Are you tired of ads in Windows 11? This free, simple third-party app might be just what you need to reduce the number of ads on your PC
If you’re a Windows 11 user and you’re not quite ready to leave the operating system behind, but want to take a break from seeing ads everywhere, I have news that might make you feel better. There’s a free app that removes ads to make your Windows 11 experience a little less frustrating – it’s called OFGB, which amusingly stands for ‘Oh Frick Go Back’.
OFGB uses your system’s Windows registry to disable all kinds of ads, including File Explorer ads, lock screen tips and tricks, settings ads, “Complete Setup” ads, “Welcome Experience” ads, personalized ads “Customized Experiences and Start Menu Ads. It’s easy to use and you can choose which of these you want to disable by simply checking the appropriate boxes (honestly, I’d recommend disabling them all).
How to get your hands on OFGB
You can download OFGB from its official GitHub page, and there are two versions: a standalone (but larger) version and a version that is not standalone (meaning it relies on the operation of external software components). If you are new to coding and are not sure which version to purchase, I recommend the first version (OFGB-Deps.exe).
Also make sure you have one of the versions of the Source code files (I would recommend the .zip file). Download these files and click OFGB-Deps.exe to start the installation.
Oh Frick, this is perfect
OFGB was created by Arch Linux user (Arch is a customizable version of Linux) xM4ddy on GitHub, who himself is fed up with Windows ads being injected into every nook and cranny of the operating system. She provided the following quote about her frustrations with Tom’s Hardware:
“Windows lost me a long time ago with more and more telemetry, ads, and lack of easily configurable options.”
You can also see a demo in her and read more from the creator Reddit post publishing the new app.
OFGB joins an existing platoon of third-party solutions that let you make automated changes to the Windows registry so you see fewer ads. There’s also Wintoys, an app that recently had a major update, and Tiny 11 Builder, a tool that lets you create your own pared-down version of Windows 11, which also recently got an upgrade.
OFGB looks like a clean, simple solution if the ads are something that bothers you, but only if you’re confident you want to try custom third-party apps. If you’re not, it’s best to continue using Windows as is.
That said, you might want to take the plunge, and you wouldn’t be alone: Windows 11 is reportedly losing market share to its predecessor Windows 10, which will no longer be supported by Microsoft next year, and many people have done so. have been expressing their anger for a while about Microsoft’s increasing and insistent advertising in Windows 11. I wonder if third party apps like OFGB will continue to work, as I see Microsoft doing everything it can to push advertising – since it clearly does not pay much attention to the chorus of existing complaints.