A number of people have
downloaded this file-sharing software. In fact, there have been over 120
million downloads of this software according to CNet.com. Obviously, many
want to be able to use this service to share files with others.
However, there have been many
privacy concerns in using Kazaa, and I have had requests to help remove it from
users' systems. It has been a haven for virus infections, an open door for
hackers, and your privacy may certainly be compromised in its use. For
more details, I would suggest users go to this site...
Serious
Concerns about KaZaa Media Desktop. Here you can
decide for yourself if you really need to keep using Kazaa. Meanwhile, I
found these steps to help you remove Kazaa. Please use at your own
risk!
Removing Kazaa Part I:
The Add/Remove Control Panel
- If Kazaa is running (which
it probably is), you have to close it before you can uninstall it. Since
it's not a regular application but rather a background process, you have to go
to the Task Manager to force it to quit. Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to go to
the Task Manager. Find Kazaa in the list of applications, click on it to
highlight it, click Remove or End Task.
- Go to
Start-Settings-Control Panel (depending on your version of Windows).
- Double-click Add/Remove
Programs.
- Find Kazaa in the list,
click it to highlight it, click Remove.
- Repeat steps 1 through 3
with "b3d projector", "Medialoads", and "New.Net" (all software installed by
Kazaa that needs to be removed separately).
Removing Kazaa Part II:
Manually delete file/folders
Make sure all the following
have been deleted. If they haven't been, delete them!
C:\Programs Files\Kazaa\
C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Kazaa\
C:\Windows\Desktop\Kazaa Media Desktop.Ink
C:\Windows\Desktop\My Shared Folder.Ink
C:\Windows\Desktop\Kazaa Promotions.Ink
C:\\Windows/System 32\cd_clint.dll
Removing Kazaa Part III:
Edit the Registry (FOR ADVANCED USERS ONLY)
Delete the following:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Kazaa
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Kazaa
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Uninstall\Kazaa
Media Desktop_is 1
Removing B3D (Brilliant)
projector. *This software is installed along with Kazaa, but must be
removed separately.
- Go to
Start-Settings-Control Panel (depending on your version of Windows),
double-click on "Add/Remove Programs".
- Select "b3D Projector" and
click on the button "Change/Remove".
- Next find the folder
labeled "BDE". It will probably be in the "Windows" or "Winnt" folder.
You can use the "Find" or "Search" utility to search for this folder.
- Inside the "BDE" folder is
a program called "bdeclean.exe". Double-click on this file to run it.
- Use the "Find" or "Search"
utility to search for a folder called "Brilliant". If it is found,
delete this folder.
- The final step is the most
time consuming. There are nine more files that you will have to find and
delete. They are:
- bdedownloader.dll
- bdedata2.dll
- bdefdi.dll
- bdeinsta2.dll
- bdeinstall.exe
- bdesecureinstall.cab
- bdesecureinstall.exe
- bdeverify.exe
- bdeverify.dll
As you can see, removing
Kazaa software from your system can be a chore. There are various
automatic removal tools that you can search for on the Internet, but I have
found this method, though tedious, to be the best. Make sure that you
follow these instructions to the letter. This method will also remove
Kazaa Lite. Good Luck!
(Disclaimer: Compeds lists these tips only as suggestions. We
will not be responsible for any damage or changes to your system or software in
their use or misuse. Many terms used in this article, i.e., Microsoft,
Windows, etc., are terms copywrited by Microsoft.)