Turn Off Ads in File Explorer and Everywhere in Windows 11 & 10 (Every Switch)

To stop OneDrive and Microsoft 365 promotions in File Explorer, open File Explorer, click the three dots > Options (Windows 10: View > Options), open the View tab, clear Show sync provider notifications, and click OK. That banner, which Windows calls a "sync provider notification", is the main ad inside File Explorer. Here is what most guides miss: Windows 11 has about ten separate switches for ads, tips and suggestions, spread across File Explorer, Start, the lock screen, Settings, notifications, search and Widgets. Turning off one never turns off the others. This page lists every one, with the exact path, so you can turn them all off in about ten minutes.

Ethan's mother asked Jake why her new laptop kept "selling her things". A banner in File Explorer suggested Microsoft 365, Start recommended apps she had never heard of, the lock screen showed "fun facts" with links, Settings had a card offering a Game Pass trial, and after an update a full-screen page invited her to "finish setting up" her device with more Microsoft services. None of it was harmful, but it was constant. At Jake's shop they went through every switch on this page one by one. Ten minutes later her PC showed her files, her apps and nothing else. Here is the full list, in the order that removes the most noise first.

All of these are ordinary settings. Turning them off does not affect security, updates or how Windows works, and each can be turned back on at any time.

Every ad and suggestion switch in Windows 11

Setting names occasionally change slightly between Windows versions, but they stay on the same pages. If a switch is missing on your PC, your version does not show that type of suggestion.

The ten-minute checklist

1. File Explorer Options > View: clear Show sync provider notifications.
2. Settings > Personalization > Start: turn off recommendations and account notifications.
3. Settings > Personalization > Lock screen: Picture or Slideshow, and fun facts off.
4. Settings > System > Notifications > Additional settings: clear all three boxes.
5. Settings > Privacy & security > General: turn off suggested content and the advertising ID.
6. Settings > Privacy & security > Diagnostics & feedback: turn off Tailored experiences.
7. Settings > Privacy & security > Search permissions: turn off search highlights.
8. Settings > Personalization > Taskbar: turn off Widgets if you do not use them.
9. Settings > Personalization > Device usage: turn off every option.
10. Uninstall preinstalled games and trials you do not want.

Done in this order, the most visible ads disappear first, so even if you stop halfway, the PC is already much quieter.

If you only have two minutes, do steps 1, 2 and 4; they remove the banners, the Start suggestions and the full-screen setup pages, which are the three things most people notice.

Turn off ads in File Explorer

1. Open File Explorer with Windows + E.
2. Windows 11: click the three dots (See more) in the toolbar and choose Options. Windows 10: click View, then Options.
3. Open the View tab.
4. In Advanced settings, scroll down and clear Show sync provider notifications.
5. Click OK.

The banners at the top of File Explorer suggesting OneDrive storage, Microsoft 365 or other services stop appearing. The setting is called "sync provider" because the promotions come through OneDrive's integration with File Explorer, which is also how the original Windows 10 OneDrive ads appeared. OneDrive itself keeps working normally; only its promotional messages are hidden.

File Explorer Home: recommended and recent files

Windows 11's File Explorer Home page can show Recommended files and Recent files. These are not ads, but some people find them noisy or a privacy concern on shared PCs. Turn them off in File Explorer Options > General > Privacy by clearing Show recently used files, Show frequently used folders and, where present, Show recommended section. Our guide to hiding recent files covers this in depth.

If the banner keeps appearing even after clearing the box, restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager or sign out and back in, so File Explorer reloads its settings.

On PCs where OneDrive is not used at all, also unlink it or stop it starting, since its integration is the source of most File Explorer promotions; our guide to where OneDrive is shows its settings.

Turn off ads and suggestions in Start

1. Open Settings > Personalization > Start.
2. Turn off Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more.
3. Turn off Show account-related notifications, which shows prompts such as backing up or completing your Microsoft account.
4. Optionally turn off Show recently added apps, Show most used apps and Show recommended files for a cleaner Start.

Start also used to include preinstalled shortcuts to games and streaming apps on new PCs; unpin or uninstall them with a right-click. Our guide to customizing Start covers the rest of the Start settings.

Recommendations in Start can include files from your account and apps from the Store; turning off the tips option removes the promotional ones while still letting you see recent files if you want them.

On shared PCs, turning off recommended files in Start also stops other people seeing what you recently opened when they glance at your Start menu, which is a privacy benefit on top of the cleaner look.

Turn off fun facts and tips on the lock screen

1. Open Settings > Personalization > Lock screen.
2. Set Personalize your lock screen to Picture or Slideshow; with Windows spotlight, some text is always shown.
3. Turn off Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen.
4. Set Lock screen status to None if you do not want weather or other app details.

Our guide to the lock screen slideshow explains the remaining lock screen options, including widgets on newer versions.

Windows spotlight itself is not an ad, but it is the mode that carries the most text and links on the lock screen; switching to Picture is the quickest way to a completely clean lock screen.

If the lock screen still shows a small link or caption after these changes, check whether a lock screen widget or status app is set; widgets such as weather and finance on newer versions can be turned off on the same Lock screen page.

Stop tips, welcome pages and "finish setting up" nags

1. Open Settings > System > Notifications.
2. Scroll down and expand Additional settings.
3. Clear Show the Windows welcome experience after updates and when signed in to show what's new and suggested.
4. Clear Suggest ways to get the most out of Windows and finish setting up this device.
5. Clear Get tips and suggestions when using Windows.

These three boxes stop the full-screen "Let's finish setting up your device" pages after updates, the welcome tours, and pop-up tips. They were the biggest annoyance on Ethan's mother's laptop. On Windows 10, the same options are under Settings > System > Notifications & actions.

After clearing these boxes, you may still see an occasional notification about important changes, such as a required restart; those are system messages, not suggestions, and are worth keeping.

Turn off suggestions inside the Settings app

1. Open Settings > Privacy & security > General.
2. Turn off Show me suggested content in the Settings app.
3. Turn off Let apps show me personalized ads by using my advertising ID.
4. Optionally turn off Let websites show me locally relevant content by accessing my language list and Let Windows improve Start and search results by tracking app launches.

The advertising ID setting does not remove ads from apps, but makes them non-personalized, so apps cannot use a Windows-wide identifier to target you. Settings' Home page may still show cards for Microsoft services such as OneDrive storage or Microsoft 365 on some versions; those are part of the Home page itself, and you can dismiss individual cards with their menu.

Also check Settings > Privacy & security > Recommendations & offers on versions that have it; recent Windows 11 releases group several of these switches on one page there, which makes the job quicker.

Turn off tailored experiences

Open Settings > Privacy & security > Diagnostics & feedback, expand Tailored experiences, and turn it off. This stops Microsoft using diagnostic data to personalize tips, ads and recommendations. While there, set Feedback frequency to Never if feedback requests pop up. Under Settings > Personalization > Device usage, turn off all the options, which otherwise tell Windows to show tips and ads for gaming, family, creativity, school, entertainment and business.

These settings also reduce how much Windows shapes its suggestions around your activity, which many people prefer for privacy reasons as well as for a quieter PC.

Diagnostic data itself, the Required level, cannot be turned off on consumer editions, but it is separate from tailored experiences; with tailored experiences off, that data is not used to target suggestions at you.

Turn off search highlights

The search box and Start search panel show illustrations, trending searches and "today in history" content called search highlights. Turn them off in Settings > Privacy & security > Search permissions by switching off Show search highlights. The search box returns to a plain search field. In the same place, turn off Cloud content search options and web results if you only want to search your PC.

Search highlights also appear in the search box on the taskbar itself as small pictures; once turned off, the box shows only the word Search.

Search highlights are also what show a small picture or logo in the taskbar search box on special days; with them off, the box stays plain all year.

Remove Widgets and news

The Widgets board shows news, weather and stocks, including sponsored stories. To remove it from the taskbar, open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and turn off Widgets. Hovering over the left of the taskbar will no longer open it. If you like Widgets but not the news feed, open the Widgets board, click the settings gear, and turn off or hide the feed on versions that allow it, keeping only widgets such as weather or calendar.

Widgets can also be opened with Windows + W; turning off the taskbar button does not uninstall them, so they remain available if you ever want the weather at a glance.

On Windows 10, the equivalent is News and interests on the taskbar; right-click the taskbar, choose News and interests, and select Turn off.

Turn off ads in Microsoft Edge

Edge's new tab page shows news and promoted content by default. On a new tab, click the settings gear and choose Focused or turn off content, or under Content choose Content off. In edge://settings, under Privacy, search, and services, turn off personalization and suggestions you do not want, and in Sidebar settings hide the sidebar if its shopping and app suggestions bother you. Our guide to turning off Edge's news feed covers each option.

Edge may also suggest itself as the default browser or offer to import data from other browsers; dismiss those prompts once, and choose your default browser under Settings > Apps > Default apps.

Shopping features in Edge, such as price comparisons and coupons, are also promotional; turn them off under edge://settings in the Privacy, search, and services section if you do not want them.

Turn off phone and device suggestions

Windows suggests connecting your phone through Phone Link and offers other device tips. Turn them off in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile devices (or Phone Link) by turning off Show me suggestions for using my mobile device with Windows, where shown. If you do use Phone Link, it keeps working; only the suggestions stop.

Similar suggestions appear in Settings > Bluetooth & devices for features such as Nearby sharing; leave them on if you use them, since they are helpful rather than promotional.

Likewise, Windows may suggest pairing a phone after updates; dismissing it once with No thanks usually stops it returning.

The same idea applies to any "Did you know?" style prompts in Settings pages: they are suggestions, and turning off suggested content in the Settings app removes most of them in one go.

Quiet app notifications that advertise

Some apps use notifications to promote features or offers. Open Settings > System > Notifications, scroll the list of apps, and turn off notifications for apps that advertise, such as preinstalled games, the Microsoft Store's promotions or third-party utilities. You can also click an app to keep its notifications but hide them from the lock screen or banners. Do not disturb and Focus silence everything temporarily when you need quiet.

The Microsoft Store app also sends notifications about deals and featured apps on some versions; turn off its notifications in the same list, or in the Store's own settings, without affecting app updates.

For apps that bundle useful alerts with promotions, such as some antivirus or driver utilities, check the app's own settings first; many have a separate "offers" or "special deals" option that can be switched off while keeping genuine warnings.

Microsoft Store and OneDrive storage nags

OneDrive can show notifications when storage is nearly full or offer more storage; open OneDrive's settings from the cloud icon, choose Notifications, and turn off the ones you do not want, such as memories or suggestions, while keeping sync problem alerts. If storage really is full, the nags are telling you something useful; free space or adjust what syncs rather than only silencing them.

Windows itself may also show a storage notification when the system drive is low; that one is useful, and the real fix is freeing space with Settings > System > Storage > Cleanup recommendations rather than switching it off.

Copilot prompts and AI suggestions

Recent Windows versions highlight Copilot and AI features in various places. If you do not use Copilot, uninstall the Copilot app from Settings > Apps > Installed apps, and hide any Copilot button under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar where it appears. The Copilot key on newer keyboards can be remapped to another app under Settings > Personalization > Text input on versions that support it. Apps such as Edge, Office and Paint have their own Copilot or AI buttons, controlled in each app's settings.

Copilot features in apps are a matter of preference rather than ads; some people find them helpful. The point is that you decide whether they appear, using the switches in each place.

Remove preinstalled promotional apps

New PCs often come with games, streaming apps and trial software pinned to Start. Right-click each one and choose Uninstall; most can be reinstalled from the Store if you change your mind. Keep anything from your PC maker related to hardware, such as audio, touchpad or support apps. Removing promotional apps also removes their notifications and Start tiles at the source.

If a game or app reappears after a big update, uninstall it again; on Pro editions, the Turn off Microsoft consumer experiences policy can help prevent it, though it is fully honored only on Enterprise and Education.

Store pages for removed apps sometimes reappear as recommendations; turning off Start recommendations handles those too.

Ads in Outlook, Office and other Microsoft apps

Some Microsoft apps show ads or upgrade prompts of their own. Free Outlook.com accounts, including in the new Outlook for Windows app, show ads in the message list; a Microsoft 365 subscription removes them. Office apps may suggest upgrades or Copilot features in their ribbons and start pages. Xbox and Solitaire apps show offers and in-game ads. These are inside each app, not Windows settings, so the only switches are the apps' own options, a subscription, or using a different app.

For Solitaire and other free games, the paid ad-free option or a different game are the only ways to remove in-game ads; Windows settings do not reach inside them.

Teams (free) and Skype-style apps may show tips and offers in their own panes as well; their settings menus usually include a notifications or tips section to quiet them.

Pop-up ads from websites

Ads that pop up in the bottom right corner of the screen, even with the browser closed, are often website notifications you allowed by accident, usually by clicking Allow on a site that asked to "confirm you are not a robot". In Edge, open edge://settings/content/notifications; in Chrome, chrome://settings/content/notifications. Remove every site under Allowed that you do not recognize, and turn on Quiet notification requests so sites cannot interrupt you with prompts. In Windows, Settings > System > Notifications lists the browser too, where you can turn its notifications off entirely.

Check every browser you have installed, not just your main one; adware often uses a browser you rarely open.

Fake virus warnings and scareware pop-ups

Pop-ups claiming "Your PC is infected" with flashing red warnings, phone numbers or countdowns are not from Windows. They usually come from website notifications or from adware installed with a free program. Do not call any number shown and do not install anything they offer. Remove website notification permissions as above, check Settings > Apps > Installed apps sorted by install date for unknown programs, and run a Microsoft Defender full scan. Real Windows Security alerts appear in Windows Security and its own notifications, never with phone numbers.

If you already called a number from such a pop-up and allowed remote access, disconnect from the internet, run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan, change important passwords from another device, and contact your bank if you paid anything.

Adware and unwanted programs

If ads appear on the desktop, in every browser, or replace normal web page ads, adware is the likely cause. Uninstall programs you did not knowingly install, especially "PC optimizers", toolbars and download managers, then reset your browsers' settings to remove injected extensions and search engines. Turn on Potentially unwanted app blocking under Windows Security > App & browser control > Reputation-based protection settings so Defender blocks such programs in future. A Microsoft Defender Offline scan catches stubborn adware that hides while Windows runs.

Browser resets remove injected settings but not the program that injected them, so uninstall the culprit first; otherwise it simply puts the changes back.

Promotional emails from Microsoft

Separate from Windows, your Microsoft account can receive promotional emails. Sign in at account.microsoft.com, open Your info or Privacy, and look for communication preferences, or simply use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any promotional email. Account security emails, such as sign-in alerts, are separate and should stay on.

Unsubscribing from marketing emails does not affect your Windows PC, your OneDrive or your apps; it only stops the promotions in your inbox. If emails claiming to be from Microsoft ask you to sign in or pay urgently, treat them as phishing and go to account.microsoft.com directly instead of clicking links.

Microsoft Rewards emails and offers have their own settings on the Rewards dashboard if you joined it; leaving the program stops them completely.

Why ads come back after updates

Major Windows updates sometimes add new suggestion features with their own switches, set to on, or reset some settings. After each feature update, spend two minutes checking the pages in the table at the top of this page. Ethan's mother keeps a printout of the table next to her PC; after the last big update, one new switch had appeared, and it took a minute to turn off.

A quick way to spot new switches: after an update, open Settings > Privacy & security > General and Settings > System > Notifications > Additional settings first; those two pages are where new suggestion options most often appear.

Windows Backup prompts

The Windows Backup app may remind you to back up with OneDrive, sometimes in Start's recommendations or as a notification. If you back up another way, turn off notifications for Windows Backup under Settings > System > Notifications. On some versions the app cannot be uninstalled because it is part of Windows; muting it is enough. If you do not back up at all, it is worth following its advice in some form: OneDrive, File History or an external drive.

On work PCs, backup is usually handled by IT; the app's prompts can be ignored there.

The Spotlight icon on the desktop

When Windows spotlight is your desktop background, Windows adds a "Learn about this picture" icon to the desktop that opens web pages about the image. To remove it, change the desktop background to Picture, Solid color or Slideshow under Settings > Personalization > Background. If you love the spotlight images, you can keep them and simply ignore the icon, or save the pictures you like and use them in a slideshow instead.

The icon can also be hidden on some versions by right-clicking it and choosing the hide option, where offered; changing the background type always works.

"New" badges and dots in Settings

Settings and some apps show small dots or "New" labels next to features after updates. They disappear once you open the page. They are announcements rather than ads, and there is no switch for them; a quick visit to each highlighted page clears them, after which Settings returns to normal.

Taskbar icons can show badges too, such as unread counts; turn those off under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors > Show badges on taskbar apps if they distract you.

If a dot never clears even after you open the page, a pending restart or update is usually behind it; restart once and it disappears.

On a new PC: the setup screens

Windows setup asks a series of privacy questions, such as location, diagnostic data, tailored experiences, advertising ID and inking and typing. Choosing No or the minimal option for tailored experiences and advertising ID during setup prevents many suggestions from the start. Setup may also offer Microsoft 365, Game Pass and OneDrive trials; choose Skip or No thanks if you do not want them. Everything can be changed later in Settings, but answering carefully during setup saves time.

If someone else set up the PC for you, run through the checklist on this page once yourself; setup choices made on your behalf often leave every suggestion switch on.

Keep the setup screens' privacy choices in mind when resetting a PC too: Reset this PC runs the same questions again, and the defaults are the same as on a brand-new machine.

Ads vs privacy: what you are really turning off

Some of these switches mainly reduce clutter, such as Start recommendations, lock screen fun facts and File Explorer banners. Others mainly reduce data use for personalization, such as the advertising ID, tailored experiences and tracking app launches. Turning both kinds off gives the quietest and most private setup without losing any core Windows feature. None of them affects security updates, Microsoft Defender or your files.

If you want to see what Microsoft has collected for your account, the privacy dashboard at account.microsoft.com shows activity data and lets you clear it, which complements the switches on your PC.

Turning off the advertising ID also resets it, so any profile apps built around the old identifier is no longer linked to you. If you later turn it back on, Windows creates a fresh ID rather than restoring the old one.

Turning off suggestions with Group Policy (Pro)

On Pro, Enterprise and Education, policies can enforce some of these settings. In gpedit.msc, Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Cloud Content includes Turn off cloud optimized content, Turn off Microsoft consumer experiences (which stops automatic installation of promoted apps) and Do not show Windows tips. Note that several of these are honored only on Enterprise and Education editions; on Pro, the Settings switches above remain the reliable method.

For home users, the Settings switches are the right tool; policies are mainly useful for families or small offices who want the settings locked so they cannot drift back.

Notifications worth keeping

While turning off suggestions, keep these on: Windows Security alerts, Windows Update restart notifications, low battery warnings, your email and calendar apps if you rely on them, and backup or sync problem alerts from OneDrive or your backup tool. These tell you about real problems. The aim is a quiet PC, not a silent one that hides something important.

If a notification is important but noisy, change its style instead of turning it off: in Notifications settings, click the app and turn off banners while keeping it in the notification center, so it waits quietly until you look.

A final sweep: check nothing is left

After working through the checklist, restart the PC, sign in, and use it normally for a day. Note anything that still promotes something: where it appeared and what it said. Most leftovers are app notifications, website notifications or something specific to one app, each covered above. If a full-screen setup page still appears after the next update, revisit the Additional settings under Notifications; updates sometimes add or reset those boxes.

Write down which switches you changed. If a family member later says a feature is missing, the list makes it easy to turn one back on without undoing everything.

Focus and Do not disturb

For quiet periods rather than permanent changes, Windows 11 has Do not disturb and Focus. Turn on Do not disturb from the notification center, or set it to turn on automatically during certain hours, when duplicating your display, while playing games or using an app in full screen, under Settings > System > Notifications. Focus sessions, started from the Clock app or the notification center, also hide badges and flashing taskbar icons for a set time. Priority notifications, such as calls or reminders you choose, still come through.

Focus is ideal for presentations and video calls, where even a helpful notification can be embarrassing on a shared screen.

A cleaner taskbar to match

With ads gone, a few taskbar tweaks complete the calm look: in Settings > Personalization > Taskbar, set Search to an icon only or hide it, turn off Task view if you do not use virtual desktops, and hide Widgets and any Copilot button. Unpin apps you never use and pin the ones you do. The taskbar then shows only your own apps and the clock, which is how many people prefer it.

Changes to the taskbar are per user and apply immediately, so each person on a shared PC can arrange their own without affecting anyone else. If you change your mind, the same switches bring every item back.

Why Windows shows suggestions at all

Suggestions exist because many people never discover features such as backup, phone pairing or Focus on their own, and because Microsoft promotes its services through Windows. Some suggestions genuinely help new users. The trade-off is noise for everyone else. The switches on this page let each person choose: leave the helpful ones on while you learn, and turn them off once they stop being useful. Nothing on this page reduces security, breaks updates or removes features you rely on.

A sensible middle path for new Windows users is to leave tips on for the first few weeks, then work through this page once you know your way around.

Set it once per account on family PCs

Most of these settings are per user, so each Windows account on a family PC has its own. Sign in to each account and work through the checklist, or ask each person to do it. Children's accounts benefit most, since many suggestions promote games and apps. Microsoft Family Safety can also block app purchases and limit Store content for children, which reduces promotional temptation further.

For older relatives, turning off suggestions is especially helpful: fewer pop-ups means fewer moments of "did I break something?" and fewer accidental clicks on offers.

Children's accounts also see fewer game and app promotions once Device usage options are off, since those settings tell Windows which interests to suggest content for.

Windows 10 paths

Windows 10 reached end of support in October 2025, but these switches keep working on PCs that run it, including those on Extended Security Updates.

For IT admins: removing consumer content

Policies. Use the Cloud Content policies (Turn off Microsoft consumer experiences, Do not show Windows tips, Turn off Windows spotlight features) on Enterprise and Education, and Start layout policies to control pinned apps. In Intune, the Experience and Start CSPs manage the same settings.

Images. Remove provisioned consumer apps from images, and configure the Start and taskbar layout so new users never see promotional pins. Re-check policies after each Windows feature update, since new suggestion features may need new settings.

Communication. Tell users which suggestions are disabled by policy, so they do not report missing tips or features as faults.

Turning off ads in Windows: frequently asked questions

Ethan's mother's laptop now opens to her own desktop, her own files and her own apps. Nothing on it is selling anything. It took ten minutes and no extra software, just knowing that the noise came from a dozen small switches rather than one. Windows ships with suggestions on because they help some people discover features; once you know what you want, you are free to turn them off, and the PC becomes calmer and entirely yours.

Revision note. Written October 2, 2026, rewriting our 2017 File Explorer ads guide into a complete Windows 11 and 10 checklist. May your PC show only what you choose.