Can we disable the charms bar in Windows 8?

Anonymous
2013-01-22T14:37:05+00:00

Old Title: when I move the mouse around the right hand side bar keeps appearing, when I don't want it to.

I recently bought a new computer with Windows 8 and have managed to work with it OK.  The thing is that when I move the mouse around, the right hand sidebar with the Search, Share, Start, Devices and Settings buttons (and the date and time, bottom left),  keeps appearing.  It is so frustrating as I keep having to click to get rid of it. Ironically, when I am ready to close the computer down, I have to fiddle around with the mouse trying to get the damn bar to appear so that I can get the settings button to shut it down. Are there any solutions for this?

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Email and communications

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Anonymous
2013-06-05T09:31:15+00:00

"I am sorry to inform you that we do not have any option to disable the Charms Bar in Windows 8."

OMG, when I pay hundreds of my hard-earned dollars, especially in this economy, I expect to customize my product after purchasing. Did Microsoft have regular people try Win 8 for awhile before releasing it?

Got it!!! Its simple, go to control panel, synaptics touchpad and disable side swipe function, simples. it was really beginning to annoy me.

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Anonymous
2013-01-23T10:24:36+00:00

Hi Deborah,

Thank you for choosing Windows 8 and posting your query on Microsoft Community Forums.

It seems that you are not happy with the “Charms Bar” in Windows 8 as it always appears when you move the mouse pointer to the right hand side of your computer screen and would like to know if we can disable it.

I am sorry to inform you that we do not have any option to disable the Charms Bar in Windows 8. I can definitely forward your suggestions to the concerned department.

Microsoft has designed it for making things faster and easier. The charms bar help you do the things you do most often, like search, share links and photos, connect devices, and change settings without any difficulties.

For more information, please check this link:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/charms#1TC=t1

Hope this information is helpful.

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Anonymous
2013-07-31T18:02:19+00:00

"I am sorry to inform you that we do not have any option to disable the Charms Bar in Windows 8."

OMG, when I pay hundreds of my hard-earned dollars, especially in this economy, I expect to customize my product after purchasing. Did Microsoft have regular people try Win 8 for awhile before releasing it?

Got it!!! Its simple, go to control panel, synaptics touchpad and disable side swipe function, simples. it was really beginning to annoy me.

This issue was driving me crazy with my new week old inspiron 7720 windows 8.  I even spent time on the phone with tech support who suggested using an external mouse. I followed your suggestion to disable side swipe function and it worked perfectly.  Thank you.

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-07-25T15:12:49+00:00

    There's a lot wrong with your post, but I'm just going to point pot some specific things that might be helpful to you.

    • The software engineers/programmers who work for Microsoft are very smart people.
    • I'm positive that the programmers would like to have the freedom to provide everyone with a variety of options that would allow their users to feel like they have the most control over their experience, but they labor under a management system that's been poisoned by years of Ballmer influence and may not improve under the new leadership.
    • It's likely that the resistance to fulfilling customer demand is the fault of a small number of in charge individuals hypnotized by their own corporate jargon, believing that if they say something enough and pay the Marketing department enough then their fantasies would simply replace reality. I doubt that the people actually doing most of the heavy lifting, metaphorically speaking, want to continue trudging down a path that they know people mostly despise.
    • You have the option to bail from using MS products at any time unless you're a heavy PC gamer. There arother operating systems that work just fine available to you. They have been available to you for some time.
    • Expecting places like Best Buy to stop using or offering mostly Microsoft products is blatantly delusional.
    • Your post is rude, not constructive and makes people who may have sympathized with your position look down on you.

    I also really dislike Windows 8, but I'm looking forward to trying out the changes they'll offer to improve the desktop user's experience and hope that they don't try to force any further disastrous UI monkey business in the works to make life hard on us in the future.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-07-25T14:17:41+00:00

    <snip>

    And the [Microsoft] staff an programmers are arrogant in their attitudes to there customers!

    </snip>

    Can you link to an example of this...?

    I would be interested in seeing Microsoft staff and/or programmers responses and what led to them...

    <snip>

    Somebody else made the same point that nobody wants this god awful opp system its rammed down our throats!

    My old pc breathed its last and i had to get another,i didn't want doze 8 but was forced to have it.

    I tell you what if the monopoly was taken away and all pc,s came with no software and you had to buy our own then Microsoft would go bankrupt overnight as nobody would choose to by this piece of poodle poo!

    </snip>

    Maybe I missed something...

    Why were you forced to purchase a new computer with Windows 8/8.1?  How was it, "rammed  down [your] throat"?  What salesman convinced you that you had no other choice?  How were you, "forced to have [Windows 8/8.1]"?

    You can purchase computers without operating systems now (and for decades.)  Even from the bigger vendors.  Sure - you probably are not going to Walmart, Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot, and other big box/this isn't our main concern/gimme your money places to do that - but...

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