WPF - Remove ControlBox from Window

Swatto

11y7.4k

Hello all,

I would like to be able to remove the ControlBox in the top-left corner of the Window using either XAML or C# - the border style is not an option as I would like to keep the maximize, minimize and close buttons on the right-corner of titlebar.

Please could someone point me in the right direction about how to do this? I would like to remove just the controlbox and leave everything else as is, in WinForms I could just do:

ControlBox = False;

Thanks,

5 Replies

Know the answer? Post it — somebody with the same question will find it here.

Vulpes11y ago
Accepted answer
Unless there's some hack I'm unaware of, I don't think you can remove the ControlBox without removing the Maximize, Minimize and Close buttons at the same time.

If you set the ControlBox property to false in a Windows Forms application, then it does in fact remove the buttons as well, not just the ControlBox.

However, you can remove the ControlBox and buttons without removing the border in WPF with code such as this:

using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Windows.Interop;

public partial class MainWindow : Window
{
private const int GWL_STYLE = -16;
private const int WS_SYSMENU = 0x80000;

[DllImport("user32.dll")]
private static extern int GetWindowLong(IntPtr hWnd, int nIndex);

[DllImport("user32.dll")]
private static extern int SetWindowLong(IntPtr hWnd, int nIndex, int dwNewLong);

public MainWindow()
{
InitializeComponent();
}

// need to be able to close form somehow
private void button1_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
this.Close();
}

// add Loaded handler through designer
private void Grid_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
IntPtr hWnd = new WindowInteropHelper(this).Handle;
int dwOldLong = GetWindowLong(hWnd, GWL_STYLE);
SetWindowLong(hWnd, GWL_STYLE, dwOldLong & ~WS_SYSMENU);
}
}

+1
Vulpes11y ago
Yes, I think you've stumbled on the answer to this problem :)

If you set WindowStyle to None so WPF doesn't render the Title Bar, you can then draw your own with just the buttons you want on it.

Although it's answering a slightly different question, the code by the Microsoft poster in this thread should help you with this:

https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/vstudio/en-US/fe5b10b0-cf51-4232-90be-b87b3d679f89/showing-a-help-button-in-a-wpf-window-title-bar?forum=wpf
0
Swatto11y ago
Thanks very much :) I didn't realise it does in WinForms too. I guess I could always make my own minmize/maximize and close buttons.
0
Swatto11y ago
Thanks for this, although I believe this removes the Minimize/Maximize and Close buttons and border completely. All I want to do is remove the ControlBox on the top left-side of the Window in the title bar.
0
Tom Mohan11y ago
try this

WindowStyle="none"

If its useful, mark it as "Accepted Answer"
0