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To remove recommendations from the Windows 11 Start menu, open Settings > Personalization > Start and switch off the recommendation options available on your PC. If an unwanted app is in the Pinned area, unpin it separately. Windows uses several distinct recommendation and promotion surfaces, so these steps clean up Start—but do not block every Microsoft suggestion elsewhere in Windows.
First, identify what you’re seeing
People often call every promotion an “ad,” but the item’s location determines which setting controls it:
- Recommended apps or files: Suggestions and recent items in Start’s Recommended area.
- Promoted pinned apps: App icons in the Pinned area. These are not necessarily controlled by Recommended settings.
- Website suggestions: Web links shown as recommendations in Start.
- Settings suggestions: Tips or promotions displayed inside the Settings app.
- Device-usage recommendations: Suggestions such as Xbox, Microsoft 365, or OneDrive prompts tailored to selected device-use categories.
- App-install recommendations: Prompts that can appear when you try to install an app from outside the Microsoft Store.
- Tips and welcome prompts: Notifications about Windows features or what is new after an update.
There is no single Windows switch that reliably removes all of these. Start with the controls for the surface you want to change.
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- Open Start, then select Settings.
- Go to Personalization > Start.
- Turn off the available options for recommended files, apps, tips, shortcuts, new apps, or other suggested content that you do not want.
- Open Start again and check whether the Recommended area has collapsed or disappeared.
The exact wording and which controls appear can vary with your Windows 11 version, edition, update level, and staged feature rollout. Look for the recommendation-provider switches on the Start settings page rather than relying on one label being identical on every PC. Microsoft says that when all Start recommendation providers are disabled—or everything is unpinned from the relevant section—the applicable sections collapse. See Microsoft’s Start menu customization guidance.
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Unpin promoted apps separately
If the app is in Start’s Pinned area, turn off the Recommended options and remove the pin separately:
- Open Start.
- Right-click the unwanted app.
- Select Unpin from Start.
- If you do not want the app installed, choose Uninstall if that option is available and appropriate.
Unpinning is not uninstalling: it removes the shortcut from Start but leaves the app installed. Conversely, uninstalling removes the app, but a later setup experience, update, or account sync may still offer or place a different suggestion in Start.
Hide the Recommended section with Group Policy
Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise editions support the HideRecommendedSection policy starting with Windows 11 version 22H2. It hides the Start section containing recommended apps and files. It is not a blanket ad blocker for Windows.
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- Press Win + R, type
gpedit.msc, and press Enter. - Go to
User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar. - Open Remove Recommended section from Start Menu.
- Select Enabled, then select Apply and OK.
- Sign out and back in, restart Windows Explorer, or restart the PC for the change to take effect.
gpedit.msc is generally unavailable on Windows 11 Home. Do not install unofficial Group Policy packages to try to add it. Microsoft documents the policy, supported editions, and minimum version in its HideRecommendedSection policy reference.
Hiding the whole section also removes the recent files and other useful items shown there. If you want those items, use the individual Settings controls instead.
Set the documented policy through the registry
For supported editions, the policy has a registry representation. Use it when you understand the impact and need a command-line option; it is not a promise that the policy is supported on every Windows edition. Before editing the registry manually, export the relevant key or create a restore point.
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Open Command Prompt and run:
reg add "HKCUSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindowsExplorer" /v HideRecommendedSection /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
start explorer.exeIf the registry command reports that the key does not exist, create it first:
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reg add "HKCUSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindowsExplorer" /fThe policy value is HideRecommendedSection under HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindowsExplorer. Data 1 hides the section; data 0 leaves it shown. To remove the value and return to policy defaults, run:
reg delete "HKCUSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindowsExplorer" /v HideRecommendedSection /f
taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
start explorer.exeThis is the registry mapping for Microsoft’s documented policy, which applies to Windows 11 version 22H2 and later on Pro, Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise editions. A work or school management policy may override a local change. For multiple PCs, use Group Policy or the Start Policy CSP rather than editing profiles one by one.
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Reduce related suggestions in other parts of Windows
Review privacy and suggested-content settings
Go to Settings > Privacy & security > General and review the available options, including:
- Let apps show my personalized ads by using my advertising ID
- Let Windows improve Start and search results by tracking app launches
- Show me suggested content in the Settings app
- Let websites show me locally relevant content by accessing my language list
Turning off Advertising ID is not a master ad switch: Microsoft says it does not reduce the number of ads, but makes them less personalized. Turning off app-launch tracking reduces the use of app activity to personalize Start and search, but can also make most-used-app behavior less useful. These settings address personalization or Settings suggestions; they do not replace the Start recommendation controls. Microsoft explains them in its Windows privacy settings guidance.
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Go to Settings > Personalization > Device usage. Turn off any enabled categories—such as Gaming, Entertainment, Business, Creativity, School, Family, or Development—that you do not want Windows to use for tailoring suggestions. Microsoft says these selections can influence tips, recommendations, personalized ads, and prompts for services or apps. The page may be less prominent on some installations, and categories may be offered during setup. Details are in Microsoft’s Device usage settings guidance.
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Stop prompts to get apps from the Store
This is a separate setting from Start. Go to Settings > Apps > Advanced app settings > Choose where to get apps. Select Anywhere to stop Windows from recommending comparable Microsoft Store apps when you try to install software from elsewhere. Labels can vary by Windows version.
- Anywhere: Fewer Store recommendations, but fewer warnings about potentially unwanted or untrusted software.
- Anywhere, but warn me: Keeps a warning without necessarily suggesting a Store alternative.
- The Microsoft Store only: Restricts installation to Store apps, which is unsuitable if you install conventional desktop software from vendor websites.
Check Microsoft’s app recommendation settings guidance for the options available on your version.
Disable Windows tips and welcome experiences
Go to Settings > System > Notifications. Under the additional notification settings, turn off Show the Windows welcome experience after updates and when signed in to show what’s new and suggested and Get tips and suggestions when using Windows, if shown. This stops those notifications; it does not hide Start’s Recommended section. See Microsoft’s notifications guidance.
Choose the right fix
| Your situation | Best starting point |
|---|---|
| Windows 11 Home | Use Start settings, unpin unwanted apps, and adjust other recommendation surfaces individually. |
| Windows 11 Pro or higher | Try Start settings first; use the documented Group Policy if you need the entire section hidden or enforced. |
| Power user scripting on a supported edition | Use the policy-backed registry value, with a backup and awareness that management policies can override it. |
| Managing multiple PCs | Use Group Policy or the Start Policy CSP at the appropriate user or device scope. |
If recommendations remain
- The setting is missing: The control can differ by build, edition, update level, or staged rollout. Install available Windows updates and check Personalization > Start for equivalent recommendation options.
- The section remains after changing Settings: Restart Explorer, sign out and back in, or reboot.
- One app remains in Start: Check whether it is pinned; right-click it and choose Unpin from Start.
- The policy has no effect: Confirm the edition and Windows version, policy name and path, and that you changed the intended user hive. A workplace management policy may be in control.
- You still see Microsoft promotions: Start settings do not control every prompt in Settings, Store, Edge, Xbox, OneDrive, or Microsoft 365. Adjust the relevant app’s settings where available.
If your goal is a completely different Start menu rather than just fewer recommendations, third-party replacements are an option, but they add software and compatibility considerations. For a narrow cleanup, Windows’ built-in settings and supported policy are the simpler choices.
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