I made Home windows 11 completely ad-free by disabling these settings

Whenever you boot up Windows 11 for the primary time, you are greeted with tons of recent options and customization choices. Whether or not it is the redesigned Begin Menu, Microsoft Copilot, Phone Link, Widgets, or Snap Layouts, to call a couple of. Nonetheless, one factor that actually bothers me about Home windows 11 is the variety of adverts and suggestions that Microsoft sneaks into completely different components of the working system.

Though the adverts are refined, they’re noticeable and, for my part, closely detract from the Windows experience. If you happen to simply booted up a laptop that price you lots of of {dollars}, lately upgraded to Home windows 11, or paid $140 for Home windows 11 House or $200 for Home windows 11 Professional, the very last thing you in all probability need to see is adverts being displayed on the working system itself.

Luckily, eradicating these adverts is simple, and you do not have to obtain any sketchy software program from the web to do it, as Microsoft permits you to disable all of them by numerous choices buried within the Settings menu. Here is how I simply made my Home windows 11 PC ad-free, and the way you are able to do it too.

The primary place I ever seen adverts on Home windows 11 was the Begin Menu, and since I ceaselessly use the Begin Menu to open numerous apps on my PC and seek for information, that is the place I first sought to take away them.

When Home windows 11 first launched, the Begin Menu did not even have this downside, however again in 2024, with its KB5036980 update, Microsoft determined to begin together with really useful apps from the Microsoft Retailer into the Begin Menu “from a small set of curated builders.”

To do away with these stealthy app suggestions, you will must open the Settings menu, which you are able to do by trying to find Settings or by urgent Win + I in your keyboard. After getting Settings open, go to Personalization > Begin. Within the record of choices underneath Begin, you will see one that claims “Present really useful information in Begin, latest information in File Explorer, and objects in Soar Lists” and an alternative choice that claims “Present suggestions for suggestions, shortcuts, new apps, and extra.” Toggle each of these off, restart your PC, and your Begin Menu will look quite a bit cleaner and ad-free.

Flip off lock display adverts

Home windows Highlight is sweet, however it sadly has adverts

Whenever you flip in your PC, you are greeted with the Home windows 11 lock display, which by default makes use of the Home windows Highlight characteristic. I am really fairly a fan of this, and I like the way it dynamically adjustments the lock display picture to completely different components of the world. It makes the expertise of utilizing Home windows really feel completely different each time you boot up your PC, and also you may even uncover one thing new concerning the world whilst you’re doing it.

Nonetheless, not all good issues are excellent, as Microsoft has built-in adverts and suggestions into the Home windows 11 lock display with Home windows Highlight. The one strategy to take away them is to, sadly, disable the Home windows Highlight characteristic and choose your individual background picture.

To do that, head to Settings > Personalization > Lock display. From there, you will have to alter the “Personalize your lock display” choice from “Home windows Highlight” to both your individual image or a slideshow. As soon as you have achieved that, you will see an choice to toggle off “Get enjoyable info, suggestions, methods, and extra in your lock display,” which can successfully make your lock display ad-free.

Clear adverts out of Home windows Search and File Explorer

You should not must see adverts when organizing information

Microsoft additionally has adverts hiding in Home windows Search and File Explorer, and whereas they’re refined, they’re nonetheless a nuisance and never one thing I need to see whereas trying to find and organizing information.

To cover adverts in Home windows Search, open Settings once more and go to Privateness & safety > Search. Within the record of choices, you will discover one known as “Present search highlights,” which provides “content material strategies” to Home windows Search, which is only a fancy means of claiming its sharing adverts. Toggle off “Present search highlights,” and your Home windows Search expertise will likely be far more seamless and ad-free.

Transferring on to File Explorer, I have not personally seen adverts or suggestions displayed in mine, however some users have reported encountering them. To take away these adverts, open File Explorer and click on the ellipsis icon (the three dots) close to the highest of the menu, to the best of the Kind and View. From there, within the menu that pops up, click on Choices. A brand new menu known as Folder Choices will seem. Change to the “View tab” in that menu, scroll down, and toggle off the “Present sync supplier notifications” choice. Then click on “Apply” and “OK” to save lots of your adjustments.

Even the place the place you flip off adverts has adverts

Paradoxically, Microsoft additionally exhibits adverts within the very place you go to show them off: the Settings menu. As soon as once more, these adverts are refined and usually characteristic product suggestions and gives, and you may in all probability see them on the high of various pages within the Settings app.

To stop adverts from displaying up in your Home windows Settings menu, open the Settings app and navigate to Privateness & Safety > Suggestions gives. On that web page, you will discover an choice known as “Suggestions and gives in Settings” that you’re going to need to flip off. This may cease adverts or promotions from showing in your Settings menu.

Moreover, in that very same menu (Suggestions & gives), you may disable “Promoting ID,” which blocks third-party apps from displaying you personalised adverts primarily based in your Home windows Exercise. Another choice that’s undoubtedly price disabling is “Personalised gives,” which exhibits you personalised suggestions, adverts, and proposals.

Flip off suggestions and strategies from Home windows

If you happen to’re already skilled with Home windows, its suggestions are pointless

Lastly, apart from Microsoft pushing adverts into the Home windows 11 expertise, it has additionally added many suggestions and strategies. If you happen to’re new to Home windows 11, these can genuinely be useful, however in case you’re an skilled Home windows person who simply obtained a brand new PC or carried out a contemporary set up of Home windows, the flood of suggestions that Microsoft sends can shortly turn into annoying, similar to the adverts might be.

To cease receiving suggestions and strategies from Home windows, go to Settings > System > Notifications, and scroll right down to the underside of the web page the place you will discover “Extra Settings.” Click on that, and you may see three completely different choices seem. I like to recommend toggling off “Counsel methods to get probably the most out of Home windows and ending settings up this machine” and “Get suggestions and strategies when utilizing Home windows.” I have been utilizing Home windows 11 for years, but sporadically, I nonetheless get a “End organising Home windows 11” pop-up, which might be fairly annoying since I accomplished that course of about two years in the past. Disabling these choices will stop that.

Moreover, there’s one final choice you may disable known as “Present the Home windows welcome expertise after updates and when signed in to indicate what’s new and advised.” If you wish to keep knowledgeable concerning the newest options added to Home windows 11 after an replace, it is in all probability price holding this on. Nonetheless, in case you do not care or already know what Home windows is including, toggling this off is one other helpful strategy to declutter your Home windows expertise.