Update: The latest build of Windows 10 comes with option to hide Task View and Search buttons. Just right-click on Taskbar or buttons and uncheck the options:

Options to hide taskview buttons

With the release of Windows 10 Technical preview, both Microsoft and folks in tech arena again started to think that this version of Windows is going to have some success. Though, most of us didn’t mind with the newest Windows interface, Microsoft didn’t stop adding crap to its system. Three days ago one of my friends was asking me, “How do I unpin that Search button from Windows 10’s taskbar?” Yes that’s it! If you have already got your hands on Windows 10 Technical Preview, You should have noticed that there are two new kinds of buttons added to taskbar, placed right after the Start menu button. One is for Search and another is Task View Button.

The problem

Disable Search and Task View buttons

There are two kinds of problems with these new white buttons. Firstly, we already have a search bar integrated in the start menu that can be used to search programs, settings, files and web as well. So the new search button confuses us all. The Task View is to switch between windows of different work states. It helps to maximize the use of multitasking without space compromisation. But it is mostly useful for touchscreen users. Secondly, the bigger problem is you can’t hide or disable none of these two buttons. They also take up a lot of space. I think these two buttons are enough to get annoyed by Windows 10.

As the Search and Task View buttons are tightly integrated into the taskbar, there’s no option to unpin or hide the buttons – no matter you use them or not. Hopefully, we have managed to easily disable the both button using a workaround. We have given the workaround a remake by making the tool “Windows 10 Taskbar Cleaner”.

Remove Windows 10 Taskbar Buttons

About Windows 10 Taskbar Cleaner

Windows 10 Taskbar Cleaner is a simple tool developed by TechGainer to disable and hide both Search and Task View within a second. It’s easy interface requires you do nothing than a click. It’s a portable program. So you don’t need to install. We also have added option to revert back to enable the buttons again.

System Requirements for this Tool

  1. .Net Framework 3.5 is needed. Enable it from “Turn Windows Features on off”.
  2. This program is meant for Windows 10 Technical Preview. Using it on other versions of the OS should might your system.

Remove Search and Task View from Taskbar using Windows 10 Taskbar Cleaner

  1. Download Windows 10 Taskbar Cleaner. Run it as administrator by right-clicking on the executable file.
    Windows 10 Taskbar cleaner tool
  2. Now if you want to temporarily remove the buttons, choose For Now. Then click Remove. Choosing ‘For Now’ will bring back the buttons on next reboot. If you choose the option Permanently, the program will put the button disabler script on Windows startup. Thus the buttons will remain disabled on next restart. That’s it!

How to Revert back

If you happened to use permanent removal feature, the buttons will be automatically removed on every reboot of Windows. This is because the tool puts the disabler program in Windows startup folder. So, to bring the buttons to life, use the Revert feature from Revert tab in the tool.

Revert Taskbar buttons

Clicking on Revert button will delete button disabler from Windows startup. And you need to reboot or Sign Out and Sign in to Windows to make changes take effect.

Troubleshooting

At the time of running, this program will create a folder at C:\Temp\Win10TaskBarCleanerTemp to store file(s). If the program isn’t working for you, this most likely it cannot create the folder for security or permission issue. So what you can do is, create the folder manually, then run the program.

Not working the “Permanent” option? That means the program having issue accessing the folder C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp. Download TakeOwnership and install it, right-click on the folder ProgramData and use Take Ownership from context. Right after, try the option.

How We Came up with this Tool

This tool is based on another script which was first posted on MyDigitalLife Forums by a user named vali20. Though we made our tool to use the script in better way, he should get all the credits. He wrote the script in C# and made it open-source. We got our hands on it and coded the tool Windows 10 Taskbar Cleaner in VB .Net.

Verdict

Though it seems to be very easy to remove the Search and Task View buttons, the program behind this tool is still buggy. There’s a lot possibility of getting introduced with new kinds of glitch which aren’t problem of Windows 10 itself, but of the disabler.

Tell us if it worked for you.

[Download link: Windows 10 Taskbar Cleaner]

Author: 

Jaber is a Programmer and Tech Enthusiast Geek from Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is the founder and Chief-Editor of TechGainer. While he is away from his keyboard, either he's fishing or messing with wildlife. In case, you can contact him at rijans[at]techgainer[dot]com.