With each update to its software and operating systems, Microsoft attempts to improve the user’s experience. Unfortunately, sometimes it feels like they add features that just get in the way. The good news is, that many of these extra features can be moved or managed in a way that makes sense for the way you use the software.
Microsoft Office
When you select text in a Word/Excel/PowerPoint/OneNote document, a smaller version of the main toolbar pops up.
It is intended to provide the most common formatting options close to where you need them, but sometimes it covers the text you need to edit. You can move your mouse to make it disappear, but you can also disable the mini toolbar completely. (Unless you are using the web version.)
You will need to disable the mini toolbar in each Microsoft app separately. In each app:
- Click “File” in the top menu. On the left, click “Options.”
- In the “General” tab, uncheck the “Show Mini Toolbar on selection” option.
- Click OK to save.
Note that you can still right-click selected text to make the mini toolbar appear if this option is unchecked.
For more tips on customizing Word, check out the Word articles and videos on Tech-Talk. Use the dropdown topic menu at the top of the page to select a different Microsoft app.
Windows 11
Microsoft loves to add features to its operating systems with almost every update. Whether the features are actually helpful depends on the individual. For example, Windows 10 and 11 have an option available in the taskbar at the bottom of the screen that appears as a weather or news icon. This is the “News and Interests” widget. Today, my icon is showing stocks:
If I click on the icon, it opens a panel with headlines for news, weather, and stocks. Clicking any item in this panel will open the Edge browser to MSN.com, where the news and other information come from.
I find this particular widget helpful, but others might find it distracting, as mousing over the icon pops up a preview window. Or they may hate the Edge browser with the kind of passion that makes clicking on a story unlikely.
Hide News and Interests
Whatever your reason might be, here is how to disable the News and Interests app.
In Windows 11:
- Right-click a blank area on the taskbar to show a menu
- Select “taskbar settings”
- Toggle “widgets” off
Personalize the News and Interests Widget
You can also personalize the News and Interests widget to your particular interests. Check out this Tech-Talk article to learn how to do it in Windows 11.
More Information
The News and Interests widget also exists in Windows 10. Find instructions to hide or personalize it in this Tech-Talk article and video.
For more tips on using Windows, check out these Tech-Talk articles and videos.
To learn more about Tech-Talk, here is our introductory post about this resource.
