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

Correctly Repeated Words

There are times when you need to repeat a word in a document, but doing so triggers an "error reaction" from Word's ...

Discover More

Loading Unwanted Files at Startup

Imagine how painful it would be if every time you started Excel it tried to load all the files in your root directory? ...

Discover More

Getting Rid of All Rows Except the One for the Latest Date

As you use Excel to collect data over time, sometimes winnowing out the latest data can present a challenge. Here are a ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Customizing the Start Menu

Windows gives you the ability to customize exactly what appears on your Start menu. Here's how you get to the controls ...

Discover More

Removing a Place from the Recent Places or Quick Access Lists

Some Windows features can be both time savers and privacy concerns at the same time. The Recent Places list and the Quick ...

Discover More

Using Desktop Themes

Desktop themes allow you to quickly and easily personalize your system so that what you see and hear while working can be ...

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 4 - 3?

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 © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.