What method can I use to remove this search bar?
What method can I use to remove this search bar?
I've been attempting to replicate the displayed screen with the Gear icon and Sign in in the upper right corner. The Edge "New Window" option indeed displays the Gear icon. Pressing it opens several choices, including an elevator bar with additional settings. At the bottom, I discovered "Custom Theme" > "Manage" providing even more options. Also, using "edge://settings/appearance" brings me to those settings. Still no matching configuration found. The user just upgraded to Windows 11—could a new feature be responsible?
Discovered something.
If I open a new window in Edge and click the "..." icon, go down to "More tools", there is an option "Launch search bar."
Clicking that places a search bar directly at the top middle of the display.
At the right end of that search bar is the Rewards icon and another "...." that opens choices to close and to auto-launch search bar.
I remain on simple screens/windows: no backgrounds, etc.
When I launch Edge, I see a plain grey screen with the search bar (oval) in the middle just below the four colored "Windows" sections before "Microsoft".
But I can create an extra search bar or close it as described in Post #13.
Upon closer inspection, the search bar appears at the top edge of the Edge window.
When I move the Edge window away, the search box stays on the desktop.
The magnifying glass icon is on the left, and the Rewards icon plus Menu icon ("....") is on the right.
Its interior color is light blue on my normal full blue desktop screen.
Clicking it changes the search box interior to white.
Question about the newly installed Windows 11:
What Edition, Version, Installed On, and OS Build?
(WIN + I > System > About)
I have:
Edition – Windows 11 Pro
Version – 24H2
Installed on – 12/29/2024
OS build – 26100.4349
Experience – Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.26100.107.0
I haven't discovered a method to prevent the central search bar from showing up.
In fact, that would go against how a web browser normally functions.
You're either navigating to an existing link or searching for content to load.
A browser without a search bar would be quite impractical.
I’m not sure what to recommend. I don’t use the Address bar, and some small experimental tries to include it in my Taskbar didn’t seem to help.
I believe your system might have a mix of personalization settings that could be interfering.
Too many options and configurations...
Microsoft’s programs generally try to follow certain standards, no matter what the user wants.
It’s not unusual to set something up and find it now behaves differently (or not at all).
Whether intentional or due to a buggy piece of code that wasn’t fully tested.
I usually rely on browser search bars for online needs and use the Taskbar’s Search “Oval” for system tasks.
My usual approach is to adapt to how the system works—many adjustments are undone by updates, conflicts, or simple mistakes on my end.
I hope someone can pinpoint exactly what needs fixing regarding this issue.
Please proceed with great care when considering registry changes or third-party tools.