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By Leo Notenboom
Two techniques to remove the Windows 10 offer icon, including a more generally useful approach to notification icons.
You’ve decided what you want to do with Windows 10. Maybe you’ve “reserved” your copy; maybe you’ve simply decided to wait.
Either way, your decision is made.
Now, what about that pesky little icon?
There are several approaches to making it go away. I’ll show you a generic approach you can use for any icon in the Windows Taskbar notification area.
Windows 10 offer icon
The icon we’re talking about is the little white Windows logo that appears in what’s called the “notification area” of the Windows Taskbar.
Right click on it, and you’ll see a menu of options that may include options to reserve Windows 10, or to check your reservation if you’ve already reserved.
My take is that you can safely and simply just ignore the Windows 10 offer icon. Honestly, there’s absolutely nothing you need to do.
However, many are annoyed by its presence, or are perhaps tight on space and want to see it gone.
Customizing the notification area
Right click on an empty area of the Taskbar, or on the Start Menu icon.
Left-click on Properties.
Underneath “Notification area,” click on Customize….
This is a list of all the notification area icons that may be displayed on your task bar.
Make sure that “Always show all icons and notifications on the taskbar” is unchecked. This will allow us to configure the behavior for each icon individually.
Next to the “GWX – Get Windows 10″ (the application behind the Windows 10 offer icon) is a drop-down list of options.
In that drop-down list, select “Hide icon and notifications”.
When you click OK, the Windows 10 icon should disappear from the notification area.
As you can see, you can do this for any number of the icons and notifications that regularly appear on the taskbar.
If you actually want to see a hidden icon or notification, just click on the little upward-pointing triangle that will have appeared at the left end of the notification area.
Here you can see – and interact with – any of the notification area items that are hidden by default.
Why not remove the Windows 10 offer completely?
Of course, you can remove the icon by removing the update that’s presenting the Windows 10 offer completely. It’s a tad geekier, as it involves removing a specific Windows update and then hiding it.
Go to Windows Update, via the Start Menu or Control Panel, and then view Installed updates. Look for and then remove the update for KB3035583. You’ll also then need to hide the update in the list of offered Windows updates, to keep it from coming back.
I choose to leave the update installed and the software running for several reasons:
Remember, the approach I’ve outlined above applies to any notification icon, not just the one for the Windows 10 update offer.
Two techniques to remove the Windows 10 offer icon, including a more generally useful approach to notification icons.
You’ve decided what you want to do with Windows 10. Maybe you’ve “reserved” your copy; maybe you’ve simply decided to wait.
Either way, your decision is made.
Now, what about that pesky little icon?
There are several approaches to making it go away. I’ll show you a generic approach you can use for any icon in the Windows Taskbar notification area.
Windows 10 offer icon
The icon we’re talking about is the little white Windows logo that appears in what’s called the “notification area” of the Windows Taskbar.
Right click on it, and you’ll see a menu of options that may include options to reserve Windows 10, or to check your reservation if you’ve already reserved.
My take is that you can safely and simply just ignore the Windows 10 offer icon. Honestly, there’s absolutely nothing you need to do.
However, many are annoyed by its presence, or are perhaps tight on space and want to see it gone.
Customizing the notification area
Right click on an empty area of the Taskbar, or on the Start Menu icon.
Left-click on Properties.
Underneath “Notification area,” click on Customize….
This is a list of all the notification area icons that may be displayed on your task bar.
Make sure that “Always show all icons and notifications on the taskbar” is unchecked. This will allow us to configure the behavior for each icon individually.
Next to the “GWX – Get Windows 10″ (the application behind the Windows 10 offer icon) is a drop-down list of options.
In that drop-down list, select “Hide icon and notifications”.When you click OK, the Windows 10 icon should disappear from the notification area.
As you can see, you can do this for any number of the icons and notifications that regularly appear on the taskbar.
If you actually want to see a hidden icon or notification, just click on the little upward-pointing triangle that will have appeared at the left end of the notification area.
Here you can see – and interact with – any of the notification area items that are hidden by default.
Why not remove the Windows 10 offer completely?
Of course, you can remove the icon by removing the update that’s presenting the Windows 10 offer completely. It’s a tad geekier, as it involves removing a specific Windows update and then hiding it.
Go to Windows Update, via the Start Menu or Control Panel, and then view Installed updates. Look for and then remove the update for KB3035583. You’ll also then need to hide the update in the list of offered Windows updates, to keep it from coming back.
I choose to leave the update installed and the software running for several reasons:
- I prefer not to mess with specific Windows Update entries if at all possible. While this one is pretty safe, you never really know all the ramifications.
- The Windows 10 offer program might provide me with additional interesting information between now and Windows 10 release.
- I expect that the Windows 10 offer program might be the easiest way to initiate the update when the time comes and I decide to install it.
Remember, the approach I’ve outlined above applies to any notification icon, not just the one for the Windows 10 update offer.