How to turn off the Charms Bar in Windows 8.1

[NorthernKaren]

I have a new HP laptop with Windows 8.1. I absolutely HATE the charms bar. It's very annoying. I have turned off the corner function so the Charms bar no longer pops up if I swipe the corner edges, however, it still pops up randomly. I'll be typing along and it'll just pop up, blocking whatever I'm working on.

I have absolutely no need for this charms bar. In fact, the only thing I've used it for is to get to the option to turn them off. However, on this laptop, that doesn't completely turn them off.. I have tried going to the mouse control panel to turn them off, but that option isn't offered. However, I don't think it's the mouse pad causing them to pop up anyway.. I'll be typing along, not even touching the mouse pad, and they'll just suddenly pop up. 

What is the cause of this and how can I get rid of it? I'm getting rather desperate and at times feeling the need to throw this laptop out the window!!! I much preferred my HP Windows XP laptop, and only replaced it because XP is no longer supported.. Window's 8.1 is one of the most frustating systems Microsoft has come up with. 

Please help me to turn these dang things off for good!!

UPDATE: I think I found the solution. I received this link from a Microsoft Chat Line Employee. I followed the directions and the charms seem to be gone.. YAHOO...:smileyvery-happy:

Here's the link:

http://winaero.com/blog/how-to-disable-the-edge-panels-charms-bar-and-switcher-in-windows-8/

UPDATED UDATE: lol... I posted this below, but will repost here.. The solution given to me by the Microsoft Chat Line employee did not work.. Well, it worked for one day, I shut it down for the night, and when I turned it back on in the morning, the charms were back with a vengence.. Seriously, worse than ever before, popping out constantly.  It was like they were really pissed off...:smileymad:

I went to Wally World and bought a $16 wireless mouse, which is keeping the charms at bay.. I actually think it's easier to use than the mouse pad on my laptop anyways. I can use it on the arm of my recliner, on my laptop next to the mouse pad, on a desk top (obviously), but the point being, unless I run the cursor to the very extreme right side of my screen, the charms have remained hidden... 

I have a business website, and while working on it, the charms were constantly popping up as I was trying to add pictures and descriptions. It was seriously driving me out of my mind.. Everything was taking me twice as long to add, time I don't have to waste.. I've been working on it this morning using the wireless mouse and the charms bar has not popped out once.. 

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

I hate it too for exactly the same reason.

I did intensive google searches and have checked all the options to turn the charms bar off, but when I inadvertently get too close to the right edge of the screen, it pops up.

Unfortunately, I have read that swiping from the edge will still make the charms bar appear no matter what options you have selected to turn it off.

In other words, the simple thing we want to do (not to have the charms bar ever show up) cannot be done.

Here is one such tutorial on how to turn off the charms bar and even though I have done all of these things, it still shows up from time to time.

http://mywindows8.org/disable-charms-bar-in-windows-8-1/

[visruth]

For me swiping from edge of the touchpad doesn't make it pop up after I disabled it. But keeping the cursor on the right edge of screen inadvertently and when this thing starts to move on, it appears.

@NorthernKaren
Is it seen disabled from Taskbar properties like this:
1. Right-click on Taskbar and select Properties option.

2. It'll open Taskbar and Navigation properties window.

3. Go to "Navigation" tab and uncheck following options present in "Corner navigation" section:

When I point to the upper-right corner, show the charms
When I click the upper-left corner, switch between my recent apps
4. Apply the changes and click OK.
Restart.

[NorthernKaren]

I have done all that.. Everything is unchecked.. They still pop out randomly.. Sorry, this isn't an answer.. I sure wish there was one, because I'm so frustrated with this ridiuclous feature... 

[visruth]

Hi


There are registry tweaks for it too, but I suspect if anything is going to change.

So,
You have two options:

Go back to Windows 7
or
Wait another year for Windows 9.

[NorthernKaren · Accepted solution]

Thanks Paul, but that link just tells me to do all the things I've already tried.. When I tried to get answers from the Microsoft Windows website, it says that all laptops are different and I'd need to go to the manufacturer of my laptop to get them to tell me how to turn them off.. So I'm here, but no one seems to know how to stop these darn things... It really is ruining my experience with my new laptop.. It's like using a laptop being shared with someone else who continually interrupts what I'm doing.. 

OPPS... while I was writing that I was waiting for someone on the microsoft chat line to connect so I could ask them how to disable them.. 

Rachel from Microsoft came on.. She sent me to this link:

http://winaero.com/blog/how-to-disable-the-edge-panels-charms-bar-and-switcher-in-windows-8/

I did what it says to do, and as I'm typing this, no charms have popped out at me... Maybe it's solved the problem (hope, hope).

[NorthernKaren]

For anyone who came here looking for the same solution, I finally did find one that seems to have worked..:smileyhappy:

I got this link from a Microsoft chat line employee. I followed the directions and the charms have not appeared for quite some time now.. Here's the link:

http://winaero.com/blog/how-to-disable-the-edge-panels-charms-bar-and-switcher-in-windows-8/

Good luck to everyone trying to get rid of them.. They are one VERY annoying feature of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1

[visruth]

Glad you got it resolved!
I don't have any problem in mine, but I'll surly give it a read.
What about upgrading to Windows 9 😉

[Paul_Tikkanen]

That is great news!

Thanks for sharing the link.

I'm going to try that right now...

[visruth]

Hey NorthernKaren

That was the registry teak I was talking about earlier in this thread.
So that was a working tweak 🙂