Google Desktop Search
What is Google Desktop Search?
Google Desktop was a piece of desktop search software made by Google The program allows text searches of a user's email messages, computer files, music, photos, chats, Web pages viewed, and other "Google Gadgets". A prominent feature of Google Desktop is the Sidebar, which holds several common Gadgets and resides off to one side of the desktop. The Sidebar is available with the MS Windows and GNU/Linux versions of Google Desktop. Google Desktop sidebar can be set to Auto-Hide mode, where it will only appear once the user moves the mouse cursor towards the side where it resides. When the Sidebar is minimized, new email and news can be displayed on a pop-up window above the Windows Taskbar. When searching in the sidebar, deskbar or floating deskbar, Google Desktop displays a "Quick Find" window. This window is filled with 6 (by default) of the most relevant results from the user's computer. These results update as the user types, and allows use without having to open another browser window.
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 details
URL: desktop.google.com/?hl=en
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\GoogleDesktopSearchSetup.exe -uninstall
Estimated size: 2.59 MB
Files installed by Google Desktop Search
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GoogleDesktop.exe - Google Desktop
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GoogleDesktopActions.dll
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GoogleDesktopAPI2.dll
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GoogleDesktopCommon.dll
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GoogleDesktopDeskbar2.dll
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GoogleDesktopHyper.dll
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GoogleDesktopIE.dll
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GoogleDesktopMail.dll
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GoogleDesktopMozilla.dll
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GoogleDesktopNetwork3.dll
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GoogleDesktopOE.dll
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GoogleDesktopOffice.dll
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GoogleDesktopResources_en.dll
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GoogleDesktopSSD.dll
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GoogleDesktopUpdate.exe
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GoogleServices.dll
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GoogleUIEngine.dll
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GoogleDesktopCrawl.exe
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GoogleDesktopDisplay.exe
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GoogleDesktopIndex.exe
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GoogleDesktopNetwork1.dll
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GoogleDesktopNetwork2.dll
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GoogleDesktopOE.exe
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GoogleDesktopSearchSetup.exe
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gzlib.dll
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pdftohtml.exe
Behaviors 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).
Scheduled Task
- GoogleDesktop.exe is scheduled as a task with the class '{EC89B5F7-5C10-473D-B6D6-C2C7730B52B4}' (runs on registration).
Scheduled Task (Boot/Login)
- GoogleDesktop.exe is automatically launched at startup through a scheduled task named 13.
Service
- GoogleDesktop.exe runs as a service named 'Google Desktop Manager 5.9.911.3589' (GoogleDesktopManager-110309-193829) "Updates Google Desktop with the latest security fixes, enhancements and features. This service only runs occasionally and thus does not affect your computer's performance. If this service is stopped or disabled, Google Desktop may not function correctly.".
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'.
Resource utilization averages
Show technical details
| GoogleDesktop.exe |
| Memory: | 37.44 MB | |
| Total CPU: | 0.0058632905% | |
| Kernel CPU: | 0.00203278% | |
| User CPU: | 0.00383051% | |
| CPU cycles/sec: | 13,631,804 | |
| I/O reads/min: | 33.2 KB | |
| I/O writes/min: | 5.92 KB | |
| GoogleDesktopCrawl.exe |
| Memory: | 10.93 MB | |
| Total CPU: | 0.0190217914% | |
| Kernel CPU: | 0.00743236% | |
| User CPU: | 0.01158944% | |
| Switches/sec: | 34 | |
| GoogleDesktopDisplay.exe |
| Memory: | 4.57 MB | |
| Total CPU: | 0.0006438604% | |
| Kernel CPU: | 0.00043391% | |
| User CPU: | 0.00020995% | |
How do I remove Google Desktop Search?
You can uninstall Google Desktop Search from your computer by using the Add/Remove Program feature in the Window's Control Panel.
- 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.
- When you find the program Google Desktop Search, 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).
- Follow the prompts. A progress bar shows you how long it will take to remove Google Desktop Search.
How do I reset my web browser?
If your web browser homepage and search settings have been modfied by Google Desktop Search you can restore them to their previous default settings.
Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Open Internet Explorer and click the Tools button, and then click Internet options.
- Click the Advanced tab, and then click Reset. Select the Delete personal settings check box if you would also like to remove search providers, Accelerators and home pages. When Internet Explorer finishes applying default settings, click Close, and then click OK.
- The changes will take effect the next time you open IE.
Mozilla Firefox
- At the top of the Firefox window, click the Firefox button, go over to the Help sub-menu and select Troubleshooting Information.
- To continue, click Reset Firefox in the confirmation window that opens. It will close and be reset.
- When it's done, a window will list the information that was imported. Click Finish and Firefox will open.
Google Chrome
- Open Chrome and click the Chrome menu on the browser toolbar.
- Select Settings. In the "Search" section, click Manage search engine. Check if (Default) is displayed next to your preferred search engine. If not, mouse over it and click Make default. Mouse over any other suspicious search engine entries that are not familiar and click X to remove them.
- When the "Show Home button" checkbox is selected, a web address appears below it. If you want the Homepage button to open up a different webpage, click Change to enter a link.
- Restart Google Chrome.
OS VERSIONS
Win 7 (SP1) 34%
Win 7 1%
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HOW IT STARTS
Automatically starts? Yes
(Found in the run registry)
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USER ACTIONS
 |
Uninstall it 21%
Keep it 79%
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Windows
Which Windows OS versions does it run on?
| Windows 7 |
53.16% |
|
| Windows XP |
23.68% |
|
| Windows Vista |
17.89% |
|
| Windows 10 |
5.26% |
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Which OS releases does it run on? |
| Windows 7 Ultimate |
30.16% |
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| Microsoft Windows XP |
23.28% |
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| Windows Vista Home Premiu... |
14.29% |
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| Windows 7 Professional |
13.76% |
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| Windows 7 Home Premium |
5.82% |
|
| Windows Vista Home Basic |
2.65% |
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Geography
32.26% of installs come from the United States
Which countries install it?
| United States |
32.26% |
| Indonesia |
9.68% |
| Egypt |
9.22% |
| Iran |
5.99% |
| France |
4.61% |
| Germany |
3.69% |
| United Kingdom |
3.69% |
| India |
3.23% |
| Brazil |
2.30% |
| Philippines |
2.30% |
| Italy |
1.38% |
| Netherlands |
1.38% |
| United Arab Emirates |
0.92% |
| Australia |
0.92% |
PC manufacturers
What PC manufacturers (OEMs) have it installed?
| Hewlett-Packard |
26.50% |
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| Dell |
21.37% |
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| Acer |
17.95% |
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| GIGABYTE |
9.40% |
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| ASUS |
9.40% |
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| Toshiba |
5.13% |
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| Intel |
3.42% |
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| American Megatrends |
1.71% |
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| Lenovo |
1.71% |
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| Medion |
1.71% |
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| Samsung |
1.71% |
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Common models |
| Gigabyte G41MT-S2PT |
1.94% |
|
| Gigabyte G41MT-S2P |
1.94% |
|
| Acer M5610/M3610 |
1.94% |
|
| Acer Aspire 9300 |
1.94% |
|
| HP Pavilion dv6 Notebook ... |
1.94% |
|
| INTEL DG31PR |
1.94% |
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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