Skip to main content

How to turn off the Charms menu in Windows 8.1

how to turn off the charms menu in windows 8 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Windows 8.1’s user base is small, especially when compared to the now-ancient Windows XP, and Windows 7, which is approaching five years of age.

Part of the reason for this is due to the introduction of features like the Charms menu, which turned a lot of Windows devotees off when it debuted with Windows 8 in 2012. Many of the Charms menu’s detractors feel that it was an unnecessary addition that just made Windows 8 and 8.1 a bigger headache to use.

Related: How to change the Start screen background in Windows 8 and 8.1

Thankfully, with the use of a simple program, there’s a way to disable the Charms menu once and for all.

By the way, if you think the site/author may be iffy, don’t worry. We scanned the folder and the app’s execute-able with Malwarebytes. They both came out clean.

How to turn off the Charms menu in Windows 8.1

Step 1. Click here and download the Winaero Charms Bar Killer by clicking the gray button labeled “download.”

Turn off Charms (3)
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2. Install the program once you finish downloading it. It should take less than a second to download, considering it’s less than a megabyte.

Turn off Charms (4)
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 3. Once you install the Winaero Charms Bar Killer, it will take up residence in your System Tray. Find the green icon, and right-click on it.

Turn off Charms (5)
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 4. Click “Kill Charms Bar” when you right-click on the bar killer’s system tray icon. Also, click “Run at startup.”

Turn off Charms 7
Image used with permission by copyright holder

That’s it! From here on out, the Charms menu should not pop up again.

Editors' Recommendations

Konrad Krawczyk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Konrad covers desktops, laptops, tablets, sports tech and subjects in between for Digital Trends. Prior to joining DT, he…
How to share a printer on Windows
An office with multiple people working.

A new printer can inspire creative projects and is a great way to share moments with friends and family. You can also share the printer itself. It doesn't even need to be a wireless printer since Windows can provide a Wi-Fi connection to a USB-only or ethernet-only printer.

Read more
How to set a default printer on Windows or Mac
The Epson Workforce WF-110 printer.

Since more people are working from home, there's a good reason to own more than one printer. Great print quality is more affordable than ever, removing a barrier to picking up a printer dedicated to a home office or one for printing photos. The inevitable question is which printer will be the default and how to set that up.

Read more
How to factory reset Windows 10 or Windows 11
Windows 10 Home vs. Pro

If you’re dealing with a sluggish or unresponsive computer, you may be close to just giving up. While your misery is understandable, don’t throw in the towel just yet. Before you ditch your computer and spend hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars on a new one, there’s one last trick that can save you time and money: A factory reset.

Follow the steps below to easily and successfully reset your Windows 10 or 11 PC to its clean factory setting. And if you're running into regular slowdowns, check out our guide on how to speed up Windows, too.
First, back up your computer
Before you reset your system, you’ll want to back up important information that you don’t want to lose. This includes documents, photos, music, and movies, but there are other items to back up as well. Make sure that you know all of your saved passwords, export all of your browser bookmarks, and have installation files for all the software you’ll want to reinstall -- or know where to get them.
Also, make sure you back up app-specific data, like custom filters saved in a photo utility, save files from your favorite games, and back up emails if using an offline client.

Read more