Windows 10: Remove Get Windows 10 Icon from Taskbar in Windows 7 and 8.1

How to: Remove Get Windows 10 Icon from Taskbar in Windows 7 and 8.1

How to Remove 'Get Windows 10' Icon from Taskbar in Windows 7 and 8.1


Information PCs that Microsoft determines cannot run Windows 10 will not see the Get Windows 10 app before July 29, 2015. After July 29, 2015, Microsoft will enable the icon in the system tray. This is to help ensure that you can easily check your PC’s compatibility if you choose.

The Get Windows 10 (GWX) app helps you understand your Windows 10 upgrade options and device readiness, and gives you the opportunity to get a free copy of Windows 10.

For more details, see:

• Windows 10 Q&A
• KB3080351 - How to manage Windows 10 notification and upgrade options
• KB3081048 - The "Get Windows 10" app doesn’t appear in Windows 7 or 8.1
• KB3095675 - Windows 10 upgrade: How-to information on scheduling and notifications

This tutorial will show you how to hide or remove the 'Get Windows 10' (GWX) icon on the taskbar in Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 if you do not wish to upgrade to Windows 10 for free.



Tip

Warning Microsoft will only offer the free upgrade to Windows 10 for qualifying Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 PCs and tablets until the end of July 2016.

After this date, you will have to pay for Windows 10 if you did not take advantage of the free Upgrade to Windows 10 update in Windows Update or Get Windows 10 app.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Remove Windows 10 Upgrade Offer using KB3184143 Update
• Option Two: To Hide 'Get Windows 10' Notification Area Icon
• Option Three: To Hide or Show 'Get Windows 10' Notification Area Icon using Task Scheduler
• Option Four: To Disable 'Get Windows 10' using a REG file

EXAMPLE: Get Windows 10 app and icon on taskbar















OPTION ONE [/i] To Remove Windows 10 Upgrade Offer using KB3184143 Update
1. Install the KB3184143 update in Windows Update.

For more details, see: Remove software related to the Windows 10 free upgrade offer - KB3184143





OPTION TWO [/i] To Hide 'Get Windows 10' Notification Area Icon


Note This option will show you how to hide or show the Get Windows 10 icon on the taskbar notification area for only your user account.

This way the Get Windows 10 app is not removed from the PC, and you will be able to use it when you like in the future.



Warning Hiding the Get Window 10 app icon on the taskbar notification area is only temporary.

If you log out and in or restart the computer, it will show again.


1. Open your Notification Area Icons settings.

2. Uncheck the Always show all icons and notifications on the taskbar box.

3. Set the GWX Get Windows 10 icon to Hide icon and notifications, and click/tap on OK.





4. If you like, you may also wish to enable or disable Upgrade to Windows 10 in Windows Update.





OPTION THREE [/i] To Hide or Show 'Get Windows 10' Notification Area Icon using Task Scheduler


Note You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do this option.

This option will show you how to hide or show the Get Windows 10 icon on the taskbar notification area for all users on the PC.

This way the Get Windows 10 app is not removed from the PC, and you will be able to use it when you like in the future.


1. Press the Windows+R keys to open the Run command, type taskschd.msc, and click/tap on OK to open Task Scheduler.

2. In the left pane of Task Scheduler, expand open and navigate to the gwx folder below. (see screenshots below)
*Arrow Task Scheduler Library/Microsoft/Windows/Setup/gwx

3. Do step 4 (show) or step 5 (hide) below for what you would like to do.


4. To Show Get Windows 10 icon on Taskbar Notification Area
NOTE: This is the default setting.
A) In the middle pane of gwx, right click on the launchtrayprocess task, and click/tap on Enable. (see screenshot below)

B) In the middle pane of gwx, right click on the refreshgwxconfig task, and click/tap on Enable. (see screenshot below)

C) In the middle pane of gwx, right click on the launchtrayprocess task, and click/tap on Run. (see screenshot below)





5. To Hide Get Windows 10 icon on Taskbar Notification Area
A) In the middle pane of gwx, right click on the launchtrayprocess task, and click/tap on Disable. (see screenshot below)

B) In the middle pane of gwx, right click on the refreshgwxconfig task, and click/tap on Disable. (see screenshot below)




6. When finished, close Task Scheduler.

7. Log off and on to Windows, or restart the computer to apply.

8. If you like, you may also wish to enable or disable Upgrade to Windows 10 in Windows Update.





OPTION FOUR [/i] To Disable 'Get Windows 10' using a REG file


Note You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do this option.

This option will show you how to enable or disable to show the Get Windows 10 icon on the taskbar notification area and the Windows 10 upgrade reminder for all users on the PC.

This way the Get Windows 10 app is not removed from the PC when disabled, and you will be able enable it again to use it when you like in the future.


The .reg files below will add and modify the DWORD and String values in the registry keys below.

(GWX icon)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\GWX

DisableGWX DWORD

0 or delete = Enable
1 = Disable

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\GWX.exe

Debugger String Value

<delete> = Enable
Debugger = Disable


1. Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


2. To Enable Get Windows 10
NOTE: This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Enable_Get_Windows_10.reg

Download

3. To Disable Get Windows 10
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Disable_Get_Windows_10.reg

Download
4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6. If prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7. Restart the computer to apply.

8. If you like, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

9. If you like, you may also wish to enable or disable Upgrade to Windows 10 in Windows Update.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• Enable or Disable Upgrade to Windows 10 in Windows Update for Windows 7 and 8.1
• Check Get Windows 10 app Compatibility Report for Windows 10 in Window 7 and 8.1

:)

 

How do I disable the update to 10 taskbar icon?

You can remove it. Check out Remove Windows 10 App icon from Windows 8.1 / 7 Taskbar and follow the instructions under "Remove Get Windows 10 icon from taskbar".

Good luck!

 

how can the Win 10 logo be removed

See if this helps -
https://www.windowsphoneinfo.com/threads/remove-get-windows-10-icon-from-taskbar-in-windows-7-and-8-1.9660/ if you just don't want to see it just hiding the icon ( option 1 ) is probably easiest.

 

Thank you Dick. Added as OPTION TWO. *Smile

 

@Brink I was also able to reserve my copy of Windows 10 using OPTION TWO via task scheduler after installing the required updates but not yet seeing the "Get Windows 10" icon in the notification area after a few restarts and almost a day of waiting.

When I used OPTION TWO at Step #4 A) A) In the middle pane of gwx, right click on launchtrayprocess , then I chose Run from right click menu.

Now I was able to reserve my copy of windows.

 

Yeah, you'll have "Run" instead of "Enable" if the task hadn't been disabled.

You might also check the items listed in the blue note box at the top of the tutorial below to see if anything may apply. *Smile

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/6...s-7-8-1-a.html

 

@Brink The only thing different when satisfying the conditions needed in the blue note box is I have WU set to "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download or install them"

 

That would only matter to help make sure you have the KB3035583 update installed.

 

Hi there

Thanks

A note here to users of W7 / W8.1 -- you CAN start using W10 (build 10130) if you want to -- simply get your W10 reservation as per the tutorial- THEN TAKE AN IMAGE BACKUP. Now install W10 (either update or clean) and restore OLD IMAGE when the official W10 release comes out so you can install your copy of W10.

I've done this on 3 computers -- imaged them with Acronis backup and restored Windows build 10130 again. After the product is available I'll simply restore my images and download the updates.

Cheers
jimbo

 

Would running the specific WinSxS cleanup command Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase prevent this update ever being uninstalled in the future ?

 

Hello Mooly,

That's correct as per below. However, you could still do OPTION 2 or 3 in the tutorial to remove the icon though. *Smile

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials...ows-8-1-a.html

 

Thanks once again Shawn. Seems as though the 'Task Scheduler' would be my best option at the moment.

(and I'm still hoping to be able to run W10 at some point although as you know, my Dell just isn't playing ball at the moment *Smile)

 

You're welcome. Hopefully the Dell will soon.

 

Shawn, on Win7 where performance problems arose after tray icon appeared, gwx update was uninstalled and hidden, gwx.exe was owned and deleted, reg keys deleted for gwx scheduled tasks.

Will user be be able to restore it later by reinstalling gwx update?

 

Hey Greg,

Yep, they would just need to reverse the options in the tutorial to enable GWX again. *Smile