- Recommendations cluttering your view? Turn off Show most used apps under the Layout section in Settings > Personalization > Start.
- For specific unwanted items, right-click them directly in the Recommended section and choose Remove from list .
- Alternatively, you can customize your Start menu. Right-click on frequently used apps and choose Pin to Start for easy access.
Method 1. Via Settings
Step 1 : Press the Windows key on your keyboard, type Settings , and click Open .
Step 2 : Click on Personalization in the sidebar.
Step 3 : Select Start on the right.
Step 4 : Now, toggle off the following options:
- Show recently added apps
- Show most used apps
- Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer
- Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more.
That’s it. The recommendations will be removed from your PC. If you wish to remove only selected recommendations, check out the next method.
Also Read : How to remove Bing from Windows 11
Method 2. From the Start Menu
Step 1 : Click the Windows icon on the taskbar.
Step 2 : Under the Recommended section , right-click on the item you want to remove and select Remove from list .
Note : If you have many items, you will notice a More button at the top right corner. You can also right-click items to remove them individually.
There you go. You have successfully removed the selected recommendations from the Start menu.
3. Remove Recommended Items Through Windows PowerShell
You cannot disable it in Windows 11 Home/Pro editions. This method works only on Windows 11 Education/SE editions.
Step 1 : Press the Windows key, type PowerShell , and click Run as administrator . In the prompt, select Yes .
Step 2 : Type (or copy-paste) the below command and press Enter .
New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer" -Name "HideRecommendedSection" -PropertyType DWord -Value 1 -Force
There you go. You have disabled recommendations in the Start menu.
Also Read : How to update DirectX on Windows 11
Method 4. Via Registry Editor
Step 1 : Press the Windows key, type Registry Editor , and click Run as administrator . In the prompt, select Yes .
Step 2 : In the top address bar, enter the following path.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer
Step 3 : Find and double-click on HideRecommendedSection .
Step 4 : Now, type 1 in the Value Data field and press OK .
Finally, reboot the system to implement the changes. And that’s it! After booting up your PC again, you will have turned off recommendations in the Start menu.
Method 5. Using Group Policy Editor
The Group Policy Editor is only available for Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise versions. If you are using Windows 11 Home Edition, you can skip this method.
Step 1 : Press the Windows keys, type gpedit.msc , and click Open .
Step 2 : In the left pane, select Computer Configuration under Local Computer Policy.
Step 3: In the right pane, double-click on Administrative Templates .
Step 4 : Select the Start Menu and Taskbar option.
Step 5 : Under the Start Menu and Taskbar option, double-click on Remove Recommended section from Start Menu .
Step 6 : Choose Enabled > click on Apply > OK .
Yes, you can submit feedback to Microsoft through the Feedback Hub app. This lets you share your thoughts, suggestions, or concerns directly with the Windows development team.
The removal of Recommendations has a negligible impact on system performance. The primary purpose is personalization rather than resource-intensive functionality.
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- Running the printer troubleshooter in Windows is an effective method for fixing such issues.
- Temporarily stopping the Print Spooler service can help you remove printers without encountering errors.
- If the printer still won’t remove, try uninstalling the printer driver and software.
Fix 1: Run the Printer Troubleshooter
Start by running Windows’ built-in printer troubleshooter to see if it can detect and resolve any pending printing errors.
Step 1: Click the search icon on the taskbar, type printers & scanners , and press Enter .
Step 2: Select your printer.
Step 3: Click on Run the troubleshooter .
Windows should automatically detect any issues with the printer and fix them. Following that, you should be able to get rid of the printer.
Fix 2: Remove the Printer From the Print Server Properties
There are several ways to remove a printer in Windows 11. So, if you can’t remove the printer from the Settings app or Control Panel, remove it from the Print Server Properties in Windows.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + S to open the search menu. Type printers & scanners and press Enter .
Step 2: Under Related settings, click on Print server properties .
Step 3: Go to the Drivers tab, select your printer, and click Remove .
Step 4: Select Remove driver and driver package and hit OK to confirm.
Fix 3: Stop Print Spooler Service
Print Spooler is a critical service that handles printer interactions on Windows. If that service interferes with the removal process, disable it temporarily to see if it helps.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog. Type services.msc in the box next to the Open field and press Enter .
Step 2: In the Services window, scroll down to locate Print Spooler . Right-click on it and select Stop .
After stopping the Print Spooler service, remove the printer again.
Fix 4: Uninstall Printer Driver
Device Manager is a useful tool that lets you manage and troubleshoot all your hardware devices from one place. You can also use it to delete an old printer from your PC. Here’s how.
Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select Device Manager from the menu.
Step 2: Open the View menu at the top and select Show hidden devices .
Step 3: Double-click on Print queues to expand it. Right-click on your printer and select Uninstall device .
Fix 5: Remove Printer Software
If you’ve installed a dedicated app or software for your printer, it could also obstruct the removal process. To avoid this, first uninstall that app or software before trying again.
Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select Installed apps from the list.
Step 2: Locate the printer app on the list. Click the three-dot menu next to it and select Uninstall .
After removing the app, you can remove the printer from the Settings app or Device Manager.
Fix 6: Use the Registry Editor
Windows may not remove the printer due to corrupt registry keys associated with it. To fix it, remove those corrupted registry keys by following the steps below.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to launch the Run dialog. Type regedit and press Enter .
Step 2: Paste the following path in the address bar at the top and press Enter .
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers
Step 3: Locate the printer you wish to remove and click on Delete . Then, select Yes to confirm.
Restart your PC after this, and you should be able to remove your printer without a problem.
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Loved your instructions, I tried the first three instructions (which were easy to follow) and solution number 4 worked!!!! Thank you, thank you!
