How to Disable Windows 11 Widgets to Improve Performance

What Causes This?

Windows 11 Widgets runs through background processes such as Windows Web Experience Pack and loads web-based content like news, weather, and sports updates. Even if you rarely use the Widgets panel, it can still consume memory, network bandwidth, and CPU time in the background. On lower-end PCs or systems already running many startup apps, that extra activity can make Windows feel slower than it should.

Common Symptoms

• Higher RAM or CPU usage from background Windows components
• Slower taskbar response or lag when signing in
• Brief spikes in network activity when the PC is idle
• Fans running more often than expected during light use
• General sluggishness on lower-spec Windows 11 PCs

How to Fix It Manually

1. Turn off Widgets from the taskbar

   1. Right-click an empty area of the taskbar.
   2. Click Taskbar settings.
   3. Under Taskbar items, find Widgets.
   4. Switch Widgets to Off.

2. Check whether the Widgets process is still running

   1. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
   2. Click Processes.
   3. Look for processes related to Widgets or Windows Web Experience Pack.
   4. If you see them using noticeable resources, note that Windows may still keep some components installed even after hiding the taskbar button.

3. Disable Widgets through Group Policy
   This option is available on Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education.

   1. Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
   2. Go to:
      Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Widgets
   3. Double-click Allow widgets.
   4. Select Disabled.
   5. Click Apply, then OK.
   6. Restart your PC.

4. Disable Widgets using the Registry
   Use this if you do not have Group Policy Editor.

   1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
   2. Navigate to:
      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft
   3. Right-click Microsoft, choose New > Key, and name it Dsh if it does not already exist.
   4. Select the Dsh key.
   5. Right-click in the right pane and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
   6. Name it AllowNewsAndInterests.
   7. Double-click it and set Value data to 0.
   8. Click OK and restart Windows.

5. Remove the Web Experience Pack if you want to go further

   1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
   2. Search for Windows Web Experience Pack.
   3. If uninstall is available, click the three dots next to it and choose Uninstall.
   4. Restart your PC.

   Note: On some systems, Windows may reinstall this component during updates, or the uninstall option may not appear.

6. Confirm the improvement

   1. Restart your PC.
   2. Open Task Manager again with Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
   3. Check CPU, Memory, and Startup impact after sign-in.
   4. If the system feels more responsive and background usage is lower, the change worked.

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