Set up a new Windows 11 PC, and it looks like everything starts from a clean slate. The desktop is minimal, Setting looks straightforward, and the whole experience feels polished and ready to use. But by the time you reach the desktop, several settings you never touched are already working in Microsoft’s favor, not yours. They’re spread across four separate pages, and they don’t exactly advertise what they’re doing. I go through every one of them before I open a single app on a new machine.
Clear every device usage category
Stop Windows from profiling your machine
During the initial setup, Windows 11 asks how you plan to use your PC. The options include Gaming, Family, Creativity, School, Entertainment, and Business. It looks like a simple personalization step. But each category you select gives Microsoft a signal to start pushing targeted recommendations. Toggle on Gaming, and Xbox Game Pass trial offers start showing up. Pick Business instead, and it’s Microsoft 365 promotions that take their place.
These selections don’t just sit there, either. They shape what you see throughout Windows, from the Start menu to the notification tips that pop up while you’re working. The features they drive, like app suggestions and promoted content, connect to Microsoft’s cloud depending on your other privacy settings.
The thing is, none of these categories change how your PC works. They only control what Microsoft pushes your way. Head to Settings > Personalization to change your device usage options, and turn all of them off.
Disable the ad ID and app tracking
Block cross-app tracking and launch logs
When Windows 11 finishes setup, it also generates an advertising ID for your device. It works a lot like browser cookies. Apps on your PC use it to build a profile of your interests and serve you targeted promotions based on your activity. Turning it off won’t remove ads from apps entirely, but it does make them generic instead of tailored to your behavior.
The advertising ID isn’t the only thing tracking you on this page, though. There’s a separate toggle that tracks which apps you open and feeds that into your Start menu and search results. Others let Microsoft personalize the tips and ads you see, and even slip product recommendations right into the Settings app itself.
To turn them off, open Privacy & security in Settings and head to Recommendations & offers. You’ll find every toggle on this page is on by default. Once you switch them off, Windows stops personalizing what it shows you across the system.
Stop sending diagnostic data to Microsoft
Limit data collection to basic patches
Beyond the advertising ID and app tracking, Windows also sends diagnostic data back to Microsoft. Required data is unavoidable, because Windows needs it to stay secure and up to date. Optional diagnostic data collects a lot more though, including which websites you visit in Microsoft Edge and how you use apps and features.
Microsoft even says on this page that your device will be equally secure and work normally without it. Optional data is there to help Microsoft improve Windows, not to protect your PC.
If you want to limit what Windows sends to Microsoft, you’ll find this under Diagnostics & feedback in Privacy & security. Toggle off Optional diagnostic data and Improve inking and typing. You can also delete whatever data Microsoft has already collected from the same page.
Even after turning off the tracking and diagnostic settings, there’s one more place where Microsoft sneaks in promotions inside the Start menu. When you open it, you might notice apps you never installed sitting alongside your recent files, each tagged as promoted. These aren’t suggestions based on what you’ve been doing. They’re app promotions from the Microsoft Store, and they show up whether you’ve ever opened the Store or not.
To clear them out, head to Personalization in Settings and open Start. Under Recent, uncheck Show tips and app recommendations. After that, your Start menu only shows apps and files you’ve actually used.
Locking down the rest of Windows
Microsoft could ship Windows with these settings turned off and let you opt in if you actually wanted personalized ads and recommendations. Instead, it relies on those defaults staying untouched. Every setting here continues collecting data and serving promotions until you actively step in.
While these four cover the core data and ad settings, they are not the only places ads appear. Your lock screen and Bing-powered search bar also show promotional suggestions, both carrying separate toggles worth checking if you want a quiet desktop.
- OS
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Windows
- Minimum CPU Specs
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1Ghz/2 Cores
- Minimum RAM Specs
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4GB RAM
- Software Version
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24H2
Windows 11 is Microsoft’s latest operating system featuring a centered Start menu, Snap Layouts, virtual desktops, enhanced security with TPM 2.0, and deeper integration with Microsoft Teams and AI-powered Copilot.