Disable Charms Bar & Hot Corners in Windows 8

Customizing Windows 8 Corner Behavior

Various applications exist that allow users to disable the appearance of the app switcher and charms when the mouse cursor is moved to the screen's corners in Windows 8.

However, this functionality can also be achieved manually through a simple modification to the Windows Registry.

Alternative Solutions

Beyond direct registry editing, the charms bar and app switcher can be hidden by utilizing third-party software.

Classic Shell is one such application, offering not only the ability to conceal these elements but also the restoration of a traditional Start menu.

Furthermore, Classic Shell provides the option to bypass the Start screen and log in directly to the desktop environment.

This offers a more familiar experience for users transitioning from earlier versions of Windows.
The application provides a comprehensive set of customization options.

Therefore, users have a choice between a direct registry adjustment or employing a dedicated application like Classic Shell to manage Windows 8's corner behavior.

Modifying the Windows Registry

To begin, launch the Registry Editor. This is accomplished by pressing the Windows key, then typing “regedit”, and finally pressing Enter. A User Account Control prompt will appear; confirm by clicking Yes.

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Within the Registry Editor, navigate to the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ImmersiveShell

Locate the ImmersiveShell key, then right-click on it. From the context menu, select New, and then choose Key.

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Assign the name EdgeUI to the newly created key and confirm with Enter.

Again, right-click on the EdgeUI key, select New, and then select DWORD Value.

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Name this value DisableTLcorner and press Enter to save it.

In the same manner, create another DWORD value and name it DisableCharmsHint.

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To disable the switcher’s activation via the top-left hot corner, double-click the DisableTLcorner value and enter 1. Confirm your entry by pressing Enter.

Similarly, double-click the DisableCharmsHint value and input 1. This action will deactivate the charms bar’s appearance when using the top-right and bottom-right hot corners.

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Should you wish to revert these changes and re-enable the hot corners, right-click on both the DisableTLcorner and DisableCharmsHint values and select Delete.

It’s important to note that this procedure only disables the hot corner functionality. Moving the mouse to a corner and then dragging it along the screen edge can still trigger the switcher or charms bar.

Alternative access to these features is available even with the hot corners disabled. Pressing Windows Key+C will open the charms bar, while Windows Key+Tab will launch the switcher.