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.

  4. 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.)
  5. 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

Disabling Excel's Help System

The Help system built into Excel can be quite a lifesaver when you need to find that quick tidbit that is slipping your ...

Discover More

Adding Table Columns to Columns with Merged Cells

Word's table editor allows you to modify the structure of tables in a wide variety of ways. If you want to add columns to ...

Discover More

Editing Comments and Notes

Comments and notes can be very helpful in a worksheet. After they are added, you may want to change what they contain. ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Modifying the Color Scheme

Windows maintains what it calls a color scheme to control how the various elements of Windows appear. Here's how to ...

Discover More

Controlling the Mouse Pointer Speed

One of the personalization settings you can control is how fast the cursor moves when you move your mouse. You can ...

Discover More

Changing the Program that Opens a File

If you have multiple versions of the same program on your system, Windows can become confused as to which version it ...

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 one minus 0?

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

Newest Tips
Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.