How to Disable Widgets Board on Hover in Windows 11

The Widgets board in Windows 11 provides news, weather, and stock updates. While useful, it often triggers accidentally when your mouse moves over the taskbar icon. This can be distracting. Disabling this feature keeps your desktop clean and prevents unwanted interruptions. It may also slightly improve system performance by reducing background resource usage.

What happens when done? The Widgets board will stop appearing automatically. You can still open it manually by clicking the icon or pressing Windows key + W.

Disable Widgets on Hover

This method is the easiest way to stop the hover trigger.

1. Open the Widgets board by clicking the weather icon or pressing Windows key + W.
2. Click the Profile icon in the top-right corner.
3. Find Widgets taskbar behavior.
4. Toggle Open Widgets board on hover to Off.

Note: This process does not require admin privileges.

Registry Editor Method (Advanced)

Warning: Editing the registry can cause system issues if done incorrectly. Always back up your registry before proceeding.

Requires admin privileges.

1. Press Windows key + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
3. Right-click in the right pane, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
4. Name it TaskbarDa and set the value to 0.

Group Policy Editor (Professional/Enterprise)

If you are in an office environment, your IT team may use Group Policy to manage these settings.

Requires admin privileges.

1. Press Windows key + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Widgets.
3. Double-click Allow widgets and select Disabled.
4. Click Apply and OK.

PowerShell Method

PowerShell is a fast way for power users to change settings.

Requires admin privileges.

1. Right-click the Start button and select Terminal (Admin).
2. Run the following command:
   ⬛PowerShell

   Copy

   Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer\\Advanced" -Name "TaskbarDa" -Value 0

3. Restart your computer to apply the changes.

Summary

Disabling the Widgets board in Windows 11 helps you maintain focus and prevents accidental pop-ups. Whether you use the simple settings menu, the Registry Editor, or Group Policy, you have full control over your taskbar experience. If you ever want the feature back, simply reverse the steps provided above.” }