Task bar invasion help

[danb]

Hello I need some help.  I am looking for a way to translate Chinese to English live on my computer. I have gotten some Chinese icons sneak onto to my task bars ( I have a dual monitor set up ).  When I was last in China a friend put some Chinese apps on my computer.  That was used for some computer issue troubleshooting.  Good for him, bad for me.  Recently some Chinese apps are appearing on my task bar.  Don't know what they are saying.  I was hoping to translate the Chinese in place.  Like having an digital magnifier glass hover over the Chinese works and get an English translation.  I haven't been  able to cut the Chinese and paste it into google translate.  I hope I am describing well enough what I am looking for.  Heck  or maybe there is a smartphone app that will translate the on screen Chinese messages or instructions.  I tried googling for a solution but havent stumbling across anything yet.  Any Ideas?  Just writing this post have giving me a couple of ideas of how  to rephrase my search.  Any help would be appreciated.  Danb

[Randy W]

If you can highlight the text, you can copy and then paste it into the Google translate page at https://translate.google.com/#zh-CN/en/

Google also has a translate app that will do exactly what you are describing on your cell phone (it's VERY useful) at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.translate&hl=en

The picture shows what it did for my Sony TV remote

Edited January 27, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Just aim the camera at the text and all becomes clear. Just open the bag and eat!

[danb]

Hi Randy, Thank you for the replies.  I will try your suggestion.  I am not that good at good housekeeping of my computer.  The Chinese junk that I do have on my computer is difficult to get rid off.  When I open it , I am not sure what I am clicking on.  I will spend some time this weekend on cleaning things up.  I did search about the net for some help also.  All that did was jog my memory ( back about 10 years ago) about Pleco, Babel and those fancy hand held expensive translators, OCR and something about an Apple commericals about IPhone that you could point at Chinese characters and get a translation.  Thanks again.  Danb

PS.  I do have Google Translate on my computer but not sure abut all the features it offers.  Google Translate on my phone seems like will help me out.

Edited January 28, 2021 by danb
update (see edit history)

[danb]

Just an update.  I download Google translate to my S9+ phone.  I am still getting used to using it.  When I try to access/picture a screen shot of my computer screen the data is formatted a little "choppy."  I am not sure what is causing that.  Maybe because of which phone's camera the app is using or some parameter/setting that is not set correctly.  But it did help me.  I was able to get translations and clear that junk off my computer screen.  Thank You.

[Randy W]

I remember another program which Jesse told me about back in 2015 which allow you to highlight Chinese text on the screen and get a translation of it that way. It saved me when I bought this computer (the one I still have now). It came with a Chinese Windows 7 that I had to step through with that software to figure out how to download and install the English language pack for it. I'll see if I can find that, although it may not be as useful as the Google translate camera.