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Windows 11 does not have one master switch for every text- and image-generation feature. Paint’s Cocreator, Image Creator, and Generative Fill are controlled by separate device policies, while Recall has its own user-facing snapshot controls. The broad Privacy & security > General settings adjust advertising and personalization signals but do not disable those Paint features or uninstall Recall.
Use the instructions below to match the control to the feature you want to stop. On a personal Copilot+ PC, you can pause or remove Recall yourself. Disabling Paint generation features requires an administrator policy on supported Windows 11 editions, typically through Group Policy, an MDM policy, or the documented registry policy area.
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Is there one Windows 11 privacy switch that disables all AI generation?
No. Windows 11 separates these controls by component. Paint generation features are disabled individually with WindowsAI policies, whereas Recall is managed from Settings > Privacy & security > Recall & snapshots or by removing the optional Windows feature. The General privacy page covers advertising ID, language-list access, app-launch tracking, and suggested content; it is not an AI kill switch.
This separation matters because the settings have different scope and authority:
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| Feature or setting | What it controls | Who can change it | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paint Cocreator | Text-prompt image generation in Paint | Administrator policy on supported editions | Paint no longer offers Cocreator when the policy is enabled |
| Paint Image Creator | Image Creator functionality in Paint | Administrator policy on supported editions | Image Creator is unavailable in Paint |
| Paint Generative Fill | Generative edits that fill or extend selected areas | Administrator policy on supported editions | Generative Fill is unavailable in Paint |
| Recall snapshots | Whether Recall saves periodic screen snapshots | Each user, or an administrator policy | Saving can be paused, filtered, or turned off |
| Recall optional feature | The Recall component itself | User through Windows Features, or administrator | Recall is removed; saved Recall snapshots are deleted |
| General privacy settings | Advertising and personalization signals | Each user, subject to management | Reduces tracking or suggestions but does not disable Paint AI or Recall |
How do I disable Cocreator, Image Creator, or Generative Fill in Paint?
On a managed PC, enable the specific WindowsAI policy for each Paint capability you want to block. Microsoft documents these policies for Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise editions on version 22H2 and later builds; policy availability can differ on a particular release, so confirm that the setting exists on the target build.
Use Group Policy
These are computer policies, not per-user switches. You need local administrator rights or a domain/management account that can configure the device.
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- Open the Group Policy editor. On a domain-managed device, use the policy-management console your organization provides; on a local Pro, Enterprise, or Education installation, run
gpedit.msc. - Browse to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Paint.
- Open the policy that matches the feature you want to block.
- Select Enabled, apply the change, and close the editor.
- Refresh policy with
gpupdate /force, or restart Windows if the policy does not take effect immediately.
The policy names and effects are:
| Policy name | Enable this policy to | Default |
|---|---|---|
DisableCocreator |
Make Cocreator unavailable in Paint | 0 (feature enabled) |
DisableImageCreator |
Make Image Creator unavailable in Paint | 0 (feature enabled) |
DisableGenerativeFill |
Make Generative Fill unavailable in Paint | 0 (feature enabled) |
Enabling a policy means setting its administrative state to enabled; it does not mean enabling the Paint feature. Microsoft describes the Image Creator control as allowing administrators to determine whether Image Creator functionality is disabled in the Windows Paint app.
Configure the documented registry policy area
For scripts, provisioning, or a management system that writes policy values, Microsoft documents the Paint policy location as:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Paint
Create the relevant policy value as a 32-bit DWORD and set it to 1 to disable that capability. A value of 0, or an absent policy, leaves the feature enabled by default. Because this is a machine-level policy, changing it requires elevation and affects all users of the PC. Use Group Policy or your organization’s MDM/CSP tooling when centralized enforcement and reporting are required instead of editing the registry manually.
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What if the Paint policy is missing?
A missing setting usually means the installed Windows edition, build, or administrative template does not expose that policy. Check that the device is running a supported Pro, Enterprise, Education, or IoT Enterprise edition on a 22H2-or-later build and that the administrative templates are current. Paint must also be up to date for the associated feature to appear; policy availability does not guarantee that every Paint capability is present on every device.
How do I stop Recall from saving screenshots?
Recall uses a separate user setting. On a compatible Copilot+ PC, turning off snapshot saving prevents new snapshots while leaving Recall installed so you can enable it again later.
- Open Settings.
- Select Privacy & security.
- Open Recall & snapshots.
- Turn Save snapshots off.
- Authenticate with Windows Hello if Windows requests confirmation.
Microsoft states that you can turn snapshot saving on or off from this page at any time. The same page lets you delete snapshots already stored and create exclusions for particular apps and websites. Filtering is useful when you want Recall for general work but do not want it to capture a password manager, a banking site, or a confidential application. The exact filter and URI-list options available to you can vary with the Windows release and any organization policy applied to the PC.
Recall processes its indexed snapshot content locally on Copilot+ PCs. Local processing does not mean snapshots are harmless: anyone who can sign in to your Windows account and pass the required protections may be able to use the feature, so keep Windows Hello and account security enabled.
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Removing the optional feature is stronger than pausing snapshots. It removes Recall from Windows, deletes snapshots previously saved by Recall, and requires a restart.
Remove Recall from Windows Features
- Search Windows for Turn Windows features on or off and open the matching control-panel dialog.
- Find Recall in the list and clear its check box.
- Select OK and allow Windows to apply the change.
- Restart the computer when prompted.
Microsoft Support says that snapshots previously saved are deleted when Recall is removed. If you only turn off Save snapshots, the feature remains installed and existing snapshots are not automatically removed; use the delete controls on the Recall settings page when you want to clear them without uninstalling the component.
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Remove Recall with PowerShell
Administrators can remove the optional feature from an elevated PowerShell session with:
Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "Recall" -RemoveThe command changes the running Windows image, so open PowerShell as an administrator and restart when Windows requests it. In managed deployments, Microsoft also documents policies for turning off snapshot saving and for filtering applications or URI lists. Policy changes may require a restart before every user sees the new behavior.
Which General privacy settings affect Windows personalization?
General privacy controls are still useful, but they solve a different problem. Open Settings > Privacy & security > General to review these options:
| General setting | Privacy effect | Does not do |
|---|---|---|
| Let apps show me personalized ads by using my advertising ID | Stops Windows from using the advertising identifier for app-based ad personalization | Does not turn off Paint generation or Recall |
| Let websites show me locally relevant content by accessing my language list | Prevents websites from using the Windows language list to tailor content | Does not block AI features in installed apps |
| Let Windows improve Start and search results by tracking app launches | Reduces app-launch tracking used for suggestions | Does not remove Recall snapshots or Paint tools |
| Show me suggested content in the Settings app | Hides certain suggestions in Windows Settings | Does not disable generation models or optional features |
Changing all four options can reduce personalization signals, but it cannot substitute for the dedicated Paint policies or Recall controls. Treat these as complementary settings rather than a single privacy package.
What is the difference between a user setting and an administrator policy?
A user setting changes behavior for one account and is designed to be reversible from Settings. An administrator policy is device-scoped, can apply to every account, and may prevent users from changing the behavior themselves.
| Question | User setting | Administrator policy |
|---|---|---|
| Typical example | Recall’s Save snapshots switch | DisableCocreator, DisableImageCreator, or DisableGenerativeFill |
| Scope | One Windows user | The whole computer or an organizational group |
| Required rights | Normal account access, plus Windows Hello confirmation where requested | Local administrator, domain administrator, or MDM authority |
| Reversibility | Turn the setting back on | Change or remove the policy, then refresh policy or restart as needed |
| Data consequence | Pausing snapshots leaves Recall installed; deleting snapshots is a separate action | Paint controls prevent use of the named capability but do not uninstall Paint |
If a work or school computer keeps reverting a setting, the organization’s policy is taking precedence. Contact the administrator rather than repeatedly changing local settings.
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Which option should I use for common privacy goals?
I want Paint to stop generating images
Use DisableCocreator, DisableImageCreator, and, if necessary, DisableGenerativeFill. They are independent, so disabling one does not automatically disable the others.
I want to keep Recall installed but prevent screen capture
Turn off Save snapshots in Privacy & security > Recall & snapshots. Delete existing snapshots separately if they should no longer remain on the device.
I do not want Recall present at all
Remove the Recall optional feature through Windows Features or the documented PowerShell command. Restart Windows; saved Recall snapshots are deleted as part of removal.
I only want less personalization in Windows
Review the four controls under Privacy & security > General. These settings reduce advertising and suggestion signals but leave Paint generation and Recall behavior unchanged.
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- Paint: Close and reopen Paint after policy refresh. The targeted Cocreator, Image Creator, or Generative Fill control should no longer be available. Check each policy separately if more than one feature was blocked.
- Recall: Return to Recall & snapshots and confirm that Save snapshots remains off. Use the page’s delete action to remove stored snapshots rather than assuming that pausing capture erases them.
- Removed Recall: Confirm that Recall is no longer listed in Windows Features after the restart. A restart is part of the removal process, not an optional cleanup step.
- Managed devices: Run
gpresult /h report.htmlfrom an elevated or appropriately authorized command prompt to review resulting Group Policy, or check the organization’s MDM status. A centrally assigned policy can overwrite local changes. - Edition and build: Use Settings > System > About to check the Windows edition and version before troubleshooting missing Paint policies. The documented Paint policies target Pro, Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise editions on 22H2 and later.
What limitations should I expect on a Copilot+ PC?
Cocreator depends on a Copilot+ PC and a current version of Paint. Recall is also limited to compatible Copilot+ PC configurations. The presence of a Windows 11 edition that supports the policy does not, by itself, guarantee that a particular AI feature is installed or available.
Windows releases and management policies can change the labels, available filters, and exact behavior. Before applying a script broadly, test the policy on the same Windows build and edition used by the intended users. Keep a rollback plan: set the policy back to its default state, refresh policy, and restart if required.
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For the strongest practical privacy posture, combine controls deliberately: disable each Paint capability your organization does not permit, turn off and delete Recall snapshots when capture is not wanted, remove Recall when it should not exist, and then review General privacy settings for advertising and personalization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I disable Paint AI features on Windows 11 Home?
The documented WindowsAI Paint policies apply to Pro, Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise editions on 22H2 and later builds. Microsoft does not list Home for these device policies, so a Home installation may not expose the Group Policy settings; check the installed edition and use only controls that Windows actually provides.
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Does turning off Recall snapshots erase screenshots already saved?
No. Pausing Save snapshots stops new capture but does not serve as a deletion command. Use the delete controls in Recall settings to clear stored snapshots, or remove the Recall optional feature, which deletes its saved snapshots.
Why does Windows ask for Windows Hello when I change Recall settings?
Recall protects changes to its capture and filtering controls with Windows Hello confirmation. This is an identity check for the signed-in user, not a separate subscription or administrator approval.
Can a company block Recall without uninstalling it?
Yes. Microsoft documents management policies that turn off snapshot saving and policies that define application or URI filters. Organizations can therefore leave the component installed while enforcing capture restrictions, although policy changes may require a restart.
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