Question
Issue: How to remove login screen recommendations and suggestions from Microsoft?
Hello, I have recently noticed that the login screen on Windows is showing all sorts of stuff I'd want not to see – ads and political messages I don't care about. I want my login screen to be clean and have no ads like that in it. Can you help me remove these?
Solved Answer
As an operating system, Windows has evolved quite a bit since version 1.0 all the way back in 1985.[1] With the newest Windows 11, the OS is the most advanced it has ever been, and many of the changes are welcomed by users – they improve reliability, stability, ease of use, security, and other aspects that are important for everybody.
In between these releases, Microsoft also ships various updates that also add to the user experience. Unfortunately, not all the changes are welcomed by the users, and many complain about various issues this has caused over the years. For example, the forced MS Edge installation outraged many people, and the backlash was rather warranted, as a choice is important for any computer user.[2]
Lockscreen and login screen has been present on Windows for a while, and users were happy to customize their experience. In older system versions, such as Windows 7, a default background image was shown to users – these were usually rather bland and incorporated Windows logos or related wallpapers.
Windows Spotlight was introduced in Windows 10 and has changed the login screen quite a bit. It added many new background wallpapers from locations all over the world, most of which look spectacular. Not all changes were positive ones, however, as people started noticing news articles and ads from Bing soon after.
It is understandable that Microsoft would want to implement ads as much as possible, as it is a for-profit company. However, many people were dissatisfied with the content of ads and news articles from Bing being promoted, some even referring to it as “propaganda.”[3]
Whether it can be considered as such is to each person to decide individually but wanting to stop login screen recommendations and ads is a completely reasonable request. Luckily, Windows 10 and 11 have multiple settings that can be changed in order to remove unwanted content from the login screen – we discuss all the options below.
1. Disable Tips, tricks, and suggestions
- Right-click on Start and pick Settings or type Settings in Windows search and press Enter
- Go to the System section
- Select Notifications & actions on the left
- Here, unmark the Get tips, tricks, and suggestions as you use Windows option. (Note: this option could be in the Personalization settings for some users, depending on the Windows version. Check Solution 2).
2. Turn off Windows Spotlight
This option will allow you to choose your own pictures to be shown on the Windows login screen:
- Right-click on Start and pick Settings or type Settings in Windows search and press Enter
- Select Personalization
- Go to the Lock screen section
- Under Background, select Picture from the drop-down menu
- You can either choose from Windows pictures or Browse your own.
3. Use the “Not a fan” option to dismiss the image
If you don't like the picture that's currently being shown on the login screen, you can move on to the next one easily. Typically, the same image is used for several days until it rotates to the next one. If you don't like it, you can change it, and Windows won't show it again to you:
- On the login screen, hover your mouse over the Image icon to show more details
- Here, select Not a fan – We'll switch to a new picture.
Optimize your system and make it work more efficiently
Optimize your system now! If you don't want to inspect your computer manually and struggle with trying to find issues that are slowing it down, you can use optimization software listed below. All these solutions have been tested by ugetfix.com team to be sure that they help improve the system. To optimize your computer with only one click, select one of these tools:
Prevent websites, ISP, and other parties from tracking you
To stay completely anonymous and prevent the ISP and the government from spying on you, you should employ Private Internet Access VPN. It will allow you to connect to the internet while being completely anonymous by encrypting all information, prevent trackers, ads, as well as malicious content. Most importantly, you will stop the illegal surveillance activities that NSA and other governmental institutions are performing behind your back.
Recover your lost files quickly
Unforeseen circumstances can happen at any time while using the computer: it can turn off due to a power cut, a Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) can occur, or random Windows updates can the machine when you went away for a few minutes. As a result, your schoolwork, important documents, and other data might be lost. To recover lost files, you can use Data Recovery Pro – it searches through copies of files that are still available on your hard drive and retrieves them quickly.
Gabriel E. Hall is an expert troubleshooter who has been working in the information technology industry for years.
- ^ Microsoft Windows. Wikipedia. The free encyclopedia.
- ^ Jonathan Lamont. Microsoft just ruined the debut of its new browser by forcing it on users. MobileSyrup. Canada's news source for all things tech.
- ^ Unwanted "Woke" login content. Microsoft. Official forums.
