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

All editions of Windows 10 include 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.

  • Remove Ads From Windows 10 Start Menu
  • Remove Ads From Windows 10 Lock Screen
  • Remove Ads From Windows 10 File Explorer
  • Remove Notification Ads in Windows 10
  • Turn Off Advertising ID in Windows 10 for Better Privacy
  • Bonus: How to Disable Live Tiles in Windows 10

Remove Ads From Windows 10 Start Menu

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

Microsoft introduced ads on File Explorer with the Creators Update back in 2017, but relented following a massive backlash from users. However, the option still remains ‘On’ by default, so it makes sense to turn it off in case the company has a change of heart.

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

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

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.

  1. 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 toggles as 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’.

Remove All Annoying Ads From Your Windows 10 PC

Windows 10 can be a great 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.