Hello AdrainRose,

The version I'm using is through an RDP connection - so although I have to be online to use QB, it is not actually the "Online Version".   That said, although an Advanced Search function may be useful on rare occasions,  it is a waste of screen space to have it there all the time.
Thankfully, you are wrong about being unable to remove or hide it.  I suspect that you have never used QB outside of a training activity and your response was from a help/support script.     As usual, the truly experienced (and equally frustrated) community of QB users have come to the rescue once again in providing a fix to this  annoying "upgrade" feature.    If only QB would use its resource to address the many other problems with the user interface instead of coming out with unwanted new features. *SIGH*

I appreciate your time coming back to the Community with additional details, mmplus.

I have a workaround for you. You can toggle the view icon bar. From the View menu, select Top Icon Bar. Next, click the View menu again. This time, select Hide Icon Bar.

If the same thing will persist, I'd suggest reaching out to our Customer Care Support team. That way, this issue will be investigated further.

Here's how to contact them:

1. From the Help menu, select QuickBooks Desktop Help.
2. Click Contact Us.
3. Enter top search bar as your keyword.
4. Click Continue.
5. Select either Message an Agent or Talk to a specialist.

If you have additional details, please let me know. I'll make sure to help you.

Thank you so much for sharing this info, totally worked. Much better than having to un-install and re-install Quickbooks!!!

This is NOT SOLVED.  This has been happening since the QB 2016 version.

I use the top icon bar in the desktop program. (Currently QB 19 Accountant) I click customize and uncheck search bar. It goes away. Every time I reopen quickbooks it shows up again! It is covering up my icon buttons I DO use. I can't believe you haven't fixed this. Everyone is complaining online.  It may seem like a small thing, but I open quickbooks every day and EVERY DAY I have to turn off the stupid search box.

HI @Kmj555ProAdv1

I’ve replicated on my end to unchecked the Search Box in Icon Bar in my sample Desktop account. The search box isn’t showing on the top bar.

If you have a multiple company when you open the other account, please make sure also to unchecked the settings for the search box. This might be the reason the Search Box appears.

If you only have one company, then lets repair or reinstall your QuickBooks to fix this error. Let me show you how.

Repair QuickBooks Desktop:

1. Restart your computer.
2. Back up your QuickBooks company file.
3. Click Start and then select Control Panel. 
4. Choose Programs and Features. 
5. Select QuickBooks in the list of programs and choose Uninstall/Change.
6. Click Continue, then Next.
7. Choose Repair then Next. Wait for the Repair to complete.
8. Click Finish, then restart your computer if prompted.

Once done, you can reinstall QuickBooks using clean install and run your QuickBooks again.

Please don't hesitate if you need more help with QBO. I'll be around to assist you further.

Sounds like this is an ongoing issue for at least two years now and hasn't been fixed yet. I found that if you go to View, then select "Top Icon Bar", you can then go to "View" and choose "Customize Icon Bar". After choosing "Customize Icon Bar" select, than de-select "Show Search Box in Icon Bar". Afterwards you can go back to "View" then "Hide Icon Bar". That removed the annoying search box for me that was taking up valuable screen real estate. 

Using the accountant version, I rely on the menu.  After an update, the Icon Bar showed up and I couldn't get rid of it.  I'd clicked on Hide Icon Bar, but it didn't get of it and Customize Icon Bar was grayed out.

After reading this post, I clicked on View menu and checked Top Icon Bar.  That enabled View/Customize Icon Bar.  After opening that, I unchecked Show Search Box in Icon Bar and clicked OK.  I then checked View/Hide Icon Bar.

The Icon Bar disappeared.  Hope this helps other baffled users.

That is such a drastic attempt that we have to take to fix something that came up due to your programming issues.  Why can't you all send out an update with a fix?

Thank you so much! That search bar was just annoying! I have been looking for a way to remove it and your directions were perfect! 

To the QuickBooks Team:  Please change this to an option rather than the default.  It's obviously something that changed fairly recently, so it should be doable to change it back.  I am not going to uninstall and reinstall QuickBooks.  We have six companies that I work between and each time I change companies, I have to re-adjust the top bar.  This is a time-waster, although I'm thankful there is a way to change it.  Thank you to the user that told us how to do that.  Anyone that uses QuickBooks knows how to "Search" or "Find".  Edit drop down menu, or CTL-F.

yep until you exit......

just don't restart

I have tried every answer shown except changing the registry.  SOme methods WILL work but NOTHING sticks if you restart.

I saw this registry fix but am concerned about going nuclear by requiring removing registry entries that Intuit should have addressed 2 yeas ago.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[WINDOWSTATE]
LEFT=591
TOP=0
WIDTH=144
HEIGHT=39
STATE=1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's been over a year but has anyone ELSE tried this one yet?

It's kinda lonely here?  I realize it has only been 2 years, but has everyone given up asking Intuit for a solution?  

It WORKED!  Thanks 

If not for keeping things civil, I would ask in a different way, but I will be polite. Who the heck asked you guys to put that dumb extra bar up there? Your screens are loaded with junk  ( marketing and useless repetitive stuff) as it is. Now the screen scrunched down even further minimizing the work space. Why? 

To add salt to injury, you give the users 3 pages worth of steps how to fix the issue Quickbooks created. 

How about going to developers who screwed this up and getting it fixed via updates for us. How much time would you guess we all have fixing constant quickbooks glitches?

These are not rhetorical questions, BTW.  I really would like answers. I think it would help this community to know too. 

Thank you.

OMG! You should reply to the Quickbooks tech above and show him how it's done. :-) THANK YOU for finding a work around. I hope they will fix this glitch with next super update!

I had it happen once before and fixed it but can't rememebr how.  Well ... it's happening again.

Thanks for joining us here, @TrustMe.

I have some information about removing the top search icon. Removing the search icon is unavailable, you'll want to change your icon view to Top Icon Bar. This way, you can hide the left side menu.

Here's how:

1. Go to View at the top.
2. Select Top Icon Bar. See the image below.

With the above steps, you'll have more horizontal screen space.

I'm also adding this link here in case you need help with other QuickBooks-related tasks. It has topics with articles that'll guide you along: View all help for QuickBooks Desktop.

Drop a comment anytime below if you still have questions or concerns with the Desktop view. I'll be around to help. Take care and stay safe.

Mind-boggling that Intuit takes MONTHS to respond to forums and they have absolutely untrained front-lined call center people. You marked this "solved"....should add....solved 6 months later and answered half a question. 

Perfect!!! Finally, somebody who knows how to fix this annoyance.  Can you people just leave stuff alone?

Finally, someone who has the simplest way to fix this without restarting or fixing a file that is fine.  You rock!

I agree!

I eventually found this simple fix several months ago by myself.  I really don't rely on intuit for much help anymore.  The funny thing is that Intuit also has Lacerte as a product.  The Support for THAT product is VERY good and fast.

I eventually found this simple fix several months ago by myself.  I really don't rely on intuit for much help anymore.  The funny thing is that Intuit also has Lacerte as a product.  The Support for THAT product is VERY good and fast.

Why are we stepchildren?