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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?

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.