Windows 10: Windows 10 Search Ghost Items

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After uninstalling programs from windows 10 and deleting any associated files and links, the items persist in my windows 10 quick search menu. (Is there an official name for this feature?)

Does anybody know where these values are stored? For example, are they stored in the registry, an a database flat file somewhere, as a file in a directory?

I've searched my whole PC and cannot find files that reference the names of ghost items still showing.

Clicking on the ghost item does nothing and I see no way to remove it.

:)

 

Windows 10 Search Ghost Items

https://i.imgur.com/oxDUFDR.png

Does anyone know how many places, and where this information is stored?

There is no action on left or right click. I have no idea how to get rid of this ghost item from an outdated now deleted shortcut.

Is this stored in a file? A registry key?
I just want to know the ways windows 10 search works so I can fix it.

 

Windows 10 Search Ghost Items

Are you saying, you no longer have GIMP installed?

 

Windows 10 Search Ghost Items

Yes, and many others. Even old .lnk files I deleted still show. Why is this?

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Explorer.exe never even makes calls to CreateFile() on these 'ghost' items.
So I am guessing it is being read from some kind of db file on windows?
Anybody know?