84,488,480 programs installed

Should I remove Google Desktop?

What percent of users and experts removed it?
27% remove it73% keep it
Overall Sentiment
Poor
What do people think about it?
(click star to rate)
How common is it?
Global Rank #853
United States Rank #717
Reach 0.8026%
Lifespan of installation (until removal)
< 23.55 days
694.61 days >
Average installed length: 364.97 days

Versions

VersionDistribution
5.9.1005.12335 69.10%
5.9.0911.03589 4.82%
5.9.0909.30391 0.63%
5.9.0909.08267 0.10%
5.9.0909.02235 0.03%
5.9.0908.26273 0.01%
5.9.0906.04286 0.88%
5.8.0811.04345 0.04%
5.8.0809.23506 3.47%
5.8.0809.08522 0.15%
5.8.0808.21323 0.01%
5.7.0808.07150 2.55%
5.7.0807.15159 0.11%
5.7.0806.10245 1.79%
5.7.0805.16405 0.03%
5.7.0802.22438 2.74%
- 13.56%

Other programs by Google Inc

Google Desktop

What is Google Desktop?

Google Desktop is a desktop search software that allows text searches of a user's e-mails, computer files, music, photos, chats, Web pages viewed, and other "Google Gadgets". After initially installing Google Desktop, the software completes an indexing of all the files in the computer. After the initial indexing is completed, the software continues to index files as needed. Users can start searching for files immediately after installing the program. After performing searches, results can also be returned in a web browser on the Google Desktop Home Page much like the results for Google Web searches. Google Desktop can index several different types of data, including email, web browsing history from Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, office documents in the OpenDocument and Microsoft Office formats, instant messenger transcripts from AOL, Google, MSN, Skype, Tencent QQ, and several multimedia file types.

About  (from Google Inc)

Google Desktop will offer full text search over your email, computer files, chats, and the web pages you've viewed. By making your computer searchable, it puts your information easily within your reach and frees you from having to manually organize your files, emails, and bookmarks. It introduces new ways to access rel...  Read more
Overview
  • Starts automatically
  • Integrates into the web browser
  • Adds a Windows Service

Program detailsProgram details

URL: desktop.google.com/?hl=ru
Help link: desktop.google.com/help.html?hl=en
Installation folder: C:\Program Files\Google\Google Desktop Search\
Uninstaller: C:\Program Files\Google\Google Desktop Search\GoogleDesktopSetup.exe -uninstall
Estimated size: 20.8 MB

Program filesFiles installed by Google Desktop

Program executable:GoogleDesktop.exe
Name:Google Desktop
Path:C:\Program Files\Google\Google Desktop Search\GoogleDesktop.exe
MD5:5d456b9ed2d715db4ba09c3da88e0567
Google Desktop was desktop search software made by Google. The program allows text searches of a user's e-mails, computer files, music, photos, chats, Web pages viewed, and other "Google Gadgets". After initially installing Google Desktop,...
Additional files:
  • GoogleGadgetPluginIEWin.dll - Google Gadget Plugin (Google Gadget Plugin 5.7.712.19360)
  • GoogleDesktop.exe - Google Desktop
  • GoogleDesktopActions.dll
  • GoogleDesktopAPI2.dll
  • GoogleDesktopCommon.dll
  • GoogleDesktopCrawl.exe
  • GoogleDesktopDeskbar2.dll
  • GoogleDesktopDisplay.exe
  • GoogleDesktopHyper.dll
  • GoogleDesktopIE.dll
  • GoogleDesktopIndex.exe
  • GoogleDesktopMail.dll
  • GoogleDesktopManager.exe
  • GoogleDesktopMozilla.dll
  • GoogleDesktopNetwork3.dll
  • GoogleDesktopOE.dll
  • GoogleDesktopOffice.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_bg.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_ca.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_cs.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_da.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_de.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_el.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_en.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_en_gb.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_es.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_fi.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_fr.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_hi.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_hr.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_hu.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_id.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_it.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_ja.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_ko.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_nl.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_no.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_pl.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_pt_br.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_ro.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_ru.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_sk.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_sl.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_sv.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_th.dll
  • GoogleDesktopResources_tr.dll
  • GoogleDesktopSetup.exe
  • GoogleDesktopSSD.dll
  • GoogleServices.dll
  • GoogleUIEngine.dll
  • GoogleDesktop64Bit.dll
  • GoogleDesktop64BitLaunch.exe
  • gzlib.dll
  • pdftotext.exe

Program behaviorsBehaviors exhibited

Internet Explorer BHO
  • GoogleDesktopIE.dll is installed in Internet Explorer as a BHO (Browser Helper Object) under the name 'IeCaptureBho Object' with the class of {7c1ce531-09e9-4fc5-9803-1c2956615786} (Google Desktop Search Capture).
2 Scheduled Tasks
  • GoogleDesktop.exe is scheduled as a task with the class '{EC89B5F7-5C10-473D-B6D6-C2C7730B52B4}' (runs on registration).
  • pdftotext.exe is scheduled as a task with the class '{DFD709B0-F545-4D9D-8444-E4DC2289983E}' (runs on registration).
Scheduled Task (Boot/Login)
  • GoogleDesktop.exe is automatically launched at startup through a scheduled task named 13.
2 Services
  • GoogleDesktop.exe runs as a service named 'Google Desktop Manager 5.1.709.19590' (GoogleDesktopManager-091907-194040).
  • GoogleDesktopManager.exe runs as a service named 'GoogleDesktopManager' (GoogleDesktopManager).
Startup File (User Run)
  • GoogleDesktop.exe is loaded in the current user (HKCU) registry as an auto-starting executable named 'GOOGLE Desktop' and executes as C:\Program Files\Google\Google Desktop Search\GoogleDesktop.exe.
Startup File (All Users Run)
  • GoogleDesktop.exe is loaded in the all users (HKLM) registry as a startup file name 'Google Desktop' which loads as C:\Program Files\Google\Google Desktop Search\GoogleDesktop.exe.
Windows Firewall Allowed Program
  • GoogleDesktop.exe is added as a firewall exception for 'C:\Program Files\Google\Google Desktop Search\GoogleDesktop.exe'.

Program resource utilizationResource utilization averages

GoogleDesktop.exe
Memory:37.44 MB
21.09 MB average
Total CPU:0.0058632905%
0.031193% average
Kernel CPU:0.00203278%
0.016088% average
User CPU:0.00383051%
0.015104% average
CPU cycles/sec:13,631,804
8,062,084 average
I/O reads/min:33.2 KB
435.61 KB average
I/O writes/min:5.92 KB
105.02 KB average
GoogleDesktopCrawl.exe
Memory:8.6 MB
Total CPU:0.0009362731%
Kernel CPU:0.00056176%
User CPU:0.00037451%
CPU cycles/sec:584,923
I/O reads/min:69.76 KB
I/O writes/min:36 Bytes
GoogleDesktopIndex.exe
Memory:8.25 MB
Total CPU:0.0007476543%
Kernel CPU:0.00047477%
User CPU:0.00027288%
CPU cycles/sec:1,642,216
I/O reads/min:1.49 KB
I/O writes/min:1.51 KB

How do I remove Google Desktop?

You can uninstall Google Desktop from your computer by using the Add/Remove Program feature in the Window's Control Panel.
  1. On the Start menu (for Windows 8, right-click the screen's bottom-left corner), click Control Panel, and then, under Programs, do one of the following:
    • Windows Vista/7/8/10: Click Uninstall a Program.
    • Windows XP: Click Add or Remove Programs.
  2. When you find the program Google Desktop, click it, and then do one of the following:
    • Windows Vista/7/8/10: Click Uninstall.
    • Windows XP: Click the Remove or Change/Remove tab (to the right of the program).
  3. Follow the prompts. A progress bar shows you how long it will take to remove Google Desktop.

How do I reset my web browser?

If your web browser homepage and search settings have been modfied by Google Desktop you can restore them to their previous default settings.
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Mozilla Firefox
Google Chrome

OS VERSIONS
Win Vista (SP2) 46%
Win 7 0%
 
HOW IT STARTS
Automatically starts? Yes
(Found in the run registry)
 
USER ACTIONS
Uninstall it 27%
Keep it 73%

Windows OS versionsWindows

Which Windows OS versions does it run on?
Windows Vista 53.94%
Windows 7 31.39%
Windows XP 8.32%
Windows 10 6.30%
Windows Server 2003 0.05%
Which OS releases does it run on?
Windows Vista Home Premiu... 42.12%
Windows 7 Home Premium 19.55%
Windows Vista Home Basic 9.48%
Microsoft Windows XP 7.94%
Windows 7 Professional 5.42%
Windows 7 Ultimate 5.25%

Distribution by countryGeography

57.95% of installs come from the United States
Which countries install it?
  United States 57.95%
  United Kingdom 6.70%
  Germany 6.07%
  France 3.73%
  Canada 2.61%
  Italy 2.33%
  Australia 1.95%
  Netherlands 1.71%
  Belgium 1.48%
  Spain 1.44%
  Sweden 0.96%
  Israel 0.83%
  Brazil 0.80%
  India 0.78%

OEM distributionPC manufacturers

What PC manufacturers (OEMs) have it installed?
Dell 35.15%
Acer 19.50%
Toshiba 19.25%
Hewlett-Packard 10.96%
Medion 3.73%
Gateway 3.10%
GIGABYTE 2.66%
ASUS 1.89%
Intel 1.11%
Lenovo 0.74%
Sahara 0.72%
American Megatrends 0.68%
Common models
Dell Inspiron 530 7.34%
Dell Inspiron 1525 5.97%
TOSHIBA Satellite L305 4.01%
Dell Inspiron 530s 3.40%
TOSHIBA Satellite L300 3.00%
Dell Inspiron 531 2.76%

About Google Inc

Google provides Internet-based products and services such as advertising technologies, internet search, cloud computing, and software.
Publisher URL: www.google.com

commentsComments

user comment
No one has commented yet. Help others learn more about this software, share your comments.