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

Read-Only Documents without a Password

Want to protect your document so it cannot be changed? There are a couple of ways you can do it, and not all of them ...

Discover More

Adding Text Boxes to Charts

Need to add a text box to your charting masterpiece? There are a couple of ways you can do so.

Discover More

Replacing Some Formulas with the Formula Results

Macros are often used to process the data stored in a worksheet. Some of these processing needs can be pretty specific to ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Left-Handed Mouse

If you're left-handed, using a computer that by default is setup for right-handed users can be tricky. With Windows 10, ...

Discover More

Customizing Quick Actions

Action Center provides quick access to notifications and quick actions. Quick actions provide a fast way to perform tasks ...

Discover More

Running Older Programs in Windows

You may still need to use programs that worked under older versions of Windows that don't work so well under Windows 7 or ...

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 four less than 6?

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


Newest Tips