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

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

Though the adverts are refined, they’re noticeable and, in my view, closely detract from the Windows experience. In case you simply booted up a laptop that price you a whole lot of {dollars}, not too long ago 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 most likely 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 means of varied choices buried within the Settings menu. This 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 continuously use the Begin Menu to open varied apps on my PC and seek for recordsdata, 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 drawback, however again in 2024, with its KB5036980 update, Microsoft determined to start out together with beneficial 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 have to 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 listing of choices underneath Begin, you will see one that claims “Present beneficial recordsdata in Begin, current recordsdata in File Explorer, and objects in Leap 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 lots cleaner and ad-free.

Flip off lock display screen adverts

Home windows Highlight is good, however it sadly has adverts

If you flip in your PC, you are greeted with the Home windows 11 lock display screen, 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 screen picture to totally different components of the world. It makes the expertise of utilizing Home windows really feel totally different each time you boot up your PC, and also you would possibly even uncover one thing new in regards to 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 screen with Home windows Highlight. The one technique to take away them is to, sadly, disable the Home windows Highlight characteristic and choose your personal background picture.

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

Clear adverts out of Home windows Search and File Explorer

You should not must see adverts when organizing recordsdata

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 recordsdata.

To cover adverts in Home windows Search, open Settings once more and go to Privateness & safety > Search. Within the listing of choices, you will discover one known as “Present search highlights,” which provides “content material options” 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 can be rather more seamless and ad-free.

Transferring on to File Explorer, I have never 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 correct of the Type and View. From there, within the menu that pops up, click on Choices. A brand new menu known as Folder Choices will seem. Swap 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 avoid wasting your adjustments.

Even the place the place you flip off adverts has adverts

Satirically, 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 sometimes characteristic product suggestions and affords, and you will most likely see them on the prime 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 affords. On that web page, you will discover an choice known as “Suggestions and affords in Settings” that you will need to flip off. This can cease adverts or promotions from showing in your Settings menu.

Moreover, in that very same menu (Suggestions & affords), you’ll be able to disable “Promoting ID,” which blocks third-party apps from displaying you customized adverts based mostly in your Home windows Exercise. Another choice that’s positively price disabling is “Personalised affords,” which exhibits you customized suggestions, adverts, and proposals.

Flip off suggestions and options from Home windows

In case you’re already skilled with Home windows, its suggestions are pointless

Lastly, in addition to Microsoft pushing adverts into the Home windows 11 expertise, it has additionally added many suggestions and options. In case you’re new to Home windows 11, these can genuinely be useful, however if you happen to’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 grow to be annoying, similar to the adverts may be.

To cease receiving suggestions and options from Home windows, go to Settings > System > Notifications, and scroll all the way down to the underside of the web page the place you will discover “Extra Settings.” Click on that, and you will see three totally different choices seem. I like to recommend toggling off “Recommend methods to get essentially the most out of Home windows and ending settings up this gadget” and “Get suggestions and options when utilizing Home windows.” I have been utilizing Home windows 11 for years, but sporadically, I nonetheless get a “End establishing Home windows 11” pop-up, which may 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’ll be able to disable known as “Present the Home windows welcome expertise after updates and when signed in to point out what’s new and prompt.” If you wish to keep knowledgeable in regards to the newest options added to Home windows 11 after an replace, it is most likely price conserving this on. Nonetheless, if you happen to do not care or already know what Home windows is including, toggling this off is one other helpful technique to declutter your Home windows expertise.