Windows 11 is supposed to be a breath of fresh air, an operating system that delivers a better user experience and security. But something has changed drastically with the launch of this new operating system. There are annoying ads and suggestions in places you don’t want. Microsoft may try to hide behind the veil of ‘improve the user experience’ but it’s all advertising and nothing else.
While it makes sense to view ads inside a third-party app or browser, viewing ads in the Start Menu or File Explorer is annoying and distracting. Are you curious about possible methods to remove ads and suggestions in Windows 11? Let’s get started.
1. Disable ads on lock screen
When you power on your Windows 11 PC, it will greet you with a variety of Lock Screen suggestions. The hint boxes completely ruin the look and feel of your lock screen wallpaper that you spend hours perfecting. No one wants to see a nagging suggestion before they log into their computer. So you will need to disable the ads on the lock screen to prevent them from moving across the screen. This is the way:
Step 1: Press the Windows + I key combination to open the Settings application.
Step 2: Click Personalize on the left sidebar. On the right pane, scroll down and click on the Lock screen option.
Step 3: Go to ‘Personalize your lock screen’. Microsoft sets Windows Spotlight to work by default. You cannot remove ads from this feature. Select the Photo or Slideshow option from the drop-down menu.
Step 4: Uncheck the ‘Get cool info, tips, tricks and more on your lock screen’ checkbox.
Step 5: Finally, close the Settings app. Windows 11 will not show you ads on the lock screen.
2. Disable Start Menu Ads
The Windows Start menu is the most visited part of the operating system. Of course, Microsoft has leveraged this usage pattern to target you with recommendations for popular apps that you might not need. Whenever you do a clean install of Windows 11, you’ll see the Start menu showing you lots of app icons like Netflix, TikTok, ESPN, etc.
These apps are not pre-installed but if you click on them they will redirect you to the Microsoft Store. So to save Start menu real estate and keep it clutter-free, you’ll need to remove these apps. This is the way:
Step 1: Open the Start menu and click on any unwanted app icons. You can unpin it from the Start menu or Uninstall it.
Step 2: To remove the application, click on the Uninstall option.
Step 3: Confirm your choice and click the Uninstall button.
3. Disable ads from search
Windows 11’s Search app also has many ads disguised as recommendations. Microsoft already shows web results for what you search for, but it’s annoying to bundle related stories and trending content. Ideally, you should also block ads in Windows 11 Search. Repeat the following steps:
Step 1: Right-click the Start button and select the Settings option from the Advanced User menu.
Step 2: In the Settings app, click the Privacy & security option.
Step 3: Scroll down and click on the Search Permissions option.
Step 4: Navigate to the bottom of the Search Permissions page. Under More settings, turn off the ‘Show search highlights’ switch.
Step 5: Close the Settings app.
4. Disable File Explorer Ads
The problem with ads in File Explorer stems from the Windows 10 update. Microsoft doesn’t show trends or news about the web in File Explorer, but it tries to force you to use its products like OneDrive. If you want to avoid that, repeat these steps:
Step 1: Press Windows + E key combination to open File Explorer.
Step 2: Go to the top Menu bar and click on the three horizontal dots. Then, click Options.
Step 3: In the Folder Options window, click the View tab.
Step 4: Scroll down and uncheck the ‘Show sync provider notifications’ option. Click the Apply button.
Step 5: Finally, click the OK button and close File Explorer.
5. Disable Notification Ads
Windows 11 also pushes suggestions using notifications. This is not an advertisement but suggestions, tips and new content after the update. If this isn’t interesting, you can turn off these notification suggestions while keeping system and app notifications. This is the way:
Step 1: Press the Windows + I key combination to open the Settings application. In the System section, click the Notifications option.
Step 2: Scroll down and click on Additional Settings option to expand the section.
Step 3: Uncheck all three options listed in the section to disable notification ads.
6. Disable ads from widget
Windows 11 Widget is a new feature, filled with ads and MSN related stories. It may look like an innocuous weather widget tucked away on the left side of the Taskbar, but if you open it up, you’ll see gibberish from the MSN feed. There’s no option to turn off suggestions in Widgets, so you’ll have to disable the feature entirely. Repeat the following steps:
Step 1: Right-click on the Taskbar and select the option Taskbar settings.
Step 2: In the Taskbar Settings section, click the switch next to the Extensions option to disable it.
The widget will disappear from the Taskbar.
Bid for annoying ads in Windows 11
Microsoft needs to pull the plug about integrating annoying ads in its latest operating system. Users have had to deal with a lot of bloatware in Windows. It’s best to leave some areas of Windows 11 clean – like the Start Menu and File Explorer. We hope you can keep the ads and recommendations on your system to a minimum.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
