Turning Off Bothersome Windows Messages

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated December 6, 2021)

One of the things you may have noticed about Windows 10 is that it can be (how shall I say it?) rather pushy when it comes to suggesting Microsoft tools and apps. For instance, you may regularly see "helpful" suggestions to try the Edge browser when you actually prefer to use a different one.

If find these suggestions bothersome, you'll probably be happy to learn that you can turn off most of them by adjusting your settings in Windows. Just follow these steps:

  1. Click the Start menu and then click the Settings icon. (It looks like a small gear.) Windows displays the Settings dialog box.
  2. Click the System option.
  3. Click the Notifications & Actions option. (See Figure 1.)
  4. Figure 1. The Notifications & Actions area of the Settings dialog box.

  5. Make sure the Get Tips, Tricks, and Suggestions as You Use Windows option is turned off. (You will likely need to scroll down a ways to locate this option.)
  6. Close the Settings dialog box.

The change is effected immediately, and you should notice a marked decrease in the number of pushy messages from Microsoft.

 This tip (5271) applies to Windows 10.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Displaying Nonprinting Characters

Nonprinting characters are a great boon when you are editing a document. Turn them on and you can easily see what ...

Discover More

Placing Textbox Text Into a Worksheet

Want to get rid of your text boxes and move their text into the worksheet? It's going to take a macro-based approach, ...

Discover More

Copying Formats to a New Worksheet

Do you want to copy formats from one worksheet to another? You can do so easily by using the Format Painter. It even ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Checking Your Computer's Bandwidth Capability

5 GHz wireless routers allow for fast data transfer rates. Discover how you can tell if your computer can handle those ...

Discover More

Changing Screen Resolution

Screen resolution is a key attribute of your monitor. You usually have choices for resolution, which provides you with a ...

Discover More

Adding the Administrative Tools Option

Windows provides a number of administrative programs that can be very helpful when managing your system. It's useful to ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is eight less than 8?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


Newest Tips