How to Remove Ads from Windows 10 Start Menu, Lock Screen, File Explorer

Dec. 11, 2020

Windows 10 hasbrought a number of improvementsover its predecessors in terms of security, speed and connectivity, but it has also angered power users by eitherremoving features that were availablein previous versions or adding annoying prompts and ads throughout the operating system. So if you’re frustrated withunsolicited advertisements on your Windows 10 PC, you should check our tutorial below to regain control over your computer.

Note:If you are tired by the activate Windows watermark, check out our article on how toget Windows 10 keys for free or cheapto solve the problem.

How to Remove Built-in Ads in Windows 10

All editions ofWindows 10include ads, but the good thing is that you can permanently disable most of it. So here’s how you can remove ads from the Windows 10 Start Menu, Lock Screen, File Explorer and Notification Prompts. We’ll also tell you how to turn off the Windows Ad ID for enhanced privacy and turn off all distracting ‘Live Tiles’ on the Start Menu. You can click on the button below to navigate to the topic of your choice.

1. To remove ads from the Start Menu,go over to Windows 10 ‘Settings’by clicking on the lever icon in the Start Menu.

2. Next,click on ‘Personalization’.

3. Nowchoose ‘Start’to customize the Start Menu.

4. Finally,toggle off the setting that says“Occasionally show suggestions in Start”.

That’s it. You’ve now successfully disabled all ads from the Start Menu.

1. To get rid of lock screen ads,go over to Settings > Personalizationas described earlier.Then click on ‘Lock Screen’.

2. Now, from the drop-down menu,set the background to ‘Picture’ or ‘Slideshow’instead of Windows Spotlight.

3. You should also toggle off the“Get fun facts, tips, and more from Windows and Cortana on your lock screen”for further peace of mind.

Your Windows 10 lock screen is now free of ads and annoying ‘tips’ and ‘fun facts’.

1. To remove banner ads from the Windows 10 File Explorer,click on the ‘View’ tab as seen in the screenshot below.

2. Nowclick on ‘Options’on the top-right andselect“Change folder and search options”.

3. On the popup window (see below),click on the ‘View’ tabat the top.

4. Now scroll down anddeselect“Show sync provider notifications”.Finally, click on ‘Apply’ or ‘OK’to apply the changes to your system.

You have now banished ads from the Windows 10 File Explorer for good.

1. To disable notification ads (Microsoft calls them ‘suggestions’),go over to Settingsas described earlier. Now click on ‘System’.

2. Next up,select ‘Notifications and Actions’on the left pane.

3. On the resultant screen,uncheck the option that says“Show me the Windows welcome experience…”.

Note: This option is presented as a toggle on some versions of Windows 10, so you’ll need to set the toggle to ‘Off’ in that case. The rest of the process will remain identical.

4. You can also uncheck“Get tips, trick and suggestions…”and toggle off the“Get notifications from apps and other senders”for an even cleaner Windows experience.

5. Windows 10 sends a unique advertising ID for each user to app developers and advertisers, but it is a privacy concern and should be turned off for good. To do that,navigate to Settings > Privacy.

2.Click on ‘General’ and turn off all the togglesas seen in the screenshot below to ensure better privacy.

The ‘Live Tiles’ that come with the Windows 10 Start Menu can also be a source of annoying advertisements. To disable them,right-click on any such tile and select ‘Unpin from Start’.

Do note that you can unpin all Start Menu tiles, irrespective of whether they are ‘Live’ or not. That way, you’ll be left with only the ‘All Apps’ list on the left, but it will be a much cleaner and leaner Start Menu, something that many users prefer.

Windows 10 can be agreat all-purpose operating system, but persistent ads strewn across the OS can be a source of major annoyance for most users. However, following our guide above will help you banish most ads in Windows 10 for good. So do give it a shot to improve your experience on your PC and let us know how that went.

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