Ars Technica published two long articles in November 2025 that provide a practical checklist for making Windows 11 25H2 — and a fresh clean install — quieter and less interrupted by AI. The authors list not only conceptual advice but step‑by‑step settings paths, Group Policy locations, and common PowerShell commands to facilitate hands‑on adjustments.
First is removing AI from the interface. The articles note that 25H2 tightly integrates Copilot and "Windows AI" into the taskbar, Search and suggestion flows. To fully disable them, users can go to Settings > System > Copilot and Windows AI (or a similar entry), unpin Copilot from the taskbar and turn off the related toggles. Enterprise admins can use Group Policy (gpedit.msc) at Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Copilot and set it to Disabled; they can also add policy keys under the registry policy path to reinforce restrictions.
For the Start menu and search suggestions, the articles recommend disabling items such as "Show recommended Start content/Highlights/Cloud‑based suggestions" one by one. Paths are concentrated in Settings > Personalization > Start and Settings > Privacy & security > Search permissions. To stop "Recommended for you" apps and web results, turn off "Show suggestions in Start" and "Show web results in search."
Uninstalling preinstalled apps and reducing background processes is a common theme in both pieces. The manual route is Settings > Apps > Installed apps and uninstalling unwanted programs such as Candy Crush, Xbox and the preinstalled Teams. Advanced users can run PowerShell, for example: Get‑AppxPackage ‑AllUsers *xbox* | Remove‑AppxPackage to remove a class of apps, or use a broader command: Get‑AppxPackage ‑AllUsers | Where‑Object { $_.Name ‑like "*3D*" } | Remove‑AppxPackage to clean built‑in UWP packages. The articles also warn that some system components cannot safely be removed and advise creating a system restore point first.
To tighten privacy and telemetry, they give explicit paths: Settings > Privacy & security > Diagnostics & feedback to set diagnostic data to the minimum; disable the advertising ID and personalized ads in Privacy > General; and in Settings > Apps > Advanced app settings, turn off the "Let apps run in background" toggle to reduce background network and CPU activity.
For Edge cleanup, the other article lists specific steps: visit edge://settings, disable "Startup boost" and "Continue running background apps", clear the startup page and default search, and turn off "Suggested content/Collections/unnecessary sync items" in settings. To switch the default browser back to Chrome or Firefox, specify chrome.exe or firefox.exe for http/https under Settings > Apps > Default apps. The article also recommends uninstalling unneeded Edge extensions and clearing history and cache to reduce invisible tracking.
For a clean‑install checklist, the articles list an order of operations: create a local account or postpone signing into a Microsoft account to reduce initial sync; deselect "Get more experiences/suggestions" during first‑run; install required apps and set defaults manually; finally use scripts or winget to bulk uninstall unwanted components. The authors also demonstrate how to disable startup items in Task Manager and turn off "Get system suggestions" in Notifications settings.
Both articles conclude that Windows 11's AI and recommendation features offer convenience, but defaults are biased toward proactive pushing; achieving a "quiet" desktop requires users to take time to disable each entry. Ars Technica's breakdown emphasizes traceable steps (settings paths, Group Policy locations, example PowerShell commands) so users can follow along to restore a more controllable, power‑efficient and privacy‑focused system.