How to Disable Preview Images in Windows 10's Start Menu for Microsoft Photos App

Abstract: Learn how to disable preview images in the Start Menu for the Microsoft Photos App in Windows 10. This step-by-step guide will help you solve any issues with unwanted preview images taking up space in your Start Menu.

Created: 2024-09-24 by UserComp.com Editors

Disabling Preview Images in the Windows 10 Start Menu Microsoft Photos App

If you're a Windows 10 user, you've likely noticed that the Start Menu displays preview images for certain file types, including photos. While this feature can be useful in some cases, it can also be frustrating if you prefer a more streamlined Start Menu experience. This article will cover the steps to disable preview images for the Microsoft Photos App in the Windows 10 Start Menu.

Why Disable Preview Images in the Start Menu?

There are a few reasons why you might want to disable preview images in the Start Menu:

Personal preference for a minimalist Start Menu
Reduce clutter and make it easier to find applications quickly
Improve Start Menu performance by reducing the amount of resources needed to generate preview thumbnails

Steps to Disable Preview Images

To disable preview images in the Windows 10 Start Menu for the Microsoft Photos App, follow these steps:

Open the Windows 10 Settings app (you can search for it using the Start Menu search bar or use the Windows + I keyboard shortcut)
Navigate to the "Personalization" section
Click on "Start" on the left side menu
Scroll down to the "Show more tiles" option under "Start layout" and toggle it off (this will reduce the size of the tiles in the Start Menu)
Scroll down to the "Occasionally show suggestions in Start" option under "Start behavior" and toggle it off (this will turn off suggestions, which include the preview images)

Additional Steps (Advanced Users)

If the above steps don't work for you or you want to take it a step further, you can try the following steps (at your own risk):

Open the Registry Editor (search for "regedit" using the Start Menu search bar)
Navigate to the following key:

HKEY\_CURRENT\_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Create a new DWORD value called "DisableAnimationsAndThumbnails"
Set its value to 1
Close the Registry Editor
Sign out of your Windows 10 account and sign back in

This will disable all animations and thumbnails system-wide, including those in the Start Menu.

To disable preview images in the Windows 10 Start Menu for the Microsoft Photos App:

Open the Settings app and go to "Personalization" > "Start"
Turn off "Show more tiles" and "Occasionally show suggestions in Start"
(Optional for advanced users) Disable animations and thumbnails system-wide using the Registry Editor

References

Disabling Preview Images in Windows 10 Start Menu Microsoft Photos App

Why Disable Preview Images in the Start Menu?

Personal preference for a minimalist Start Menu
Reduce clutter and make it easier to find applications quickly
Improve Start Menu performance by reducing the amount of resources needed to generate preview thumbnails

Steps to Disable Preview Images

Open the Windows 10 Settings app (you can search for it using the Start Menu search bar or use the Windows + I keyboard shortcut)
Navigate to the "Personalization" section
Click on "Start" on the left side menu
Scroll down to the "Show more tiles" option under "Start layout" and toggle it off (this will reduce the size of the tiles in the Start Menu)
Scroll down to the "Occasionally show suggestions in Start" option under "Start behavior" and toggle it off (this will turn off suggestions, which include the preview images)

Additional Steps (Advanced Users)

Open the Registry Editor (search for "regedit" using the Start Menu search bar)
Navigate to the following key:

HKEY\_CURRENT\_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
Create a new DWORD value called "DisableAnimationsAndThumbnails"
Set its value to 1
Close the Registry Editor
Sign out of your Windows 10 account and sign back in

This will disable all animations and thumbnails system-wide, including those in the Start Menu.

Summary

Open the Settings app and go to "Personalization" > "Start"
Turn off "Show more tiles" and "Occasionally show suggestions in Start"
(Optional for advanced users) Disable animations and thumbnails system-wide using the Registry Editor

References

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