How to Disable Features via the Control Panel’s Windows Features Applet
The Control Panel includes a Windows Features applet with which you can disable many of the platform’s optional features. That window displays a list of checkboxes you can deselect to uninstall features. From there, you can remove features like the antiquated Internet Explorer 11 browser and Windows Media Center. You can disable features with that applet as follows.
Press Win + S keys at the same time to launch the search box. Type Windows Features in the search box to find that applet. Click Turn Windows Features on or off to open the window in the screenshot directly below. Then deselect a checkbox for an enabled feature you don’t want. For example, unchecking the Internet Explorer 11 checkbox will disable that feature. Click Yes on the dialog box prompt to confirm you want to disable the feature. Press the OK button. A Windows Feature wizard will then open and ask you to restart the platform. Click the Restart Now option on that window.
You can both disable and enable features via that window. To disable more specific things, like Windows Media Player, you might need to expand certain feature categories by clicking the + buttons. Have a look through the checkboxes that branch out from the primary features. These are some of the things you can disable from Windows Features:
Print to PDF Net Framework 3. 5 Windows PowerShell 2. 0 Windows Media Player DirectPlay XPS Document Writer TFTP Client
Read also: Windows 10 Optional Features: A Quick Guide to the Best Extras You May Want
How to Disable Windows 10 Features With WinSlap
You can quickly disable even more Windows 10 features with WinSlap. WinSlap is third-party software that enables users to eliminate a wide variety of bloat features not all users appreciate in Windows 10. With that program, you can disable things like Cortana, Bing search, Start menu suggestions, startup sounds, Remote Assistance, Aero Shake, and much, much more. It’s especially good for disabling privacy-orientated features. This is how you can disable features with WinSlap.
Open the WinSlap Softpedia page within a web browser. Click the Download Now option. Select the Softpedia Secure Download (US) option. Press File Explorer’s folder icon on the taskbar. Open the folder to which WinSlap downloaded. Double-click WinSlap. exe to open the software (you don’t need to install it). To set up a shortcut for WinSlap, right-click the WinSlap. exe and select Send to > Desktop (Create Shortcut). The Tweaks tab includes most of WinSlap’s options. Select a disable checkbox for a Windows 10 feature you want to eliminate on that tab. Press the Slap button. A dialog box opens that asks, “Are you ready to slap?” Click Yes on that dialog box prompt to confirm.
Beyond the Tweaks tab, you can also select to disable (and apply) visual features in Windows 10. Click the Appearance tab to view its options. There you can select options to disable lock screen blur, use the Windows 7 volume control, hide the Task View button, and apply small taskbar icons. So, WinSlap also packs in some handy customization options.
A word of warning though, it might not always be entirely straightforward to restore features disabled with WinSlap. For that reason, it’s recommended that you set up a System Restore point before disabling features with WinSlap. Then you can roll Windows 10 back to the restore point to undo changes applied with that software if needed.
Read also: How to Create a Restore Point in Windows 11
Disable the Windows 10 Features You Don’t Want
It’s quick and easy to disable Windows 10 features with both the Windows Features applet and WinSlap. You can disable optional things you don’t need via Windows Features. With WinSlap, you can disable less appreciated features and tweak Windows 10 to suit your preferences better.
