/ Delete the following reg keys if present:
This will make the installer believe no Windows Search 4 is on the system.
— B/ Reinstall Windows Search 4.
This will add the uninstall files back to C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$
— C/ Now the uninstaller should be present in Add/Remove Programs again and can be uninstalled as normal.
Most people who have had trouble uninstalling Windows Search have been able to do so using the above, although there are other threads on these forums with other approaches.
Add/remove programs did not work for me the other times I used it to remove WDS. I found the uninstaller (spuninst.exe) and used it, and that seems to have done the trick for now. However, it has been gone before and it come back. Only time will tell if this fix is permanent.
I really appreciate your followup and detailed response. I have never had problems with other Microsoft software like the kind I’ve had with WDS. It has been extremely frustrating.
Cool — let me know if you still have issues. I’m curious too why you have seen it re-install, and why the regular Add/Remove Programs uninstall was not working.
One thing to check is that the earlier version WDS 3 has an uninstaller at a different location: C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB917013$ so I wonder if that version is still partially installed in some way that makes Windows Update think it should try and upgrade you to the latest version. So if there is an uninstaller at that location I would try running it too.
Guess what showed up again this morning. So I did some digging, and I have to admit the mistake was mine.
Although I have auto-updates is turned off, and our patch management program (not MS) is configured to block the distribution of WDS via policy, my machine was NOT under any patch management policy. And since my machine is not a member of any policy, I’ve been getting all patches, feature additions, etc. WDS kept coming back because my patch management program was doing its job exactly the way I had it configured.
Please accept my humble apology, and thanks again for your quick and detailed responses. They were extremely helpful.
It also seems that this search feature does NOT do the job very well. Even after modifying it to search for every file extension it has listed, it would not locate a file I know is in a folder it was searching in.
After uninstalling this piece of week old carp, I had twelve hits on my search with the legacy Windows search feature.
Following are my efforts to uninstall it, and then the reasons for trying to uninstall it. Dave Wood please take notice.
1. Around a week ago, where this piece of ship-it is/was most particularly unbearable, I went to Control Panel — Add and Remove Programs, and selected to delete this one. On one computer, the dialog panel flickered for a moment and the Windows Search 4 item was no longer shown in the list of programs. However, the garbage is still running and still causing problems. On the other computer, the uninstaller actually ran, giving a list of several dozen other programs that this malware was threatening to break, but I told it to uninstall itself anyway. It almost obeyed. It didn’t tell me that a reboot was necessary, but my experience with Microsoft is long enough, I could figure it out. The problem is still the first PC where Add and Remove Programs no longer displays this garbage but it’s still running.
2. There is no C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$ directory. (There are directories to uninstall other later stuff, and I do display hidden and system files and the contents of system directories and protected system files and everything. This directory really doesn’t exist, unless a rootkit is hiding it.)
3. I DID download and reinstall Windows Search 4. This piece of ship-it did reinstall itself. It’s running and making a pest of itself the same as always. AND STILL there is no mention of it in the Add and Remove Programs list, AND STILL there is no C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB940157$ directory.
4. I am considering deleting directory C:\Program Files\Windows Desktop Search. Of course that’s not the right way to delete a program. I expect that the right way is going to be FORMAT C and reinstall Windows. But meanwhile, does anyone really know how to do it?
Now here are the reasons why this piece of ship-it needs evacuation.
Every 5 minutes it puts up a focus-stealing dialog. It tells me it can save disk space by reorganizing my Outlook Express folders. Even if 5 minutes earlier it already did save a negative amount of disk space (i.e. actually increased disk usage) by reorganizing Outlook Express folders, it wants to repeat the process. If it steals focus while I’m typing from the keyboard, it might just steal keystrokes and ring a bell sound, or it might eat an Enter or Space keystroke and repeat its malicious operations.
The thing leaks resources. What resources, I don’t know, but it causes trouble for both itself and other applications. When the thing has leaked some degree of resources, attempts to open further Internet Explorer windows either display corrupt non-functioning windows or display nothing at all. When it leaks more resources, Outlook Express cannot even reply to an e-mail message, asserting a false reason that there isn’t enough memory. When it leaks enough resources it stops popping up focus stealing dialogs, and instead it makes a ringing sound like a doorbell every 10 seconds until I reboot. What a monopolizing pain.
Both PCs involved in this have 2GB of RAM. Typically 1GB are in use at any time, and around 1GB are in use when Outlook Express can’t reply to an e-mail message due to not having enough memory. So memory is not the problem. Both PCs have several tens of gigabytes of free disk space as well. One PC has a few gigabytes of e-mail but the other has less than one gigabyte of e-mail stored in their Outlook Express identities directories.
To add ship-it to ship-it, in Windows Explorer do a right-click on My Network and select Search for Computer. Try to search for a computer. That’s right, virtually the only search function that ever used to work has now been removed from Windows. The context menu entry hasn’t been removed, only the functionality has been removed.
Windows Desktop Search has got to go. Someone tell me how.