Can I remove Google from a Windows 7 computer?

Q How do I completely rid my Windows 7 computer of Google?

Brendan Clarke

A This must rank as one of the shortest questions we’ve ever received, though the answer could easily extend to several pages. Obviously we’ll have to be more concise here so the first port of call in Windows 7 is the ‘Uninstall or change a program’.

To find this, click Start followed by Control Panel, then click the Uninstall a program link under the Programs heading. Now click the Publisher heading to sort the list of installed programs and scroll down to find those made by Google. Click to highlight one, then click the Uninstall button and follow the prompts.

However, that’s unlikely to be the end of it. Your web browser (or browsers), for example, may be set to display the Google home page by default. They may also be set to execute searches using Google. Fortunately, both these issues are easily fixed.

You didn’t tell us which browser you used but in Internet Explorer, for instance, open the Tools menu and choose Internet Options. In the Internet Explorer dialogue box, click to select the General tab and then, in the Home page section, click the Use blank button to clear the Google home page (if indeed it’s set as the default). Alternatively, type a new default home page web address here or visit a favoured website and click Use current.

Then, while you are still on the General tab, click the Settings button in the Search section and click to choose a new search provider (Microsoft’s Bing, say), then click Set as default.