Setting up a new Windows PC should feel like opening a fresh notebook — clean, fast, and yours — but the out‑of‑the‑box Windows 11 experience often ships with features that intrude on privacy, performance, and focus. This feature unpacks the seven settings and behaviours many power users disable immediately, verifies the how‑to steps against official documentation and independent reporting, and weighs the real trade‑offs so you can decide which changes to make first.
Windows 11 defaults aim to deliver personalization, discovery, and cloud integration from the first boot. Those conveniences are useful for many people, but they come at a cost: background CPU and network activity, diagnostic telemetry, advertising identifiers, and system UI elements that interrupt or distract. The MakeUseOf piece that inspired this checklist lays out seven quick toggles and tweaks to reclaim a quieter, more private, and often faster desktop experience.
What follows is a practical, verified, and cautious guide: each recommended change includes where to find the setting, safer alternatives where appropriate, and the risks you must accept (or mitigate) before editing the Registry or disabling services.
Why turn this off
The MakeUseOf checklist is a useful starting point and aligns with Microsoft’s documented settings and independent guides: the real work is deciding which trade‑offs you’re comfortable accepting. Disable the easy, reversible items first. If you’re a power user who values control above convenience, apply the Registry and Group Policy changes — but treat them as configuration choices, not irrevocable fixes. For managed machines, coordinate with IT and prefer supported management surfaces.
If you want, a compact one‑page checklist to run through on first setup (with Registry export commands and a short PowerShell script to list current startup apps) can be prepared to speed the process — ready to use on fresh installs or image rollouts.
Source: MakeUseOf I immediately disable these 7 features as soon as I set up my Windows PC
Windows 11 defaults aim to deliver personalization, discovery, and cloud integration from the first boot. Those conveniences are useful for many people, but they come at a cost: background CPU and network activity, diagnostic telemetry, advertising identifiers, and system UI elements that interrupt or distract. The MakeUseOf piece that inspired this checklist lays out seven quick toggles and tweaks to reclaim a quieter, more private, and often faster desktop experience.What follows is a practical, verified, and cautious guide: each recommended change includes where to find the setting, safer alternatives where appropriate, and the risks you must accept (or mitigate) before editing the Registry or disabling services.
Overview: the seven items I disable immediately
- Tips & suggestions / noisy notifications — turn off Microsoft’s popups and Start menu promos.
- Tracking / advertising identifier & telemetry — minimize diagnostic uploads and advertising ID.
- Useless startup apps & services — stop third‑party and some Windows background services from autostarting.
- Web results and search highlights — keep Start/Search local and remove Bing web noise.
- Unwanted taskbar items — hide Widgets, Task View, and other default icons.
- New right‑click menu — restore the classic context menu for productivity.
- Ads and promotions baked into Windows — disable Start and File Explorer recommendations and other spot promotions.
7. Kill the pop‑ups: tips, suggestions, and Start menu recommendations
Windows surfaces “tips and suggestions” and “recommendations” that are intended to help but often interrupt focused work. These include the “Get tips and suggestions when using Windows” notification, and the Start menu’s Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more toggle.Why turn this off
- These notifications are often repetitive and produce notification noise that breaks flow.
- The Start menu’s recommendations can function like lightweight ads, promoting apps you didn’t ask for.
- Settings → System → Notifications → expand Additional settings → uncheck Get tips and suggestions when using Windows.
- Settings → Personalization → Start → toggle Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more to Off.
6. Stop the tracking: diagnostic data, Advertising ID, and tailored experiences
What Microsoft collects and what you can control- Microsoft separates telemetry into Required (security and feature‑health signals) and Optional (richer usage data and enhanced error reports). You can disable optional diagnostic data, but required telemetry remains for system health.
- The Advertising ID is a unique per‑account identifier that apps can use for personalized ads. Switching it off stops per‑app ad personalization but doesn’t eliminate ads entirely.
- Settings → Privacy & security → Diagnostics & feedback → set Send optional diagnostic data to Off. Consider using Delete diagnostic data if you want to purge stored records.
- Settings → Privacy & security → Recommendations & offers (or General) → toggle Advertising ID / Let apps show me personalized ads to Off.
- Turning off optional telemetry reduces the data Microsoft can use to diagnose your machine remotely; if you frequently report bugs, support may ask you to re‑enable it temporarily. This limitation is documented by Microsoft, so it’s a conscious trade‑off between privacy and the convenience of richer diagnostics.
5. Trim startup apps and halt unnecessary services
Why it matters- Many third‑party apps register to start at login and stay resident, consuming RAM and extending boot time.
- Windows also runs background services (e.g., Delivery Optimization, SysMain) that may be unnecessary for many users and can be disabled if you understand the consequences.
- Settings → Apps → Startup — toggle off apps you don’t want launched at sign‑in. Task Manager’s Startup tab shows a per‑app impact metric to help prioritize.
- Disabling services via Services.msc (e.g., SysMain/Superfetch, Windows Mobile Hotspot Service, Delivery Optimization) can free resources but may affect features (faster app launches or peer‑to‑peer updates). Microsoft documents proper startup control and recommends using supported controls for production machines. If you disable a service, document the change and keep a restore plan.
- If you’re on a laptop or need fine‑grained control across a fleet, use Group Policy or Windows Update for Business rather than permanently disabling core services.
4. Keep searches local: remove web results and search highlights
The problem- The Windows Search box and Start menu can include web results (Bing) and Search highlights or trending content that add noise and sometimes open Edge instead of a local app when you mistype.
- For speed and predictability — a local app search should open the app, not launch a web query.
- For privacy — fewer queries sent to Microsoft/Bing.
- To disable Search highlights: Settings → Privacy & security → Search → turn Show search highlights off. This hides trending/news content.
- To disable web results from the Start/search box you can use Group Policy (Pro/Enterprise) or a Registry change (Home users). The commonly used Registry tweak is:
- Open regedit and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows.
- Create a key named Explorer.
- Inside Explorer create a DWORD (32‑bit) named DisableSearchBoxSuggestions and set it to 1.
- Reboot to apply.
- Multiple independent guides verify the DisableSearchBoxSuggestions registry tweak and Group Policy alternatives, but users report that Windows updates can occasionally change behavior; if you rely on this change for privacy, re‑check after feature updates. Some community threads note occasional regressions that require reapplying policy or testing an updated procedure. Flagging this as a potentially brittle tweak is prudent.
3. Declutter the taskbar: hide Widgets, Task View, and extras
What’s on the taskbar by default- Widgets, Search, Task View, and chat/teams icons are often visible and can make the taskbar feel crowded.
- Right‑click the taskbar → Taskbar settings → Taskbar items → toggle Widgets, Search, Task View, etc., Off as desired. Hiding the Widgets button does not fully disable the feature — you can still open it with Windows + W.
- Widgets use negligible resources when hidden; hiding keeps the interface clean without risking system instability. If you want deeper changes, third‑party tools like Windhawk or Winaero exist, but they carry the usual warning: third‑party system‑modifying tools can be flagged by security software and may stop working after Windows updates.
2. Restore the classic right‑click menu (optional, power users)
The issue- Windows 11’s redesigned context menu is cleaner but hides many legacy options behind Show more options or Shift+Right‑click. For heavy file‑managers and power users, the extra click costs productivity.
- Create the following registry key:
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32
- Leave the default value blank, then restart Explorer or reboot. This forces Windows to revert to the old context menu.
- This is a one‑time Registry change that many reputable outlets document (How‑To Geek, Tom’s Hardware, MajorGeeks), but Microsoft could change behavior in future updates. Always export the key before editing and create a Restore Point. If you prefer not to edit the Registry, hold Shift while right‑clicking to access the old menu temporarily.
1. Block the promotions: stop ads across Start, lock screen, and Explorer
Where ads appear- Windows surfaces promotional content in the Start menu (“recommended” apps), on the lock screen (Spotlight), in File Explorer (tips and suggestions), and in the Settings app. Turning off personalization features and the advertising ID removes much of the personalization pipeline, but not all promos disappear automatically.
- Settings → Personalization → Start → turn off Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more.
- Settings → Personalization → Lock screen → Background: set to Picture or Slideshow (not Windows Spotlight) to stop lock screen ads.
- Settings → Privacy & security → General or Recommendations & offers → turn off Advertising ID and personalized recommendations.
- These toggles remove most of the built‑in promotional flows, but some promotional content—especially from Store apps or preinstalled partner apps—may persist. Comprehensive ad removal may require uninstalling specific apps or using third‑party tooling; both approaches have trade‑offs. Independent guides confirm the multi‑toggle reality: there is no single “master switch.”
Safety checklist before you tweak: backups, restore points, and testing
Registry edits and service changes are effective but can be disruptive. Follow this minimal safety plan:- Create a System Restore Point (Win + R → rstrui) or use Windows Backup to image your system drive.
- Export any registry key you plan to modify. In regedit, right‑click the key → Export.
- Apply one change at a time and reboot/test before proceeding. This isolates cause and effect.
- If on a managed/work device, consult IT — Group Policy changes may be overwritten or prohibited.
- Keep a short log of the toggles you changed so you can revert after an update if needed.
Critical analysis: benefits, measurable impact, and risks
What you gain- Privacy: Disabling optional telemetry and the Advertising ID reduces the volume of personal signals leaving your device and stops some personalization pipelines. Microsoft explicitly documents the distinction between required and optional telemetry, so toggling optional data is an effective privacy move for most users.
- Less noise: Turning off tips, Start recommendations, and lock screen Spotlight yields a quieter desktop with fewer interruptions; this change is immediate and fully reversible.
- Potential performance gains: Trimming startup apps and hiding Widgets can free RAM and reduce background CPU spikes on low‑end devices; the practical gains vary by hardware and workload. Microsoft’s own guidance on startup impact shows how to prioritize high‑impact apps.
- Less diagnostic fidelity: Optional telemetry helps Microsoft reproduce and diagnose edge cases; disabling it can make troubleshooting harder and may require you to re‑enable telemetry if support asks. This trade‑off is documented by Microsoft.
- No absolute ad elimination: Turning off Advertising ID and related toggles reduces ad personalization but does not eliminate ads embedded in apps or promoted by the Microsoft Store. Independent reporting confirms you’ll still see non‑personalized promos in some places.
- Risk of future breakage: Registry hacks that revert UI behavior (e.g., disabling the new context menu or forcing web search off) have historically worked but may be undone by feature updates. Community threads and guides repeatedly warn users to maintain a rollback plan.
- On corporate or managed devices under IT control, don’t make deep Registry or service changes without approval. Use supported management tools (Group Policy, MDM) for consistent fleet behaviour. Microsoft recommends Group Policy/Windows Update for Business for enterprise update control rather than persistent service disabling.
Practical rollout: a recommended order for first‑time setup
- Safety first: create a System Restore point and ensure your backup strategy (OneDrive or image) is in place.
- Quick UI wins (minutes): disable tips & suggestions, hide Widgets, set Lock screen to Picture, disable Start recommendations. These are reversible and low risk.
- Privacy toggles (10 minutes): turn off Advertising ID, disable Optional diagnostic data. Test daily tasks and only re‑enable if support needs extra telemetry.
- Startup cleanup (15–30 minutes): Settings → Apps → Startup and Task Manager → Startup. Turn off apps you don’t use regularly. Consider services only after testing app behaviour.
- Power user changes (only if comfortable): use Group Policy or Registry edits to remove web search results or restore the classic context menu. Export keys first and keep a recovery plan.
Conclusion
A short, deliberate setup routine immediately after unboxing — focusing on notifications, privacy toggles, startup cleanup, and a few taskbar/UI tweaks — will produce the most tangible improvements for everyday Windows use. Most changes are reversible and low risk, but a few (Registry and service edits) require careful backups and a willingness to troubleshoot if Windows updates change behavior.The MakeUseOf checklist is a useful starting point and aligns with Microsoft’s documented settings and independent guides: the real work is deciding which trade‑offs you’re comfortable accepting. Disable the easy, reversible items first. If you’re a power user who values control above convenience, apply the Registry and Group Policy changes — but treat them as configuration choices, not irrevocable fixes. For managed machines, coordinate with IT and prefer supported management surfaces.
If you want, a compact one‑page checklist to run through on first setup (with Registry export commands and a short PowerShell script to list current startup apps) can be prepared to speed the process — ready to use on fresh installs or image rollouts.
Source: MakeUseOf I immediately disable these 7 features as soon as I set up my Windows PC