Classic Shell: Forum

Hello.
Any way to completely disable Windows 8.1 "search pane" with Classic Shell? It's being annoying.
Thanks in advance.

The Win key can open the Classic Start Menu and find everything the "Search pane" does, except for files and folders on a network share which have been added to Libraries and online search results from Bing. How are you accessing the Search pane? Just set the Win key to open Classic Start Menu to "replace" it?

You can also use AutoHotkey scripts (third party scripting app) to remap Win+S, Win+W, Win+F, and Win+Q key combinations to Win key so they open the Classic Start Menu.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and helped a little with Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

I'm referring to the "search pane", it's part of metro ui. It's that big blue bar that appears on the right of the screen.
It appears when I alt tab out of games, also appears on my "alt tab switch" window as a series of unnamed running executables. not sure why. Not a virus or malware, I'm pretty sure of this.
I disabled it under services, but I still have it... so I thougt, maybe Classic Shell can disable it for good. But can't find an option, so here I am asking

I know which pane you are referring to however I asked how you were invoking it so I would suggest you to a way to suppress that. Does it appear when you Alt+Tab to the Desktop from a fullscreen game?

Are you using some replacement Alt+Tab switching app or the default Windows one? In Windows 8 and Windows 10, there are many hidden windows - the search pane that appears on the right is one of them. Usually they are hidden in the stock Alt+Tab UI but they show up in third party Alt+Tab apps. It's poor coding on Microsoft's part, they should be excluded from all Alt+Tab user interfaces. I use a replacement called VistaSwitcher which has a feature to exclude hidden windows like this search pane from the Alt+Tab UI so you never see it - it never gets triggered.

I don't think there would be a way to kill or suppress only that window without affecting the rest of the Metro UI.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and helped a little with Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

Yep.


Default Windows one.


Oh, I don't care for the Metro UI. I actually hate it with a burning passion. I wouldn't even use w8.1 if it weren't for Classic Shell.
Actually... if I could eradicate it forever from my computer and save that space on my HD I would be super happy.

Yes but unfortunately some core parts of Windows 8/8.1 are written in Metro so killing them will break this functionality. I can suggest you to try the freeware VistaSwitcher (http://www.ntwind.com/software/vistaswitcher.html) and merge this reg to not show all the hidden windows in the list.

There is no way to kill the Search pane without also killing the Network pane, AutoPlay, Open With dialogs, Settings app etc.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and helped a little with Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

I'll try that.
Thank you very much for your help.