How to disable the Weather widget from the Windows 10 Taskbar
Microsoft released the KB5003637 Windows Update on Tuesday. It brings various security fixes, which you can read about in Martin's article.
I let my computer update to the latest patch yesterday before shutting down. When I turned it on this morning, I was greeted by something new. There was this weather widget on the taskbar. For a moment I was confused about where it came from, before I remembered that Windows had been updated. Surely, this can't be a coincidence.
This wasn't a sudden change, if you're wondering. Microsoft announced the feature in April 2021, and released it in the May Update. But for some reason, many users are only getting the widget after the June update. This isn't the first annoyance we have seen, you may have come across the infamous "Use Microsoft Edge" screen pop-up after a reboot. I saw it a few weeks ago.
You're probably thinking I don't want that weather info on the taskbar. And I agree, it is quite long and takes up a lot of space. Well, the good news is that you can get rid of the weather panel in just 2 clicks.
How to disable the Weather widget from the Windows 10 Taskbar
Right-click anywhere on the taskbar. Mouse over the News and Interests menu, and then on its sub-menu. Select the Turn off option. That's it.
If you changed your mind and want it back, repeat the steps.
Tip: check out Martin's detailed guide on hiding the News and Interests widget for additional information, including how to disable the feature in the Registry.
A brief overview of the News and Interests panel
While we are here, let's take a look at the other options that are available in News and Interests. If you don't like the long version of the widget, but find the information useful, you can switch to the Icon-only version. This removes the temperature reading and the text, so you're literally left with the icon. Oddly, the icon does not have a tool-tip to indicate the temperature level. The open on hover setting, which is enabled by default, doesn't do anything.
Left-click on the weather widget and a big panel pops-up. This is the News and Weather app window. In addition to displaying the weather information, it also shows you top stories from news websites, stock prices, and traffic updates. To customizing your news feed, click the Manage Interests button at the top of the pop-up. It takes you to your MSN settings page where you can pick the news categories that you like.
Each card in the News and Weather panel has a three-dot button, which you can click to customize its settings. The weather card, for example, will always detect your location. I have disabled location usage from Windows' settings, but the weather app seems to have picked it up. It's not accurate because it doesn't use GPS, and instead relies on your internet connection. You can manually enter the zip code or City name in the weather card's settings to specify the location. The Traffic card's settings are similar. You may hide each card if you don't find it useful.
I'm not sure if you can tell from the screenshot, but the text in the weather widget is blurry. I don't have this problem with other programs.
So, what do you think about the weather widget? Do you like it, or do you consider it bloatware?
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277
I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
Tank you for your help