Enable or Disable Widgets Feature in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable the widgets feature for all users in Windows 11.

Widgets in Windows are interactive elements that display dynamic content and provide quick access to various apps and features. You can view your location's current weather conditions directly on the taskbar and hover over the icon to see concise, scannable information on topics like sports, stocks, local news, and breaking headlines. Widgets are designed to help you staying informed and organized by presenting personalized information at a glance.

Widgets are displayed on the Widgets board, which contains a collection of cards, each representing a widget with relevant information and actions related to an app. On the Widgets board you can discover, pin, unpin, arrange, resize, and customize widgets to reflect your interests.

Through this policy, you can also disable or enable weather and more on the lock screen. If you leave the setting as “Not configured,” weather and more will be enabled by default. Disabling this setting turns off weather and more on the lock screen in addition to widgets on the taskbar.

Reference:

Stay up to date with Widgets in Windows | Microsoft Support

Learn more about how to use the widgets board to keep track of the things you care about.

support.microsoft.com

You must be signed in as an administrator to enable or disable the widgets feature in Windows 11.

If you disable this Allow widgets policy, it will remove the Lock screen Weather and more setting.

Contents

Option One: Enable or Disable Widgets in Local Group Policy Editor
Option Two: Enable or Disable Widgets using REG file

EXAMPLE: Widgets feature enabled and disabled

Option One

Enable or Disable Widgets in Local Group Policy Editor

The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

All editions can use Option Two below.

1 Open the Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc).

2 Navigate to the policy location below in the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor. (see screenshot below)

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Widgets

3 In the right pane of Widgets, double click/tap on the Allow widgets policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4 Do step 5 (Enable) or step 6 (Disable) below for what you would like to do.

5 Enable Widgets

This is the default setting.

A) Select (dot) Not Configured, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

6 Disable Widgets

A) Select (dot) Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

7 You can now close the Local Group Policy Editor if you like.

Option Two

Enable or Disable Widgets using REG file

This option will not work if the "UserChoice Protection Driver" (UCPD) service is currently enabled.

1 Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.

2 To Enable Widgets

This is the default setting.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Enable_widgets_feature_for_all_users.reg

Download

(Contents of REG file for reference)

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\NewsAndInterests\AllowNewsAndInterests]
"value"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Dsh]
"AllowNewsAndInterests"=-

3 To Disable Widgets

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Disable_widgets_feature_for_all_users.reg

Download

(Contents of REG file for reference)

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\NewsAndInterests\AllowNewsAndInterests]
"value"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Dsh]
"AllowNewsAndInterests"=dword:00000000

4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5 If you have Smart App Control turned on, you will need to unblock the downloaded REG file.

6 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

7 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

8 Either restart explorer process, sign out and sign in, or restart the computer to apply.

9 You could now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

That's it,
Shawn Brink

garlin

Well-known member

Guru

VIP

Yesterday at 8:15 PM

Follow this tutorial to disable UCPD. You must reboot Windows after disabling UCPD.

Enable or Disable UserChoice Protection Driver (UCPD) in Windows 11 and 10

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable the "UserChoice Protection Driver" (UCPD) service for all users in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Microsoft has quietly introduced the UserChoice Protection Driver (UCPD) service that is enabled and running by default to block third-party apps...

www.elevenforum.com

Now the reg file will work.

Code:

C:\Users\GARLIN\Downloads>reg import Disable_widgets_feature_for_all_users.reg
The operation completed successfully.

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Ghot

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Yesterday at 9:12 PM

I killed Widgets long ago.
I just checked the two entries in the registry (to disable widgets), and both are set to "0"

I also checked UCPD and it's disabled (Stopped).

I haven't seen widgets at all, on Win 11 Home.

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Marie SWE

I almost never bite.......

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Yesterday at 10:43 PM

Ghot said:
widgets

is that something you eat? :think:

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Ghot

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Today at 3:54 AM

Marie SWE said:
is that something you eat?

Not only do I not use Widgets....

I hung garlic around their necks, staked their hearts, left them out in the sunshine, shot them with silver bullets,
beat them with an ugly stick and took their lunch money.

I kilt the Widget Man.

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Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26200.8973 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦25H2
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Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
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G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
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EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
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Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
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Dell U3011 30"
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2560 x 1600
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2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
PSU
PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
Case
Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
Cooling
CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
Keyboard
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AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
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EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
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ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
Screen Resolution
up to 2048 x 1536
Hard Drives
WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
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PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
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Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
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ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
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Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
Mouse
Logitech Optical M-BT96a
Internet Speed
300/300
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Symantec (Norton)
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Stigg

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Today at 4:01 AM

Marie SWE said:
is that something you eat?

No. I think you're thinking about giblets.

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Apps Enable or Disable Widgets Feature in Windows 11

Stay up to date with Widgets in Windows | Microsoft Support

Enable or Disable Widgets in Local Group Policy Editor

Enable or Disable Widgets using REG file

Attachments

garlin

Well-known member

Enable or Disable UserChoice Protection Driver (UCPD) in Windows 11 and 10

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Ghot

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Marie SWE

I almost never bite.......

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Stigg

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