The article provides a step-by-step guide on how to deactivate the weather widget in the taskbar of Windows 11. It explains the process of enabling or disabling the buttons for the widget, which are positioned on the left side of the Windows 11 taskbar. The Widgets icon in Windows 11 offers users weather updates, sports news, currency exchange rates, and breaking news alerts. By hovering over the icon, users can access the Widgets dashboard, which resembles the “News and Interests” widget found in Windows 11.
The presence of the Widgets icon can be disruptive to workflow, especially for users who have moved the Start button to the left corner of the taskbar. However, there is a solution available to enable or disable the weather widget in Windows 11.
How to Disable Weather Widget in Windows 11?
In situations where the weather widget adds too much clutter to the taskbar, users have several options to disable it. These options are explained in the following sections. There are three different ways to deactivate the widget: through the taskbar settings, the Group Policy Editor, or the Registry Editor. Each of these methods will be described in detail, providing a step-by-step process for removing the weather widget from the computer interface.
Remove the Widgets Icon from the Taskbar
There are several techniques designed to deactivate and remove it.
Turn Off Features from Widgets Settings
The process of disabling the weather icon for Widgets on the Windows Taskbar is explained in the following steps.
Initiate the Windows Settings by clicking on the Windows button.
Proceed to access the Personalization settings.
Within the Personalization settings, navigate to the Taskbar section located on the right-hand side.
Under the Taskbar items category, the Widgets toggle switch can be disabled to deactivate the feature.
On the other hand, if you enable the Widgets toggle switch, it will bring back the functionality of the widgets. After completing the steps mentioned above successfully, the icon for weather, sports, finance, and news on the left side of the Taskbar will be eliminated. Nevertheless, users can still access widgets by using the keyboard shortcut Windows key + W.
Remove the Weather Widget with the Registry Editor
To permanently eliminate the weather widget and prevent it from being activated on your computer, you can use the Registry Editor. It is important to be aware that making changes to registry entries comes with inherent risks, so it is highly recommended to create a restore point before proceeding. The following instructions outline the steps to remove the weather widget using the Registry Editor:
- Begin by pressing the key combination Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
- In the dialog box, type “regedit” and click on the “OK” button to launch the Registry Editor.
Within the Registry Editor interface, navigate to the following location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\
Right-Click on Microsoft, create a new key named “Dsh,” and subsequently generate a DWORD (32-bit) Value within “Dsh,” naming it “AllowNewsAndInterests.”
Modify the newly created “AllowNewsAndInterests” key
Set its Value data field to 0 before confirming the changes.
After making the necessary changes, close the Registry Editor and then restart your computer. Once your computer has rebooted, you will notice that the weather widget is no longer visible.
Disable Weather Widget with Group Policy Editor
Another effective method involves using the Group Policy Editor to deactivate the weather widget. This technique is especially useful for Windows 11 Pro users or those with higher versions, as it allows for the customization and adjustment of Group Policy settings for multiple users. The following steps provide a detailed explanation of how to utilize the Group Policy Editor to disable the Widgets icon on the Taskbar:
Invoke the Run command and enter gpedit.msc to launch the Local Group Policy Editor.
To find your way around, follow this route: Computer Configuration / Administrative Templates / Windows components / Widgets.
Double-click on the “Allow widgets” policy listed within the right-hand section.
Choose the disabled option and then implement the modifications by selecting the Apply and OK buttons.
After successfully completing the aforementioned steps, the widgets will be efficiently eliminated from the Taskbar in Windows 11. Users still have the option to undo these changes and restore User Account Control by following the exact same steps, but this time selecting the “Not Configured” option in the settings.
Conclusion
This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to deactivate the weather widget in Windows 11. There are three different approaches to accomplish this: by adjusting the taskbar settings, utilizing the Group Policy Editor, or accessing the Registry Editor. In addition, the article highlights the potential risks involved in modifying registry entries and offers instructions on creating a restore point.
To sum up, individuals who consider the weather widget to be bothersome or superfluous have the option to disable it by following one of the methods outlined in this article.
After disabling the weather widget, it will no longer be visible on the taskbar. However, you can still access other widgets by pressing the Windows key + W.
It is important to note that modifying registry entries can be potentially hazardous. If you are not confident in making changes to the registry, there are alternative methods to disable the weather widget. You can utilize the taskbar settings or the Group Policy Editor for this purpose.