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. ...

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