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
    2014-07-09T00:14:35+00:00

    Yes, Shenan, thankfully win 8.1 has finally addressed this with the power button on the start screen. Probably due to the uproar from new users unable to shut down their computers. I look forward to even more improvements with win 8.2, making it more friendly for desktop users.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-07-09T00:30:12+00:00

    It was actually Windows 8.1 Update in April that added the power button to the Start Screen menu.  The rest were available in Windows 8.1 (October 2013) release or prior and some were available in Windows XP thru Windows 7.  ;-)

    Some people wanted to get rid of the added "power button" on the "Start Screen Menu" as soon as it appeared:

    http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/44237-power-button-start-screen-add-remove.html

    Some people wanted to get rid of the Start Button that was placed in Desktop Mode as soon as it appeared:

    http://winaero.com/comment.php?comment.news.215

    It is highly likely that if there is no innate method of turning off the hybrid start button menu if/when it appears - there will be people who want it gone and will either create or use a created product or hack to remove it.  ;-)

    Heck - some people still using Windows XP/Vista/7 want the Modern UI of Windows 8/8.1 without upgrading:

    http://www.iobit.com/iobit-winmetro.php

    [Note their talking points:

      WinMetro

      Bring Windows 8 Metro UI to Your Desktop

    • Enjoy the New Metro Look on old versions of Windows
    • More Informative and Productive
    • Faster Access to Programs and Files
    • Light, Easy, and FREE to Use

    ]

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