Bing wallpaper won't update and has become a phantom

Question

I've been using Bing wallpaper for at least a few years. Every once in a while, it refuses to update. In the past, there were a couple of solutions that seemed to work: to delete the imdata.bin file, and, if that didn't work, to uninstall and reinstall. But even there, Bing doesn't uninstall. It disappears from the list of programs & features, but it still works! Even though it's not in the list of programs that can be uninstalled and has no imdata.bin file, it will run, no problem. It's a phantom.So where is it? If it can't be uninstalled, if it doesn't go away, how can it be...uninstalled? Why does removing the imdata.bin file do absolutely nothing? Should it be able to run at all without that file and when it's not appearing in Programs and Features? But it's right there, in the taskbar, and when I click on it, it runs!

This is going around in circles, and nothing is getting resolved.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Bing Wallpaper (and other Bing desktop components) can exist in more than one place on a system, which is why it can appear to be “uninstalled” from Programs and Features but still run and show in the taskbar.

Key points based on supported behavior of Bing desktop components:

1. Why it still runs after “uninstall”

• Bing-related components can be installed via Windows Update/optional updates (for example, Bing Desktop on Windows 7) and may also deploy supporting services or scheduled tasks.
• Removing the visible entry from Programs and Features does not necessarily remove every Bing component, so a background process or helper may still be present and able to run.

2. Why it doesn’t appear in Programs and Features

• Some Bing components are delivered as app updates or system components rather than traditional programs. These may not always show as a separate uninstallable entry in Programs and Features.
• When that happens, the component can still function (tray icon, wallpaper changes, etc.) even though there is no obvious uninstall entry.

3. Why deleting imdata.bin no longer helps

• The Bing apps and desktop components described in the documentation store shared content and configuration in multiple files/locations. Deleting a single data file (like imdata.bin) is not a supported repair method and is not guaranteed to affect the running component.
• Bing apps are designed to recover or recreate missing data files, so removing one file may have no visible effect.

4. Supported way to remove/repair Bing components

• For Bing apps on Windows 8.1, the supported methods are:
  • Repair or uninstall the affected Bing apps from the Start screen/Store, then reinstall them.
  • Or use the official removal script package (UninstallAllBingApps.cab) to uninstall all affected Bing apps, then reinstall from the Store.
• For Bing Desktop on Windows 7, the supported method is to uninstall it via Control Panel → Programs and Features → Bing Desktop → Uninstall.

If Bing wallpaper behaves like a “phantom” (no entry in Programs and Features, still running), the supported remediation is to remove all Bing app/desktop components using the official uninstall/repair mechanisms for the relevant Windows version, then reinstall cleanly. Manually deleting individual data files is not a reliable or supported fix.

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References:

• Bing Desktop is available for Windows 7
• Bing apps cannot be opened or installed in Windows 8.1