Stop Setup Screens Appearing Every Startup
Every time you turn on your PC, Windows asks the same setup questions about location, Find my device or Microsoft 365. Here's how to make it remember your answers and stop asking.
There are two different screens that can keep coming back
- “Let's finish setting up your device” (or “Let's customize your experience”): a full-screen page suggesting Microsoft 365, OneDrive backup, phone linking and so on. Steps 2 and 4 stop it.
- “Choose privacy settings for your device”: questions about location, Find my device, diagnostic data and ads. Steps 3 and 4 stop it.
Seeing both? Work through every step in order.
FIXTry these in order
After each step, restart and see if the screen comes back.
If the setup screens are closed early, skipped with the keyboard, or interrupted by a restart, Windows treats them as unfinished and shows them again.
Next time it appears, answer every question and click through to the very last screen until you reach the desktop by yourself. Choose Skip for now or No wherever you don't want something; that still counts as finishing. Then restart.
- Go to Settings › System › Notifications.
- Scroll to the bottom and open Additional settings.
- Untick all three boxes: the Windows welcome experience, suggest ways to finish setting up this device, and tips and suggestions.
The exact wording changes between Windows versions, but they're always the three options in this section.
Windows shows the privacy questions again when an update changes its privacy options. If an update is half installed, it can keep asking on every start.
Install everything in Settings › Windows Update, restart, then check for updates and restart once more.
This sets the same switches that businesses use to hide these screens on their computers. It's safe and fully reversible.
Right-click the Start button, choose Terminal (Admin), click Yes, then paste these one at a time:
# Stops “Let's finish setting up your device” reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UserProfileEngagement" /v ScoobeSystemSettingEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f # Stops “Choose privacy settings for your device” reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\OOBE" /v DisablePrivacyExperience /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
Each should reply The operation completed successfully. Restart to check.
To undo, change /d 0 to /d 1 in the first command, and /d 1 to /d 0 in the second.
If the screens come back even after step 4, something on the computer is resetting your settings at startup.
- “Debloat”, privacy or tune-up tools (Windows tweakers, registry cleaners, PC optimisers) often reset these settings each boot. Uninstall them from Settings › Apps › Installed apps.
- Work or school PC? Your organisation may control these settings. Check Settings › Accounts › Access work or school; if an account is listed, ask your IT team.
- Standard account? Saving these settings may need an administrator. Check Settings › Accounts › Your info; it says Administrator under your name if you are one.
Your Windows profile may be damaged so it can't save that setup finished.
- Go to Settings › Accounts › Other users and click Add account.
- Sign in to the new account, finish its setup, then restart and sign in to it again.
If the screens don't come back on the new account, your old profile is the problem. Copy your files across from C:\Users\YourOldName and use the new account from now on.
- Settings › System › Recovery › Reset this PC with Keep my files reinstalls Windows and keeps your documents. You'll need to reinstall apps.
- On a brand-new computer, contact the maker's support; it may be a fault in their factory setup.
FAQCommon questions
What is “Let's finish setting up your device”?
Microsoft calls it the “second-chance out-of-box experience”. It reminds you about features you skipped during setup, like OneDrive backup, Microsoft 365 or linking your phone. It's meant to appear occasionally, not every time you start up.
Why do the privacy questions appear after updates?
When an update adds or changes a privacy option, Windows asks you to review your choices. It should ask once per change. If it asks every startup, your answers aren't being saved; see steps 4–6.
Is it safe to run those reg add commands?
Yes. They only turn off these two reminder screens. They don't change your privacy choices, stop updates or affect anything else, and you can reverse them.
Does this mean my computer has a virus?
No. It's a Windows setting problem. Malware doesn't cause these screens.
Will turning these off stop security updates?
No. Updates keep installing as normal.