In a nutshell
- Read about the latest updates and known issues for the newest version of Google Desktop.
- Find your Google Desktop version number by clicking the About link located at the bottom of your Desktop search page. The version number is located at the bottom of the 'About Google Desktop' page.
- If you're not using the latest version of Desktop, you can manually update your version.
- Download the latest version of Google Desktop by visiting http://desktop.google.com for the consumer edition, or http://desktop.google.com/enterprise for the Enterprise edition of Google Desktop.
- Click the Agree and Download button, then download and save the installer file to your computer.
- Double-click the installer file to complete the installation.
Latest updates
July 8, 2009: Google Desktop 5.9 (5.9.0906.04286)
All Languages, Consumer and Enterprise
- Support for 64-bit Windows
- Support for Google Chrome, Firefox 3.5, and Internet Explorer 8
- Improved index performance and size, including fixing an issue where indexing stopped for some users
- (Note: to take advantage of this improvement, you will need to remove the old index before installing Google Desktop 5.9
- Fixed an issue where gadgets in the sidebar would resize upon computer restart
- Various bug fixes and optimizations
Known issues
- Google Desktop currently indexes the Private Browsing sessions in Firefox 3.5 and Internet Explorer 8. Please see this article for more information.
View a history of Google Desktop updates.
October 05, 2008: Google Desktop 5.8 (5.8.0809.23506)
All Languages, Consumer and Enterprise
- Memory and CPU usage optimizations
- Support for Firefox 3
- Outlook indexing and performance improvements
- Gadget and sidebar UI improvements
- Improved shut-down speed
- Resolved many user reported proxy bugs
- Added a preference to display the deskbar on the left of the taskbar
- Compatibility fixes for 3DMark and "World of Warcraft" issues
Google Desktop 5.8 (5.8.0809.08522)
October 03, 2008 - Enterprise Release, All Languages
September 11, 2008 - Consumer Edition, All Languages
- Memory and CPU usage optimizations
- Support for Windows XP SP3
- Support for Firefox 3
- Outlook indexing and performance improvements
- Gadget and sidebar UI improvements
- Improved shut-down speed
- Resolved many user reported proxy bugs
- Added a preference to display the deskbar on the left of the taskbar
- Compatibility fix for "World of Warcraft" issue
July 1, 2008: Google Desktop 5.5 (5.8.0806.18441)
All Languages, Consumer edition only
- Fixes many issues wth proxy authentication and PDFtoText.exe downloads
- Improved memory utilization
- Improved gadget preferences/data retention between installs
- Fixes for autoupdate and overinstall bugs
- Fixes for user reported crashes
- Various bug fixes and optimizations
February 29, 2008: Google Desktop 5.5 (5.7.0802.22438)
All Languages, Consumer and Enterprise
- Various fixes for Outlook bugs
- Fix for Outlook PST indexing bug
- Fix for "View in Outlook" not working for some users
- Fix for angle brackets "<" in email body hiding portions of cached results
- Fixed user reported performance issues with Excel document crawling
- Fixed various user reported problems with installation and auto update
- Improved install/uninstall performance with gadgets on the web feature
- Improved drawing issues with the Google Talk gadget
- Fixed various user reported crashes and exceptions
- Fix for a few issues with Firefox 3 beta
- Various bug fixes and optimizations
January 9, 2008: Google Desktop 5.5 (5.7.0801.1629)
All Languages, Consumer and Enterprise
- Improved international support for gadgets on the web
- Various bug fixes and optimizations
December 20, 2007: Google Desktop 5.5 (5.7.0712.18632)
All Languages, Consumer and Enterprise
- Fixed Problems installing over Windows 2000
- Fixed internationalization issues with gadgets on the web
- Fixed installer crashes as reported by users
- Various miscellaneous bug fixes and optimizations
December 18, 2007: Google Desktop 5.5 (5.7.0712.16009)
All Languages, Consumer and Enterprise
- Now available in Indonesian and Thai!
- Fixed internationalization bugs with gadgets on the web
- Fixed Firefox bug with safe browsing feature
- Fixed installer crashes as reported by users
- Various miscellaneous bug fixes and international optimizations
December 13, 2007: Google Desktop 5.5 (5.7.0712.12266)
English Only, Consumer edition only
- Fix for better system suspend or hibernate behavior during initial indexing
- Improved compatibility with other file scanning programs
- Various international fixes
- Fixed various issues with gadgets on the web
- Fixes to address Outlook performance issues as reported by some users
- Various miscellaneous bug fixes and optimizations
December 6, 2007: Google Desktop 5.5 (5.6.0711.24354)
English Only, Consumer and Enterprise
- Fix for various installation issues
- Fix for Outlook .msg issue in version 5.5
- Fix for Outlook mail results only displaying the first letter of the sender's name
- Fixed bugs with News, Photos, and Weather gadgets, and improved performance of ToDo gadget
- Fixed issues with PDF indexer
- Improved Google Search Appliance integration and top-link behavior
- Fix for Enterprise MSI installer not upgrading properly
- Implemented code changes to support Mac-based gadgets
- Fixed bugs for Outlook and Installation crashes as reported by users
- Various miscellaneous bug fixes and optimizations
October 2, 2007: Google Desktop 5.5 (5.5.0709.30344)
English Only, Consumer edition only
- Added ability to use Desktop gadgets on the web
- Improved Outlook indexing and search
- Updated Quick Search Box
- Simplified Install Process
- Fixed installation and auto-update issues on Vista
- Various bug fixes and optimizations
Microsoft Vista users in non administrative ("Secondary User") accounts will need to have User Access Control (UAC) enabled in order to install or access Desktop gadgets on the web. For information on enabling UAC, please see the following Microsoft support article.
August 4, 2007: Google Desktop 5 (5.1.0707.2322)
All Languages, Consumer and Enterprise
- Fixed DLL error during auto-update on Vista
- Various bug fixes and optimizations
July 4, 2007: Google Desktop 5 (5.1.0706.29690)
All Languages, Consumer and Enterprise
- Fixed bandwidth issues related to Safe Browsing feature
- Fixes for better auto-update experience
- Security update
- Various bug fixes and optimizations
May 31, 2007: Google Desktop 5 (5.1.0705.14375)
All Languages, Consumer and Enterprise
- Fixed the prior version's Outlook historical-indexing bug
- Improved indexing performance of Outlook archived and moved mail
- Google Desktop now opens the cached Outlook message if original message is unavailable
- Fixed bug with sidebar appearance after screen resolution change
- Fixed crash in Google Gears when exiting Internet Explorer
- Various bug fixes and optimizations
May 10, 2007: Google Desktop 5 (5.1.0705.4505)
All Languages, Consumer Edition only
- Security Update
- Fixes for better auto-update experience
- Various bug fixes and optimizations
April 27, 2007: Google Desktop 5 (5.1.0704.25560)
All Languages, Consumer and Enterprise
- Resolved bug with Thunderbird and Outlook Express mail indexing
- Updated international strings and added support for Hindi
- Miscellaneous UI improvements
- Various bug fixes and optimizations
March 11, 2007: Google Desktop 5 beta (5.1.0703.10634)
English Only, Consumer edition only
- Further optimizations to Add gadgets dialog
- Fixed crash in Explorer.exe
- Various bug fixes and optimizations
March 9, 2007: Google Desktop 5 beta (5.1.0703.09331)
English Only, Consumer edition only
- Fixed bug with Outlook address book
- Fixed bug with Add gadgets dialog
- Improved click-and-drag behavior for all gadgets
- Added support for downloading Cricket World Cup gadgets
- Various bug fixes and optimizations
March 6, 2007: Google Desktop 5 beta (5.1.0703.05398)
English Only, Consumer edition only
- New sidebar design and a new "Add gadgets" interface
- Refreshed UI for various gadgets
- Enhanced security through anti-phishing and anti-malware URL filters
- New click to preview feature for search results
- Various bug fixes and optimizations
February 22, 2007: Google Desktop 4.5 (5.0.0702.07034)
All Languages, Consumer and Enterprise
- Security update
- Fixed beeping issue related to PDF indexing errors
- Don't display gadget notifications when in full-screen mode, (presentations, gaming, etc.).
- Various other bug fixes and optimizations
February 1, 2007: Google Desktop 4.5 (5.0.0701.30540)
All Languages, Consumer and Enterprise
- Security update
- Fixed frameless gadget problem
- Fixed flickering sidebar issue
- Minor bug fixes and optimizations
January 19, 2007: Google Desktop 4.5 (5.0.0701.18382)
All Languages, Consumer and Enterprise
- Fixed manual overinstall problem
- Fixed problem opening Search Results when no default browser is configured
- Fixed performance problem indexing networked folders with mixed permissions
- Streamlined first time install preferences
- Faster web search results from Quick Search Box
- Various bug fixes and optimizations