How to Remove Windows Desktop Search

Updated By - April 16, 2024

Windows Desktop Search is a search tool that can be optionally installed on a Windows based system. In most cases it is installed along with a Office 2007 or Outlook 2007 package. Shortly after installation and after trying out it's features, you may be one of the many people who prefer to remove the Windows Desktop Search. In the following simple solution, I'll cover how to remove this WDS desktop search tool.

How to Remove Windows Desktop Search:

  1. Navigate to Start -> Control Panel. Click Add or Remove Programs from the list
  2. From the "Add or Remove Programs" window, check the box to show updates

    3. remove windows desktop search

  3. Locate Windows Desktop Search from the list and click Remove

Note: If you don't see Windows Desktop Search in the Add or Remove Programs section, you can manually remove the program by navigating to the directory corresponding to your WDS version and run spuninst.exe.

You can find out your Windows Search Version by viewing your Update History in Windows Update.

For Version Windows Search 2.6.0.2083

C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB907371-V2$\spuninst

For Version Windows Search 2.6.0.2057

C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB907371$\spuninst

For Version Windows Search 2.6.5.Beta

C:\Windows\$NtUninstallKB911993$\spuninst

For Version Windows Search 3.01

C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallKB917013$\spuninst

For Version Windows Search 4.0

C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallKB940157$\spuninst