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
    2013-05-19T16:08:03+00:00

    I have an HP Pavilion Notebook, with a Synaptics PS/2 Port Touchpad.  I can't figure out how to deactivate the Charms 

    Which version?   Read the release notes and see that changes were being continually made regarding Edge swipe support.   So there would be a continuum from no Edge swipe support at all, such as I had originally in my tx2 and the fully controllable Edge swipe support in the latest version.   So, if you have a version somewhere in between those you would have whatever bugs and deficiencies would be implied by the changes the release notes documented as having been made subsequently.

    other than possibly deactivating the touchpad altogether and using an external mouse.  Not sure if that would just create more problems though. 

    Depends on what you are used to, what your experience with normal Touch is, and most importantly what your application is.   E.g. if you are just using your Touchpad to move your pointer around the screen, get a real mouse.   If you are wanting to simulate Touch features such as scrolling in the Modern UI or multi-touch gestures such as the ones supported by W8 Narrator*, learn how to control your Touchpad to do that and above all be aware of the compromises that you are having to make to try using a simulation of Touch support remotely from the screen.

    * C.f.

    If you have a new PC that supports four or more contact points, you can use touch commands to control your PC.

    Hopefully someone on Microsoft is paying attention and will do something to fix this.  Aren't they supposed to be releasing an upgrade with patches to address the many issues encountered since the first release?

     

    Notice where the problem originates--in the Synaptics Touchpad Gesture Suite and its attempt to simulate Touch display functionality remotely from the screen without sufficiently training its users about the mental gymnastics they will need to perform to do that.   Synaptics has done a wonderful job of creating videos which show the features being used but not so good a job of warning users about how they should integrate them (or disable them) for everything else that they need to do with their Touchpad (such as being a standard pointer device.)

    FYI

    Robert


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  2. Anonymous
    2013-05-19T16:10:57+00:00

    That at least would be a step in the right direction, but will not happen, as it appears all the problems are caused by, touch-pads, laptops, computers, users........., ie anyone but Micky soft.

    Come on you clever peeps, ( not Micky soft ) give us a hack that works.

    Please.

    Ray

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