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Both Windows 11 and Windows 10 are full of advertisements and other Microsoft-provided messages that pop up seemingly everywhere and can get in the way of your day-to-day routines. And then there are things that aren't exactly ads — noisy notifications about viral online articles on MSN, for instance, where Microsoft gets a cut of the advertising. Want to get rid of all the annoying ads and pop-ups you can? After a few tweaks, Windows will quiet down and stop bothering you so much when you're trying to get work done. (Alas, Microsoft doesn't make it possible to turn off everything, so don't be surprised if you still see a few surprises even after following this guide.) I've got so many more useful PC tips and tricks to share with you! Sign up for my free Windows Intelligence newsletter — three things to try every Friday. Plus, get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (a $10 value) for signing up. Windows 11 is getting advertisements for apps in its Start menu — something Windows 10 PCs already have. To avoid seeing these: Windows might sometimes send you notification pop-ups with "tips and suggestions." These tips can include recommendations to use Microsoft Edge and messages pushing the Microsoft Rewards points program. Additionally, Windows sometimes shows you "finish setting up your PC" prompts with messages about using OneDrive and Microsoft 365. To get rid of these: Windows shows you more "suggestions" for subscriptions like Microsoft 365, Copilot Pro, and Xbox Game Pass in the Settings app. To get rid of these: The Settings app now pushes Microsoft's subscription services hard. Chris Hoffman, IDG Microsoft has used banners in File Explorer to show advertisements for OneDrive storage. To avoid seeing these: Windows PCs can use Microsoft's Windows Spotlight feature to see regularly updated background images on their lock screen. It's a nice feature, but Microsoft has also used it to push full-screen advertisements for PC games and advertising-type messages. To stop this from happening: Personally, I put up with this — I'd rather have the fresh lock-screen images, even if I see an advertisement every now and then. It's up to you. The search box on the taskbar and the pop-up search experience both have "highlights" that recommend all kinds of shopping content, games, and other viral things. To turn those off: The search pane normally recommends shopping and games when you start a search. Chris Hoffman, IDG Windows might sometimes ask for feedback about your PC experience: Would you recommend Windows to other people? To avoid these interruptions and stop Windows from asking for feedback: Windows 11's Widgets experience pushes viral news articles and shows stock price movements on your taskbar by default. Windows 10 has a similar feature that also recommends viral stories. To turn off Widgets completely: Or, you can just turn off those viral stories: Chris Hoffman, IDG Windows PCs come with a bunch of app shortcuts "pinned" to their Start menus. Most of these apps aren't technically installed yet — they'll just be installed if you click their shortcuts. For example, you might see apps like "Luminar Neo - AI Photo Editor" and "Grammarly" pinned to your Start menu. To get rid of them: If your Windows 10 PC is old enough, you might even see a tile for Candy Crush! (Amusingly enough, Microsoft now owns Candy Crush after its controversial acquisition of Activision-Blizzard.) You might also want to uninstall bundled apps you don't want. For example, many new PCs come with a trial of McAfee antivirus — you can uninstall McAfee antivirus if you're not going to use it. The Microsoft Edge browser is stuffed full of viral news stories, AI features, links to MSN games, recommendations for coupons, and all kinds of other additional things. You can avoid them by switching to another web browser, but if you want to use Edge, here are a few steps you can take: If you like some of these features — that's fine! But there's a lot going on in Edge, and just changing these few settings should quieten things down. Using Edge becomes a much more peaceful experience after you clean up its new tab page. Chris Hoffman, IDG If you'd like to take control over your PC, be sure to check out my guide on how to sign in with a local account. There's a secret handshake you can use while setting up your computer. Still find Windows annoying? Some of the biggest annoyances on Windows 11 and Windows 10 PCs aren't ads at all! Here's a list of 10 Windows annoyances — and how to fix them. For example, you can turn off Bing search in the Start menu completely — but Microsoft buries this option and makes it hard to find. Want something that's not annoying? Get even more Windows insights, tips, and tricks with my free Windows Intelligence newsletter, which brings you three new things to try every Friday. Plus, get free Windows 10 and 11 Field Guides as soon as you sign up. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
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Windows will let you use your PC in relative peace. You just have to flip the right switches.
Disable Start menu ads
Get rid of notification ads and full-screen prompts
Stop seeing ads in Settings
Hide ads in File Explorer
Avoid lock screen ads
Hide clutter in the search pane
Never see feedback popups
Windows 11's Widgets feed is still the most annoying part of the operating system. Toss apps that come stuck to your Start menu
Clean up Microsoft Edge
More PC annoyances you can end
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