# How to get rid of search bar in windows 10 **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 22, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-rid-of-search-bar-in-windows-10/784987 "2017-04-22T14:54:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-rid-of-search-bar-in-windows-10/784987/1 "2017-04-22T14:54:05Z")
Very strange. Not the ability to search from the start menu. Every time I fire up my win10 desktop, I get a browser search bar LOCKED at the top of the screen, full width of the screen. Even without firing up a browser. It has no right click options, I can’t minimize or maximize it and it has shortcut icons to Facebook, Youtube, Walmart, Target, BestBuy and others. WTF? My googlefu is not turning anything up. Virus? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-rid-of-search-bar-in-windows-10/784987/2 "2017-04-22T14:58:49Z")
It does sound like malware of some sort. Malwarebytes should be able to sort it. The free version is fine. > **[Malwarebytes Cyber Security for Home & Business | Anti-Malware](https://www.malwarebytes.com/)** > > Protect your home and business PCs, Macs, iOS and Android devices from malware, viruses & cyber threats with Malwarebytes cyber security solutions. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-rid-of-search-bar-in-windows-10/784987/3 "2017-04-22T15:03:32Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > It does sound like malware of some sort. Malwarebytes should be able to sort it. The free version is fine. > > [https://www.malwarebytes.com/](https://www.malwarebytes.com/) Yeah I kind of thought so. I’m familiar with Malwarebytes and will run it. Thought it might be some sort of win10 setting that I am not familiar with ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-rid-of-search-bar-in-windows-10/784987/4 "2017-04-22T15:23:52Z")
Dumb question, but could it just be something removable through Add/Remove Programs? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-rid-of-search-bar-in-windows-10/784987/5 "2017-04-22T15:39:18Z")
Had checked Add/Remove programs already with not luck. I think the key really was that it was pointing to certain retailers. And even Facebook which I never use. WTF? Malwarbytes did do the trick though. Thanks Baron. Most viruses are going to be tricky by design, and it really, really just looked like a win10 setting. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-rid-of-search-bar-in-windows-10/784987/6 "2017-04-22T15:48:27Z")
Did Malwarebytes identify the name of the program? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-rid-of-search-bar-in-windows-10/784987/7 "2017-04-22T15:56:14Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Did Malwarebytes identify the name of the program? Sorry, but I did not look that close. My Wife and I had to have our wonderful wonderful dog Kricket put down this morning at 2am. Emergency vet visit. It was completely out of the blue with no indication that she was having any problems earlier in the day. She went on a nice long walk as usual. A tumor on her spleen destroyed some blood vessels and she started bleeding internally. She was 12 1/2 years old, there was no choice. Was trying to take my mind off of it by cruising SDMB, but apparently that’s not working very well.