7 Windows options I disabled after realizing no one wants to make use of them

Despite legions of fellow nerds exclaiming the virtues of Linux or macOS, I nonetheless actively select Microsoft’s Windows. I achieve this for a similar motive I elect to play video video games on my console as a substitute of my costlier, succesful, highly effective, and modular desktop: comfort. Windows 11 is way from excellent, although, and plenty of default options and apps will be disabled to scale back muddle, enhance efficiency, and make your laptop higher for you.

So, listed here are seven fortunate methods to optimize Windows 11, even if you happen to do not think about your self a computer-using skilled.

OneDrive cloud syncing

Keep your recordsdata native

OneDrive lives in your taskbar, in your apps checklist, and throughout File Explorer. The concept is ideal integration that syncs all of your recordsdata to the cloud, however not everyone uses OneDrive for their cloud storage needs, and loads of individuals do not need a cloud storage resolution in any respect. OneDrive might look like a everlasting fixture in Windows 11, nevertheless it’s really straightforward to take away.

For one, you may merely unlink your Microsoft account and disable OneDrive with out eradicating it.

1. Open the File Explorer app (you need to use the Win + E keyboard shortcut).
2. Navigate to the OneDrive folder within the left-hand navigation menu (ought to be named one thing like “Your identify” – Personal).
3. Click on OneDrive within the handle bar on the prime.
4. Click on the Settings icon within the decrease right-hand nook.
5. Navigate to Account within the left-hand navigation menu.
6. Click Unlink this PC.
7. Confirm your selection to finish the method.

Alternatively, you may take away OneDrive out of your PC fully (you may at all times reinstall it later if you would like). Any native recordsdata you had synced to or from OneDrive will stay in your PC.

1. Open the Settings app (you need to use the Win + I keyboard shortcut).
2. Navigate to Apps within the left-hand navigation menu.
3. Navigate to Installed apps on this web page.
4. Find Microsoft OneDrive on this checklist.
5. Click the right-hand three-dot ellipsis icon.
6. Click Uninstall.
7. Follow the prompts to finish the uninstall course of.

Copilot companion

Avoid the AI craze

Microsoft actually needs you to make use of its Copilot AI companion, which is constructed into Windows 11, built-in into a number of Microsoft apps, part of Office and PC branding, and even takes up a whole key on new keyboards. Fortunately, newer variations of Windows 11 additionally make it a lot simpler to take away the bottom Copilot out of your laptop.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Navigate to Apps within the left-hand navigation menu.
3. Navigate to Installed apps on this web page.
4. Find Copilot on this checklist.
5. Click the right-hand three-dot ellipsis icon.
6. Click Uninstall.
7. Follow the prompts to finish the uninstall course of.

Yes, you may completely repeat the above course of with the Microsoft 365 Copilot app to scale back AI integration in your Office apps (and you may nonetheless use all of your customary Office apps like regular). You can even now change the operate of the Copilot key in your keyboard — and the Win + C keyboard shortcut — with out putting in any new apps or going into the Registry Editor.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Navigate to Bluetooth & units within the left-hand navigation menu.
3. Navigate to Keyboard on this web page.
4. Find Customize Copilot key on keyboard below Shortcuts and hotkeys.
5. Click the right-hand drop-down menu and select Search (to open Windows Search) or Open an app (to decide on the app you need).

Who even makes use of this?

Another addition to Windows 11 that most individuals by no means contact is the Widgets board, which takes up the left-hand aspect of your taskbar with climate, monetary updates, and developing story. Accidentally hover over it, and it will open a poorly curated information feed and numerous app widgets which you can add, take away, and transfer round. If you worth having the precise widgets, there are nonetheless ways to improve the Widgets board with out eradicating it.

1. Open the Widgets board by hovering over or clicking the left-hand space of the taskbar.
2. Click the Settings icon within the higher right-hand nook.
3. If you’d wish to make the Widgets board solely open if you click on it, toggle the Open Widgets board on hover to Off.
4. If you’d wish to take away the information feed totally and solely have precise widgets, navigate to Show or cover feeds on this web page.
5. Toggle Feed to Off (if in case you have put in different information feeds, they’re going to additionally present up right here).
6. Confirm your selection to finish the method.

For those that’d relatively take away the Widgets board altogether, that is additionally attainable.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Navigate to Personalization within the left-hand navigation menu.
3. Navigate to Taskbar on this web page.
4. Find Widgets below Taskbar gadgets and toggle it Off.

There’s so much you may enhance right here

The newest Start Menu design in Windows 11 is a serious enchancment over earlier iterations when it comes to customizability and intuitiveness, however there are nonetheless loads of options and parts which are enabled by default. If you need a clean, straightforward Start Menu that gets you to your apps as quickly as possible, listed here are some ideas.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Navigate to Personalization within the left-hand navigation menu.
3. Navigate to Start on this web page.
4. To take away the pinned part for apps, toggle Pinned to Off.
5. To take away the dynamic part for current apps, file solutions, and ideas from the Start Menu, toggle Recent to Off (or customise the person choices).
6. To take away the Phone Link panel from the Start Menu, toggle Show cellular system in Start to Off.
7. To disable notifications within the Start Menu, toggle Show account-related notifications to Off.

Phone Link integration

This characteristic reveals up all over the place

You can join your cellphone to your PC to entry messages, make cellphone calls, use apps, and even share recordsdata and pictures in Windows 11, however Phone Link isn’t a useful feature for everyone. More importantly, it stays energetic and makes use of background sources even if you happen to do not set it up, and it is deeply built-in into Windows 11, so it isn’t straightforward to take away. Fortunately, there are three issues you are able to do (except for hiding it from the Start Menu, as I discussed within the final part) to maintain Phone Link (and all associated cross-device sharing options) out of your RAM and your approach.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Navigate to Bluetooth & units within the left-hand navigation menu.
3. Navigate to Mobile units on this web page.
4. Toggle Allow this PC to entry content material and capabilities out of your cellular units to Off.
5. Toggle Show me solutions for utilizing my cellular system with Windows to Off.
6. Navigate to Apps within the left-hand navigation menu.
7. Navigate to Startup on this web page.
8. Toggle Mobile units to Off.
9. Toggle Phone Link to Off.
10. Return to Apps.
11. Navigate to Resume on this web page.
12. Toggle Resume to Off.

If you’d wish to fully uninstall the Phone Link utility, you are able to do so utilizing Windows PowerShell within the Terminal, as there is no straightforward approach by Windows 11’s Settings.

1. Find the Terminal app utilizing the Start Menu or Windows Search.
2. Right-click the Terminal app and click on Run as administrator.
3. Click Yes on the immediate to open the Terminal app.
4. Check that you simply’re in a Windows PowerShell tab or open a brand new tab by urgent Ctrl + Shift + 1.
5. Copy and paste the next command: Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.YourPhone -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage.
6. Press the Enter key and watch for the method to finish (Phone Link ought to be fully uninstalled, however chances are you’ll have to restart your PC to take away it from the Start Menu checklist of put in apps).

Xbox gaming options

Not everyone seems to be a gamer

Xbox is a serious a part of the Microsoft ecosystem, and it is understandably deeply built-in into Windows 11. If you do not plan to make use of these Xbox gaming options (or recreation in any respect), you may unlock sources and clear up your laptop by eradicating or disabling them.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Navigate to Apps within the left-hand navigation menu.
3. Navigate to Installed apps on this web page.
4. Find Xbox on this checklist.
5. Click the right-hand three-dot ellipsis icon.
6. Click Uninstall.
7. Find Xbox Live on this checklist.
8. Click the right-hand three-dot ellipsis icon.
9. Click Uninstall.
10. Navigate to Gaming within the left-hand navigation menu.
11. Navigate to Game Mode on this web page.
12. Toggle Game Mode to Off.

The Gaming part of Settings has different choices, however they do not matter if you happen to uninstall all of the Xbox apps. That contains the Xbox Game Bar, which is sadly tougher to take away from Windows 11, because it’s handled as a system element (like Phone Link). That does not imply it is inconceivable, although!

1. Find the Terminal app utilizing the Start Menu or Windows Search
2. Right-click the Terminal app and click on Run as administrator
3. Click Yes on the immediate to open the Terminal app
4. Check that you simply’re in a Windows PowerShell tab or open a brand new tab by urgent Ctrl + Shift + 1
5. Copy and paste the next command: Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.XboxGamingOverlay -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage
6. Press the Enter key and watch for the method to finish (Game Bar ought to be fully uninstalled, however chances are you’ll have to restart your PC to take away it from the Start Menu checklist of put in apps)

Search net outcomes

Drop Bing to hurry up searches

My closing suggestion is to massively improve the performance and consistency of scouring your apps and files with Windows Search within the Start Menu, on the taskbar, or by urgent Win + S. Many Windows customers (myself included) have skilled sluggish load instances and annoyingly irrelevant net outcomes when in search of one thing, nevertheless it’s attainable to fully take away Bing and internet-connected net outcomes out of your laptop’s Windows Search characteristic.

You can dive into the Registry Editor if you happen to’re assured, however I’ll make it a lot simpler and provide you with a approach to take action with Windows PowerShell.

1. Find the Terminal app utilizing the Start Menu or Windows Search.
2. Right-click the Terminal app and click on Run as administrator.
3. Click Yes on the immediate to open the Terminal app.
4. Check that you simply’re in a Windows PowerShell tab or open a brand new tab by urgent Ctrl + Shift + 1.
5. Copy and paste the next command: New-Item -Path “HKLM:SOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsExplorer” -Force | Out-Null; New-ItemProperty -Path “HKLM:SOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsExplorer” -Name “DisableSearchBoxSuggestions” -Value 1 -PropertyType DWord -Force | Out-Null.
6. Press the Enter key and watch for the method to finish.
7. Restart your laptop.

Windows 11 is nice, nevertheless it feels awfully bloated generally

Decades of iteration and updates have made Windows 11 extremely highly effective and full of an countless array of options (particularly if you happen to’re invested in Microsoft’s ecosystem), however most of the options you are not utilizing could also be slowing down your laptop, taking over treasured storage or reminiscence, and getting in your approach. Disabling or eradicating the seven options listed above ends in a a lot cleaner Windows 11 expertise.