WINDOWS 10 POP-UP MESSAGES
What you can block What you MUST read
Pop-ups have always been a nuisance. But, back in the good old days of computing (about 15 months ago), they were, at least, mostly confined to your web browser, and could easily be thwarted by switching on its pop-up blocker.
But now it seems the less-than-humble pop-up is enjoying something of a renaissance – thanks in large part to Windows 10. Microsoft’s latest operating system, excellent though it is, seems determined to chuck endless notifications and tips at us willy-nilly, and Microsoft’s recent Anniversary Update (AU) has only made things worse.
The trouble is, some of these notifications, those relating to security, for example – are actually quite crucial. So, which ones can be safely disabled? And how do you go about it? Read on and we’ll explain.
Windows 10 updates OUR RECOMMENDATION: LEAVE ON
Windows 10 often show messages telling you when updates require a restart, when new features have been added, and whenever there is a problem downloading an update. There isn’t a lot you can do about these – updates and their notifications can’t be blocked in Windows 10.
You may also see pop-ups advising you when updates are available for your programs and tools. It’s often possible to disable these by tweaking the program’s settings. Look for the ‘Automatically check for updates’ (or similar) option. Keeping your tools up to date is a good habit to get into, though, so we’d suggest you leave these switched on.
Browser pop-ups OUR RECOMMENDATION: BLOCK
Most web browsers have their pop-up blockers switched on by default. But if, for some reason, yours has been disabled, it’s usually pretty easy to switch it back on.
In Edge, click the menu button (three dots) at the top-right, then click Settings, ‘View advanced settings’ and make sure ‘Block pop-ups’ is enabled (see screenshot left). In Chrome, click the menu button (three dots), then click Settings, ‘Show advanced settings’, ‘Content settings’, make sure ‘Do not allow any site to show pop-ups (recommended)’ is selected, then click Finish. In Firefox, click the menu button (three lines), then click Options, Content and make sure ‘Block pop-up windows’ is ticked. In Internet Explorer, click the menu (cog) icon, then click ‘Internet options’, Privacy and make sure ‘Turn on Pop-up Blocker’ is ticked, then click OK.
Windows 10’s Photos app OUR RECOMMENDATION: SWITCH OFF
The Photos app is Windows 10’s default program for importing and organising photos on your PC. If you’ve previously transferred snaps from a camera or phone to your PC, you’re probably already familiar with its insistent notifications, telling you it’s finished
importing items, has created photo albums and the like.
As with many of Windows 10’s notifications, these messages appear in the bottom-right corner of your desktop. You can respond to them in the Action Centre by clicking the speech-bubble icon on the taskbar. To disable these messages, click Start, Settings, System, then ‘Notifications & actions’. Scroll down to Photos and click the slider to switch it off (see screenshot below left).
Windows 10’s other apps OUR RECOMMENDATION: SWITCH ON/OFF AS NEEDED
Many of the pop-ups from other apps can be controlled by heading to Start, Settings, System, then ‘Notifications & actions’ and customising the options. You might be tempted to switch off notifications altogether. However, we’d advise leaving ‘Get notifications from apps and other senders’ switched on, then switching off those programs you don’t want to be bothered by in the ‘Get notifications from these senders’ list. That way you can choose to continue receiving notifications from your email or text-messaging program, for example.
Other software OUR RECOMMENDATION: SWITCH ON/OFF AS NEEDED
Sometimes you may need to tweak a program’s settings for a little more peace and quiet. Dropbox, for example, lets you know every time it syncs or whenever someone else makes changes to your shared files. With most programs, you can disable these notifications in Windows 10’s ‘Notifications & actions’ settings (see above right), but if pop-ups persist even after you switch them off in ‘Notifications & actions’, you’ll need to disable notifications within the program.
To do this, in Dropbox for example, right-click the program’s icon in the notification area (bottom right of the taskbar), click the settings (cog) icon, then select Preferences. In the General tab, untick ‘Show desktop notifications’, then click OK. You should find the majority of programs with desktop notifications you work with have similar options.
Security and maintenance OUR RECOMMENDATION: LEAVE ON
Messages from your antivirus or firewall will often contain important information, such as malware discovered on your PC or attempted attacks by hackers that have been blocked. For that reason you should always leave a security program’s alerts enabled.
Also, leave the ‘Security and maintenance’ option in Windows 10’s ‘Notifications & actions’ settings switched on. Among other things, this will ensure those who use Windows Defender receive information about the program’s scans, and those who use Windows 10’s File History will be warned if their backup drive is unplugged.
Cortana OUR RECOMMENDATION: SWITCH OFF
Left to its own devices, Cortana conjures endless desktop notifications from the taskbar’s Search box, including pointless greetings and suggestions about things it thinks you are interested in. First disable Cortana’s pop-ups in the ‘Notifications & actions’ settings menu, then click inside the Search box, click the cog icon and switch off the ‘Taskbar titbits’ option (see screenshot above).
Windows Store nags, tips and suggestions OUR RECOMMENDATION: SWITCH OFF
Install an app from the Windows Store and you’ll then receive a pointless notification informing you that you just installed an app from the Windows Store. To stop these, turn off the Store option in the ‘Notifications & actions’ settings. While you’re there, disable Get Office – this blocks pop-ups nagging you to install a trial version of Microsoft Office.
You can also safely disable the ‘Get tips, tricks and suggestions as you use Windows’ setting just above ‘Get notifications from these senders’. This will prevent Windows from offering unnecessary observations and recommendations.