Windows 10 Anniversary Update includes a new Windows Ink feature. It allows tablet users who have a pen or a stylus to write on their devices as on paper. If pen support by the device is recongized by Windows 10, it automatically shows the Windows Ink button on the taskbar near the notification area (system tray). If you don't find Windows Ink useful, here is how you can disable it in Windows 10.
Windows Ink offers a number of interesting features to the end user. For example, on Microsoft Surface devices, Windows Ink Workspace is enabled by default and integrated with Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Office and Windows Maps. The user can write notes on web pages and create sticky notes. If your device has no pen or you do not like Windows Ink, here is how to disable it with a tweak.
How to disable Windows Ink in Windows 10
- Open Registry Editor.
- Go to the following Registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsInkWorkspace
Tip: see How to jump to the desired registry key with one click.
If you have no WindowsInkWorkspace subkey, then just create it.
- Create a 32-bit DWORD value named AllowWindowsInkWorkspace. Even if you are running 64-bit Windows, you still need to create a 32-bit DWORD value.
Leave its value data as 0.
- Sign out and sign in back to your Windows account. Some users report that Windows Ink becomes disabled for them only after reboot.
Here are ready-to-use Registry files for everything mentioned above:
You can save your time and use Winaero Tweaker. It comes with the following feature:
That's it. Windows Ink will now be disabled in Windows 10. To enable it back, delete the AllowWindowsInkWorkspace parameter you created.
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Hi there,
I followed the instructions above. It did not work. Ink still turns itself on in Excel.
I rebooted, and when that didn’t help, signed out and in again.
I double checked for typos in my newly added registry key, but there aren’t any.
Still ink is working. How can this be?
best regards, Willem
yes, i did this. downloaded the winaero and the box was already ticked. i reboot. Still appears even while searching the tweaks in winaero. I unticked and ticket and reboot. Nothing. I did the registry, had done it before, nothing. I did the gepedit too, nothing. Is there a way to search for the file that controls it and delete it?
Is so annoying