Summary: Toolbars in Internet Explorer can be handy, but each means less room for web pages. We look at steps to get rid of most toolbars in Internet Explorer.
I have two extra tool bars on my computer when I go out on the internet, one is Google and one is Yahoo. I don't know how exactly they were put up but they take up too much of my screen room. Can you tell me how to get them taken off?
Naturally it depends on just what you mean by "taken off".
And of course, it also depends on the specific toolbar.
Yahoo and Google's toolbars are pretty well behaved, so let's look at your options.
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If you want to just make them disappear, with the option of getting them back later when you think they might be useful, just hide 'em.
Right click on, oh, say the Google logo in the Google toolbar, you should get a popup list of all the tool bars, with check marks indicating which are displayed:
(You can see I have a few.) Uncheck the ones you don't want - you many need to uncheck "Lock the Toolbars" first so you can make changes.
The toolbars you uncheck will still be available later, if you want to enable them again.
If you just want them gone permanently, then the right thing to do is to uninstall them.
In Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs, if you scroll down the list you should find an entry for the toolbar you care about:
Click on Change/Remove or Uninstall for the toolbar you're concerned about, and follow any instructions to remove it. The next time you start your browser it should be gone.
I called Yahoo and Google's toolbars "well behaved" because they install at your request (or, occasionally as an clearly optional component of some other software you might install), and they actually have an uninstall procedure that works. Many toolbars work exactly that way.
However...
There are many other toolbars that do not. These fall into the realm of spyware, adware or just general malware. They are often installed without your permission, and are difficult to uninstall without help. That "help" typically takes the form of one of the better anti-spyware programs. Fortunately running anti-spyware software is something you should be doing anyway, and this will more often prevent these malicious toolbars from appearing in the first place.
Related:
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Ask Leo! - Spyware: How do I remove and avoid spyware?
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Ask Leo! - How do I delete history items from my Google tool bar?
Article C2764 - August 22, 2006
hello:im running win xp because i developed 2 toolbars and i use internet explorer, i had to use the reset button in the advanced tab in internet options, it worked, but now another problem has developed , every window i open used to be large ,but now all are small and it's driving me nuts ,can u help me ? the double tool bar deloped on my desktop only at first but now my laptop also has the same problem ! is the 2 toolbar thing a problem with internet explorer or my server ? thanx john in phila
Posted by: john shimkunas at February 6, 2009 6:23 AMI am trying to delete and reset the default search provider in IE 7.0 I have went into "change search defaults" seleted another provider as the default then deleted live search. Live search is gone until the next time I reboot then it comes back up again. How can I get rid of it? Thanks
Posted by: Jayson at February 22, 2009 6:29 PMany reply to this?
I am trying to delete and reset the default search provider in IE 7.0 I have went into "change search defaults" seleted another provider as the default then deleted live search. Live search is gone until the next time I reboot then it comes back up again. How can I get rid of it? Thanks
Posted by: Jayson at February 26, 2009 7:14 PMI have had digital post it notes, from 3m, for some time now. Recently, the program alerted me that here was an update, which I chose to download. Now I have a "post it" icon and a whole new toolbar which I hate. I have done all the things normal people would do, I unchecked it in the toolbars list, it comes back when I open a new tab. I tried to go to remove programs, it doesn't list a toolbar, just the program itself. HELP!
Posted by: Meaghan at April 5, 2009 6:37 PMGoogle tool bar-- right side of bar-down arrow by wrench icon-click-choose-done.
Posted by: William at May 30, 2009 4:38 PMok.. my work computer-- i had a google search bar.. but i dont know how it got deleted.. i want it back.. when i search "download google toolbar" i click it.. then the u click run u run it then this appears ... barIntaller_en_signed.exe from dl.google.com then this .. the connection with the sever was reset.. help i want it back before boss gets mad.. he knows computer.. and we are not suppose to doenload stuff..thanks
Posted by: jessica at June 3, 2009 8:33 AMI am trying to get rid of Ask box from upper right corner of my screen. I uninstalaled the ASK application but the box remains. what to do?
Posted by: bridget walsh at June 4, 2009 4:15 PMi recently downloaded IE8 and with it came a permanant google find bar in the top right of my screen, i dont want it and cant remove it,i've already got another google toolbar which i like, i dont need 2, who does? ive tried deleting everything to do with google on my computer and it still wont go, can somebody please help me???
Posted by: Andy at June 8, 2009 12:44 PMI have audio commercials running on a loop ... I have msn toolbar ... how do I get rid of them ? ( they are driving me crazy !!! )
Posted by: Howard Tessler at June 30, 2009 6:59 PMwhen i get on myspace it takes a few min and then my google toolbar looks up something that i didnt even type in. It puts me off myspace and i try to get back on it and it does it again. Will it stop if i get rid of google toolbar?
Posted by: Andrew at September 8, 2009 3:38 PM