Kill the dog

[meegbear]

In order to remove the annoying and useless search dog that appears when you click Search in Windows XP, all you need to do is add one simple registry key. Regedit your way to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CabinetState

Right-click an empty space in the right pane and select New > String Value

Name the new value Use Search Asst

Double-click this new value, and enter no as it's value data

[mattclearing]

1. Thanks for this. n/t

[Richardo]

2. What search dog?

Is it like the 'helper' (term used loosely) in the MSOffice applications?

[meegbear]

3. Search in Windows Explorer

he starts a little dance when you open it, but you can't actually use Search until he stops.

[ET Awful]

4. Or you could just change the search settings from within the search

window to "classic" and never have to bother with him again. :)

Editing the registry works, but I don't recommend doing it to anyone unless they are positive they know what they're doing.

[Richardo]

5. Yeesh. I guess my came turned off.

Turned it on just long enough to see its lameness and then turned it off again. x(

[ET Awful]

6. The worst part is that when you turn him off, it takes like 30 seconds

for him to leave your damned screen because first he gives you sad puppy dog eyes, then walks slowly away.

Damn mutt.

[meegbear]

7. More fun to hack the registry

But that's the geek in me.

[ET Awful]

8. Well yeah, but I wouldn't want to try and walk the average schmoe

through editing the registry :) I know people that would select the key then somehow do an "invert selection" and accidently delete every key BUT that one. :)

[meegbear]

9. Yeah ...

BWAH-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!