How to default to Search Companion with Windows Desktop Search 3
November 13th, 2006 @ 4:38 pm | Filed under Technical
Much though I love the newly released Microsoft Office 2007, one thing bugged the hell out of me. To get search to work in Outlook (and search is handy if you want to find specific emails from 6 months ago with work you were supposed to have done by now) you need to install Windows Desktop Search 3. This is all well and good until you decide you want to search for files on your hard drive. You click ‘Search’ and this comes up:
Yep, it’s replaced the standard Windows search companion (and the friendly dog). That’s all well and good, except it’s an indexed search so doesn’t necessarily reflect what’s really on disk. And since by default my program files folder isn’t indexed, it never shows any results no matter what I search for – until I go in and change the settings then wait for it to get around to indexing the folders.
There’s a link at the bottom of the tab to use the trusty old search companion, but it means clicking it every time. Oh, and before you ask, no, there isn’t an option to disable this irritating integration in WDS! I hate it when software comes along and arrogantly replaces existing functionality with itself and gives no way to remove it. I only put the thing on so Outlook would be able to search emails, not to make me click more buttons to search for files!
Of course, you can in fact turn it off, as a little digging has turned up. Simply open RegEdit (hit Start > Run then type ‘regedit’). Go to the following node:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Desktop Search\DS
Then double-click on ‘ShowStartSearchBand’ and set the value to ’0′. Close that and you’re done, the next time you click ‘Search’ in explorer, the old, reliable search companion will appear. This applies to operating systems before Windows Vista, since Vista has far better search that actually works! (Okay, now someone will say it just uses WDS and I’m an idiot – wouldn’t be the first time).
429 Comments on “How to default to Search Companion with Windows Desktop Search 3”
January 21st, 2009 at 15:58 |
Thanks, I hated the new also, glad I found your site!
January 24th, 2009 at 18:34 |
thank you so, so, so, so much!!
January 26th, 2009 at 12:15 |
Thanks, I’ve been looking all around for this! Desktop search is a good example how much MS can f*ck up what really is a a simple task. Apple must be amazed by the help they’re getting from MS to sell Apple products.
January 29th, 2009 at 18:14 |
That`s a great tip! i have only one observation:
to see the registry key “ShowStartSearchBand”, you must at first to use the windows search, and click the dog icon, and use the companion. The key won`t appear unless you do that.
Enjoy.
January 31st, 2009 at 05:22 |
THANK YOU!This fix took less than 30 seconds. It’s been driving me nuts for months!
February 6th, 2009 at 16:55 |
OH THANK YOU
February 11th, 2009 at 22:47 |
Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!!!! I hated that and never knew where to turn it off.
February 24th, 2009 at 18:26 |
Thank you very much for the tip. Works perfectly.
I’m a dog person but I prefer the cat assistant over the dog. I always thought the old paperclip was annoying.
February 26th, 2009 at 02:59 |
hi i uninstalled the wds 4.0 and now the only seach option i have is extremely basic there are no options for file types or sizes etc only search in name in the file and search locations.
i have tried installing wds 4.0 again but stil only get the basic search companion
any ideas how i can fix it?
February 26th, 2009 at 10:07 |
I’m afraid I have no idea as this post is about having WDS 3 installed and how to get the previous search behaviour rather than removing WDS 4. I’ve not tried that and am on Vista now which has search built in. Anybody else have any ideas?
March 1st, 2009 at 13:57 |
Thank you, i hate that damn sidebar but the desktop search tool is great for my mp3′s.
March 1st, 2009 at 16:21 |
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This made my day!
March 9th, 2009 at 20:19 |
Lovin’ it, the dog is back, thank you much.
March 10th, 2009 at 17:39 |
Cheers John! One of the quickest fixes to date
Now to sort out my perrenial problems with another program I’ve been forced to adopt… the dreaded Outlook Connecter…
March 12th, 2009 at 18:09 |
Windows Search is pretty much necessary for Outlook 2007, so I was forced to use it. However I’ve been losing my mind with the additional click to get to my decompanionized (sorry Rover) standard Search. Rawk!
March 14th, 2009 at 19:01 |
Thank you so very much for this li’l tip! It has made my day!
March 16th, 2009 at 22:18 |
Thanks for the post, life is good now!
March 17th, 2009 at 01:38 |
Great to have CS back. Since most of my searches are for computers rather than files, WDS totally sucked. Will have to share this with my other User Support people at work.
March 18th, 2009 at 17:42 |
Thank you very much, finally I have my search companion back without the extra steps.
March 19th, 2009 at 21:50 |
Thank you so much. I “upgraded to Vista when it came out (huge mistake) but after Vista crashed and I had to do a reinstall I went back to XP, only to have to deal with the annoying Window Search. I had a hell of a time googling the right phrase to find this set of instructions!
March 25th, 2009 at 15:08 |
Thank you so much for this. I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out a way to get rid of WDS. Thanx again!!!
March 26th, 2009 at 11:24 |
Thank you. I love that little dog. The new search default was driving me crazy. I don’t even know how it was changed.
March 27th, 2009 at 03:21 |
Works a treat. Thanks.
March 28th, 2009 at 11:10 |
Even 2+ years later still a helpful post. Thanks !!
April 3rd, 2009 at 05:04 |
/me bows & praises;
tnx a million, WDS is (besides the ability to search mail in outlook07), a waste of the HDclusters it’s stored on.
April 5th, 2009 at 17:30 |
Thanks…this advice worked exactly how you said it would!!!
April 6th, 2009 at 17:30 |
You aren’t the only one who has that problem! We just got it changed at work and I’m trying to change it back to the search companion so your advice was totally welcomed! Thanks!
April 9th, 2009 at 08:42 |
You’re a star, you’ve saved my computer from being defenestrated!
Thanks
May 6th, 2009 at 19:04 |
John,
I rarely see or hear the word defenestrated – it is one of my favourites and certainly applies here. I believe my search parameter might have changed recently with the download of Explorer8? We all bow down to John Conners
May 6th, 2009 at 19:23
Ha ha, watch it, I wouldn’t want my ego getting out of control!
April 17th, 2009 at 03:41 |
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CabinetState]
“Use Search Asst”=”no”
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Desktop Search\DS]
“ShowStartSearchBand”=dword:00000000
Just throw that into a named search.reg and run it. It will force the classic search to come up. Because Windows Search and Search Companion both suck.
April 17th, 2009 at 16:36 |
Thanks – reg hack worked like a charm – I know this is old news, but had forgotten how to turn this off. Recently was issued a new laptop and it had the Windows Search thingy activated. How irritating!
April 17th, 2009 at 22:26 |
At last, easy when you know how. Windows desktop search has been annoying me of ages, Thank you.
April 19th, 2009 at 20:41 |
you are the best!!
April 23rd, 2009 at 17:51 |
Thnk you John for the tip. I was googling the problem and you provided the solution.
–Adam
April 23rd, 2009 at 18:58 |
Awesome, worked like a charm! You made my day.
April 25th, 2009 at 20:58 |
THANKS ever sooooo much John – so good to have the old dog back!!
April 27th, 2009 at 17:54 |
John:
Yes! You are, indeed, “da man”! Thank you!
May 6th, 2009 at 06:39 |
Thank you so much!! I hated that stupid search for so long and any other answer I could find seemed 10 times more complicated than yours!!! Perfect set of instructions… even a monkey could do it!!!
May 10th, 2009 at 02:01 |
Thanks so very much for showing how to regain the “search companion”. It was an extra step with “Search Windows”, and quite aggravating.
Gary
May 13th, 2009 at 13:25 |
Like an itch I couldn’t scratch!
Thanks!
May 18th, 2009 at 17:10 |
You…
are….
awesome…thx for this man.
May 21st, 2009 at 20:34 |
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!!
May 25th, 2009 at 00:09 |
Thanks for this …
May 26th, 2009 at 14:22 |
You just made my day. Thanks for the tip!
May 26th, 2009 at 15:05 |
Thank goodness your advice is available! I don’t mind Microsoft adding new features, I do mind when they don’t work. (funny that!)
I’ve wasted days trying to turn the new (non working) search off. If your are reading this ‘Mr Microsoft’ – try to learn from what your customers are telling you.
again – many thanks
May 27th, 2009 at 22:32 |
Many, many thanks. I couldn’t agree more with you, WDS is great for Outlook, not so great for… you know… everything else.
May 28th, 2009 at 07:31 |
Just another greatful ‘WDS victim’ expressing gratitude
June 1st, 2009 at 21:21 |
THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH for figuring this out!!
Everything about 2K7 apps is infuriating.
June 2nd, 2009 at 15:02 |
This is great – with a picture to explain and clear/to the point.
Thanks!
June 3rd, 2009 at 17:43 |
It suddenly appeared out of the blue a few days ago. Microsoft updates in the night I expect. Drove me MAD! However the reg fix has solved it.
Thanks a lot.