Right out of the box, Windows 11 looks like a bit of a mess. In many ways it seems like a bloated advertisement for its own sake and a random selection of other products rather than a working operating system. Fortunately, however, a few quick tweaks can completely transform it into a much more simplified, accessible and faster version of the default installation. This is mainly about removing AI features you never asked for, promotions, and resource-intensive background services.
Between Copilot, Bing search integration, OneDrive prompts, telemetry, and app promotions, the core Windows 11 experience feels more like a marketing platform for Microsoft products than a clean desktop environment. To combat it, you’ll need to disable Copilot (if possible), disable lock screen ads and promotions, remove some unnecessary startup apps, and reduce the aforementioned telemetry. The result is a faster, cleaner Windows desktop that doesn’t look as much like a desperate cashier trying to upsell you products.
Remove AI Clutter
The first problem you’ll probably want to fix is the Copilot homunculus that haunts every new installation of Windows in the AI age. Copilot isn’t just a performance drag: it also introduces some privacy concerns, due to the way it runs in the background and monitors your activity. Note that while the Copilot app can be uninstalled, some Copilot integrations are deeply embedded in other Windows apps like Notepad.
To remove the Copilot app, the easiest approach is to simply type Copilot in the search bar. When it appears in the results, right-click on it and then click Uninstall option. You’ll also likely see Microsoft 365 Copilot appear in the same results page, and you’ll also be able to uninstall it at the same time. You can also turn off the AI features in Notepad by clicking the gear icon, scrolling down, and turning off the writing tools.
Copilot has another invasive feature that collects your usage data across various Microsoft products like Bing, Edge, MSN, etc. The worst part is that it not only affects your Windows PC, but all devices where you use Microsoft products. To turn it off, open Copilot in a browser and sign in to your Microsoft account. Now go to Settings, turn off Microsoft Usage Data and click Delete All Memory.
Disable background activity and ad personalization
Startup apps are a great place to start cleaning up background processes. While there are some good free apps that actually improve Windows 11, there are a lot of overloads by default. You can see everything that launches at startup by typing Task Manager in the search bar. The speedometer icon on the left will show all applications launched at startup. Go through and right-click anything you don’t use or need to run every time you turn on your PC, then click Disable. Items related to OneDrive, Edge, and Xbox are prime targets if you don’t use them frequently.
Another good way to free up resources is to close all ad tracking and personalization software that Windows runs by default. Go to Privacy & Security (just type in the search bar), then Recommendations & Offers and turn off personalized offers and any other settings that are not useful to you. Next, go to Diagnostics & Feedback, also under Privacy & Security, and turn off intrusive settings like Send optional diagnostic data. You can also delete your diagnostic data from here.
Finally, press Windows key + R and type services.msc. Scroll down to Connected User Experiences and Telemetry, right-click and choose Properties, then change the Startup Type to Disabled. This will somewhat prevent Windows from automatically collecting information such as device specifications, installed applications, error reports, update details, and other system or usage signals, and sending this data to Microsoft, further draining resources and bandwidth.