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?

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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
    2013-04-13T16:53:08+00:00

    The solution is very simple; just spend $5 and buy Start8 from StarDock.com. It lets you turn off the Charms bar, turn off the other Windows 8 hot corners, turn off transparency on the taskbar (which allows the background image to bleed through--this was really bugging me!), and restore the Windows 7 Start Menu. All WIndows 8 functionality is still there but you can now control how and when you will access it. I bought a copy last week and just love it! It's what Microsoft should have included in Windows 8 for those of us who prefer desktop computing over tablet touching.

    Oh, and by the way, after you've turned off the hot corners for Charms Bar you can still access it with a [Win] + C key press. (Which I need to do this morning to access some Modern/Metro system settings not available in Control Panel.)

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-04-12T19:50:40+00:00

    There are 3rd party solutions that will do what you want. For instance the software "Start8" by Stardock will allow you to disable the charms bar when using the desktop. It will only appear when using modern style apps.

    The software also lets you restore the Windows 7 style start menu is you want, boot directly to the desktop not the start menu, and a few other options.

    Stardock also has software that lets you run modern apps in windows, within the desktop. Anyone looking for a more Windows 7 style experience should look into these 2 apps.

    However just so you know they are not free I think they might be $4.99 each.

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