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How to reinstate Windows XP Search Companion after you install Windows Desktop Search
Question
Since installing Windows Desktop Search (WDS) v3, when I right click on a folder and then click on Search..., WDS opens. This is hardly ever what I want. The same happens when I click Search from the Start menu. How do I reinstate the Windows XP Search Companion?
Answer
Method 1
Download the file restore_xp_srch.reg from the Attachments section of this article, and save it to the Desktop. Right-click on the restore_xp_srch.reg and choose Merge. Click Yes when asked for confirmation.
Method 2
- Click Start, Run and type:
regsvr32 /u "%programfiles%\Windows Desktop Search\wdsShell.dll"
- Press ENTER.
Attachments
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9 Responses to "How to reinstate Windows XP Search Companion after you install Windows Desktop Search" 
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said this on 26 Apr 2007 5:34:22 PM PDT
Thank you so much, much better than Microsoft's support!
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said this on 12 Sep 2007 5:02:08 PM PDT
Thanks! The "regsvr32"-solution fixed it for me :)
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said this on 15 Jan 2008 1:40:21 PM PDT
Method 1 works great, I had already removed all of the great?? desktop search, so method 2 would not work for me. Thank you very much.
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said this on 27 Jan 2008 3:58:15 PM PDT
These methods are two aggressive and affect WDS functionality. A better method will be to set the vaule of HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Desktop Search\DS\ShowStartSearchBand to 0 to disable the pane.
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said this on 09 Apr 2008 3:34:54 AM PDT
thank you for regsvr32. i now can search files again
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said this on 28 Jul 2008 5:54:57 AM PDT
FleetCommand's solution leaves both options available, exactly as i wished. thankyou
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said this on 17 Feb 2009 10:52:05 PM PDT
I tried using the "New" Desktop search tool. I couldn't get it to find the broad side of a barn. Even after changing the options 20 different ways. Thank you SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SOOOOOOOO much for your fix. You made it VERY easy with either method.
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