9 TWEAKS THAT TURN OFF YOUR WINDOWS PC'S MOST ANNOYING ADS

TIRED OF MICROSOFT PUSHING ADS THROUGHOUT WINDOWS 11? HERE ARE THE SETTINGS YOU NEED TO TWEAK.

- JON MARTINDALE

Remember back when Windows 11 first came out and Microsoft gave everyone a free pass to upgrade? On the surface, it was a generous move; in actuality, it was a ploy to lure us away from Windows 10.

Obviously, if Microsoft was giving something away, it was going to come with a catch. In this case, it's all the ads that are being added to Windows 11, going above and beyond what we've seen in previous versions.

Fortunately, we can disable those ads...for now, at least. If you're fed up with all the ads and recommendations popping up throughout Windows 11, there are plenty of ways to push back. Here are the settings you need to turn off to ditch Windows' worst ads.

1. SHUT DOWN START MENU ADS

The Start menu has been fertile ground for Microsoft's Recommended apps since Windows 10, and it's alive and well in the latest builds of Windows 11. Fortunately, turning it off is straightforward. Navigate to Settings > Personalization > Start, look for the option "Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more," and toggle it to Off.

2. DITCH WINDOWS NOTIFICATION ADS

I'm not a fan of notifications. I have enough trouble concentrating on tasks day to day without pop-ups and alerts distracting meand the last thing I need are ads disguised as important notifications.

Let's turn those off, shall we? And while we're at it, let's remove those pesky fullscreen "Finish setting up" prompts, too.

Navigate to Settings > System > Notifications. Scroll down to the bottom where you'll find Additional settings.