The Windows 11 settings to change first: turn off ads and personalized offers (Settings → Privacy & security → Recommendations & offers), remove tips and promotions from the Start menu, quiet notifications, set your default browser, show file extensions, and turn on System Restore.
Each takes under a minute, none of them break anything, and all can be switched back later.
We went through these on our own Windows 11 PC after upgrading. Microsoft moves settings around between versions, and Windows 11 version 26H2 started rolling out at the end of September 2026, so if a menu looks slightly different on your PC, use the search box at the top of Settings and type the setting’s name. Still on Windows 10? Start with how to upgrade to Windows 11 without losing files.
The quick list
| Setting | Where to find it | Why change it |
|---|---|---|
| Personalized ads and offers | Privacy & security → Recommendations & offers | Fewer ads and app promotions |
| Optional diagnostic data | Privacy & security → Diagnostics & feedback | Sends less data to Microsoft |
| Start menu recommendations | Personalization → Start | Removes tips and app promotions |
| Taskbar items | Personalization → Taskbar | Hides Widgets and buttons you don’t use |
| Tips in notifications | System → Notifications | Stops setup nags and suggestions |
| Lock screen tips | Personalization → Lock screen | Removes “fun facts” and promotions |
| Default browser | Apps → Default apps | Links open in the browser you chose |
| File name extensions | File Explorer → View → Show | Helps you spot disguised malware |
| System Restore | Search: Create a restore point | Undo a bad driver or update |
| Active hours | Windows Update → Advanced options | No restarts in the middle of work |
| Storage Sense | System → Storage | Clears temporary files automatically |
| Windows Backup | Search: Windows Backup | Your files and settings are saved |
1. Turn off ads, offers and optional data
Windows 11 uses your activity to show “personalized” tips, ads and app suggestions in Start, Settings and elsewhere. Microsoft groups the controls on one page. Turning them off doesn’t affect updates, security or how apps work.
- Press Win + I to open Settings, then go to Privacy & security → Recommendations & offers.
- Turn off Get personalized tips, ads, and recommendations based on my Windows activity and Let apps show my personalized ads by using my advertising ID.
- Turn off Show me suggested content in the Settings app. The language-list and app-launch tracking switches are your call; the app-launch one only affects your own Start and search ranking.
- Go back to Privacy & security → Diagnostics & feedback and turn off Send optional diagnostic data. Windows still sends required diagnostic data, which can’t be switched off on Home or Pro.
If you also use Copilot or other AI assistants, their data settings are separate. See how to stop AI assistants from using your data.
2. Clean up the Start menu
Go to Settings → Personalization → Start. Turn off the switch that shows recommendations for tips, app promotions and more. If you’d rather not see recently opened files either, turn off the recent-files switch too; when every recommendation switch is off, Windows hides that section.
On 26H2 the Start settings let you show or hide the Pinned, Recent and All sections separately, and the old “Recommended” section is called “Recent”. Right-click any pinned app you never use and choose Unpin from Start.
3. Tidy the taskbar and Search
- Settings → Personalization → Taskbar: turn off Widgets and Task view if you don’t use them, and set Search to an icon or to hidden to save space.
- On 26H2 the same page can also move the taskbar to the top or sides and make it smaller.
- Want Search to show only your own apps, files and settings? On 26H2, look under Settings → Privacy & security → Search for the switch that shows web results in Windows Search, and turn it off.
4. Quiet notifications
Go to Settings → System → Notifications. Scroll the list of apps and turn off any you don’t need alerts from. At the bottom, open Additional settings and turn off the Windows welcome experience, the suggestions for finishing setup, and Get tips and suggestions when using Windows.
Higher up the same page, Do not disturb can switch on automatically during set hours, when you’re gaming or when you duplicate your screen for a presentation.
5. Remove lock screen tips
Go to Settings → Personalization → Lock screen. If you use a picture or slideshow, turn off Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen. With Windows spotlight selected, that switch isn’t offered, because spotlight images come with Microsoft’s captions.
6. Set your default browser
Go to Settings → Apps → Default apps, select your browser (for example Chrome or Firefox) and click Set default at the top. That covers web links and the common web file types in one go. Some links from Windows itself, such as Widgets and Search, may still open in Edge.
7. Show file extensions in File Explorer
Open File Explorer and go to View → Show → File name extensions. Now a file called invoice.pdf.exe shows its real ending instead of looking like a PDF, which is a common trick in scam emails. While you’re there, Show → Hidden items is useful if you troubleshoot, but you can leave it off.
8. Turn on System Restore
Microsoft’s own support page notes that system protection isn’t turned on by default, and recommends enabling it. It lets you roll back a bad driver or update without touching your personal files.
- Press Win, type Create a restore point and open it.
- On the System Protection tab, select your C: drive and click Configure.
- Choose Turn on system protection, set the disk space slider to around 5–10%, and click Apply.
- Click Create to make your first restore point now.
Newer builds also have point-in-time restore under Settings → System → Recovery, which keeps automatic snapshots for up to 72 hours. Check that it’s on if your PC offers it.
9. Control when updates restart your PC
Go to Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options → Active hours and set them to when you normally use the PC, or leave it on automatic. Windows won’t restart for updates during those hours. Don’t turn updates off; they include the security fixes that keep the PC safe.
10. Let Storage Sense clean up
Go to Settings → System → Storage and turn on Storage Sense. Click it to choose how often it runs and whether it empties the Recycle Bin. After an upgrade, Temporary files on the same page may also show “Previous Windows installation(s)”. Delete that only once you’re sure you won’t roll back, because it’s what lets you go back within the first 10 days.
11. Back up and turn on Find my device
- Open Windows Backup from Start and choose which folders, apps and settings to save to your Microsoft account. Our Windows backup guide covers this and an external drive copy.
- On a laptop, go to Settings → Privacy & security → Find my device and turn it on, so you can locate the laptop from your Microsoft account if it’s lost.
12. Pick a power mode
Go to Settings → System → Power & battery (just Power on some desktops). Power mode has options from best power efficiency to best performance. On a desktop that’s plugged in all the time, best performance is reasonable; on a laptop, balanced is the sensible default. This is also the one change in this list that affects speed, if you were looking for Windows 11 settings to change for performance.
Windows 11 settings to change carefully, or leave alone
- Windows Security: leave Microsoft Defender’s real-time protection on unless you’ve installed another antivirus.
- “Debloat” scripts and registry tweaks from the internet: they can break updates or features, and you can’t always undo them. The switches in this guide do the same job safely.
- Services and startup tweaks: disabling Windows services rarely makes a modern PC faster and can cause odd faults later.
- Updates: pause them for a week if you must, but don’t block them.
If a setting is missing
- Different version: check Settings → System → About. Paths in this guide are for Windows 11 24H2 and later; older versions put some switches elsewhere.
- Work or school PC: if a setting is greyed out with “Some of these settings are managed by your organization”, your IT team controls it.
- Still can’t find it: type the setting’s name into the search box at the top of Settings.
- If your clock or time zone is off after the upgrade, see how to fix the wrong time on Windows 11.
More guides in our Windows section.
FAQ
Which Windows 11 settings should I turn off for privacy?
Start with Privacy & security → Recommendations & offers (personalized offers and advertising ID) and Diagnostics & feedback (optional diagnostic data). Then review app permissions such as location, camera and microphone on the same Privacy & security page.
Is it safe to turn off optional diagnostic data?
Yes. Windows still sends the required diagnostic data, and turning off the optional data doesn’t affect updates or security.
How do I remove ads from the Windows 11 Start menu?
Go to Settings → Personalization → Start and turn off the switch for recommendations, tips and app promotions. Also turn off personalized offers under Privacy & security → Recommendations & offers.
Should I turn on System Restore?
Yes. Microsoft doesn’t turn it on by default, and it lets you undo a bad driver or update without losing your personal files.
Will changing these settings make Windows 11 faster?
Mostly not; they remove distractions rather than speed things up. Power mode, Storage Sense and uninstalling apps you don’t use make more difference to performance.
