How do you turn off Windows 11's most annoying features?
Notification floods, lock screen ads, web search results and the two-layer right-click menu can all be fixed in minutes.
Short answer
Open Settings > System > Notifications and switch off app notifications plus the suggestion checkboxes. Trim auto-launching programs in Settings > Apps > Startup. Under Settings > Personalization > Lock screen, clear the "fun facts" box, then disable Widgets from Taskbar settings. Blocking Bing results and restoring the classic right-click menu both need a registry edit.
What you need
Step by step
Stop the notification flood
Go to Settings > System > Notifications and flip off the toggle next to each app you do not need. For apps you want to keep but quieten, open the app's own entry and disable only the sound. Turn on Focus manually or schedule it when you need a fixed block of silence.
Remove Microsoft's tips
On the same page, scroll down and expand "Additional settings". Clear all three checkboxes covering the welcome experience, finishing device setup, and suggestion prompts. That is what silences the pop-ups nagging you to switch to Edge.
Pick your default apps yourself
Head to Settings > Apps > Default apps. Windows 11 assigns defaults per file type, so map extensions like JPG, PNG, PDF and MP4 to the browser, viewer or player you actually want. Fixing your five to ten most-used extensions is usually enough.
Trim startup apps
Open Settings > Apps > Startup and switch off programs that launch themselves at boot, such as Teams, OneDrive or Spotify. Leave antivirus and hardware driver helpers alone, since those are meant to run from startup.
Simplify Start and the taskbar
In Settings > Personalization > Start, turn off recently added apps and recommended content, then use the Folders section to place shortcuts like File Explorer next to the power button. Next, in Personalization > Taskbar, remove the search box, Chat and Copilot icons, and disable window grouping under Taskbar behaviors.
Kill lock screen ads and widgets
Open Settings > Personalization > Lock screen. Set "Personalize your lock screen" to Picture or Slideshow and clear the "Get fun facts, tips and more on your lock screen" checkbox. Set the Lock screen status menu to None, then right-click the taskbar, open Taskbar settings and switch off Widgets.
Clear web results from search
Windows 11 turns a mistyped word in the search box into a Bing search in Edge, and there is no simple toggle for it. You can disable Bing search through a registry key instead. If you would rather stay out of the registry, a free tool like Winaero Tweaker applies the same setting with one click.
Bring back the classic right-click menu
To skip the extra "Show more options" step, you can restore the classic context menu with a registry edit. Create a restore point first via Control Panel > Recovery. After the change, restart File Explorer or sign out and back in.
Tips
Watch out
For the steps that need a registry edit (disabling Bing search and restoring the classic right-click menu), create a restore point first. Deleting the wrong key can leave search or File Explorer unable to open, and these changes will not apply at all on an account without administrator rights.
Frequently asked questions
+Will I miss important alerts if I turn notifications off?
Windows Security and update alerts sit in a separate category, so disabling app notifications does not affect them. Still, it is worth leaving banking and calendar apps enabled in the list.
+Does turning off Widgets remove weather info completely?
The widget area on the taskbar disappears, but you can still check the weather anytime through MSN Weather or your browser. The setting can be switched back on; nothing is permanently deleted.
+Is there a one-click way to change the default browser?
Current Windows 11 builds show a "Set default" button for browsers on the Default apps page, though PDFs and some link types may still need to be assigned separately.
+Can I get the classic right-click menu without the registry?
Free tools like Winaero Tweaker expose that setting in a normal interface. The tool applies the same registry change in the background, so taking a restore point is still sensible.
+Do these settings reset after a Windows update?
Major version updates can re-enable some suggestion and tip settings. A quick check of the Notifications and Lock screen pages after an update is usually enough.
Sources and verification
Last verified: 12 Eylül 2026. tell us. Menu names follow the English-language Windows 11 interface; localized builds use translated equivalents.
This content is for information only; for official procedures the relevant institution’s current announcements take precedence. Details: disclaimer.