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Tired of ads in Windows 11? This free, straightforward third-party app might be just what you need to cut down the number of ads on your PC

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If you’re a Windows 11 user who isn’t quite ready to leave the operating system behind but would like a break from seeing ads all over the place, I have some news that might make you feel better. There’s a free app that cuts out ads to make your Windows 11 experience a little less frustrating – it’s called OFGB, which amusingly stands for ‘Oh Frick Go Back.’

OFGB makes use of your system’s Windows Registry to disable all kinds of ads, including File Explorer ads, Lock Screen tips and tricks, Settings ads, “Finish Setup” ads, “Welcome Experience” ads, personalized ads, “Tailored Experiences, and Start Menu ads. It’s easy to use, and you can pick and pick and choose which of these you’d like to turn off by simply ticking the appropriate boxes (frankly, I’d recommend turning them all off).

How to get your hands on OFGB

You can download OFGB from its official GitHub page, and there are two versions: a self-contained (but larger) version and one that isn’t self-contained (meaning it depends on external software components to run). If you’re not familiar with coding and are unsure which version to get, I’d recommend the first version (OFGB-Deps.exe).

Also, make sure you get one of the versions of the Source code files (I’d recommend the .zip file). Download these files, and click OFGB-Deps.exe to begin 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 herself has had enough of Windows ads being injected in every nook and cranny of the OS. She gave the following quote about her frustrations with Tom’s Hardware:

“Windows lost me a long time ago by adding more and more telemetry, ads, and the lack of easily configurable options.”

You can also see a demo and read more from the creator in her Reddit post publicizing the new app.

OFGB joins an existing platoon of third-party workarounds that enable you to make automated edits to the Windows Registry so that you see fewer ads. There’s also Wintoys, an app that recently saw a major update, and Tiny 11 Builder, a tool for creating your own slimmed-down version of Windows 11, which also recently got an upgrade.

OFGB looks like a clean, straightforward solution if the ads are something that bothers you, but only if you’re confident about trying custom third-party apps – if you’re not, it’s best to stick to using Windows as it comes.

That said, you might be looking to take the leap, and you wouldn’t be alone – Windows 11 is reportedly losing market share to its predecessor Windows 10, which is set to no longer be supported by Microsoft next year, and many people have been expressing their anger at Microsoft’s ramping up and insistent ads in Windows 11 for a good while now. I wonder if third-party apps like OFGB will continue to work, because I could see Microsoft making every effort to push ads through – as it clearly isn’t paying much attention to the chorus of existing complaints.

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Tags Ads, App, Cut, free, number, straightforward, thirdparty, tired, Windows

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I was tired of scrolling – his app woke me up and made me smarter

Post author By lisa nichols
Post date April 7, 2024
No Comments on I was tired of scrolling – his app woke me up and made me smarter

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Whenever I pick up my smartphone, I’m confronted with the question, “Which app am I going to open?” More often than not, I open up an app that tells me the latest news from around the world or updates me on all the latest sports news. Because I’m a British man, I also have to keep on top of the weather forecast, so I always know when it’s going to rain.

More recently, I’ve been opening a completely different type of app. One that is doing me a lot more good and helping me be healthier and more mentally aware. It’s a brain training app called Impulse. There is no shortage of brain training apps and websites, but in my limited experience, there is isn’t a better one.

Homescreen heroes

This is part of a regular series of articles exploring the apps that we couldn’t live without. Read them all here.

For only £5.99 / $6.99 per week, or a reduced annual rate, Impulse promises to keep your brain sharp, enable you to relax and unwind, and stimulate and strengthen neural connections in your brain. That’s quite a collection of benefits for the price of only a couple of coffees. I can’t verify, scientifically, whether this app delivers on those promises, but I can say that I feel that I’m using my daily screen time more wisely.

Replacing doom scrolling with puzzle games that challenge my attention, memory, and brain processing speed has improved my mental health and removed that feeling associated with just wasting time swiping through endless videos and other types of content.

Impulse Brain Training App

(Image credit: Future)

The app begins with a short set of personalized questions that help curate the content. It starts by asking how many minutes per day you’d like to target using the app. As a result, Impulse creates a daily set of games and puzzles that, if completed, will enable you to achieve your daily goal. This transforms the app from a random set of enjoyable puzzles to something that engages every competitive bone in my body.

Anyone who has read my piece on the ‘Been’ app will know how competitive I am! If you exit the day’s training, the app will ask you if you’re sure you want to give up. Talk about a red rag to a raging bull.

Impulse Brain Training App

(Image credit: Future)

The rewards continue throughout the app. You can see your progress alongside streaks that increase each time you hit your daily target. One of my favorite rewards in this app is the ‘Badges’, of which there are around 20. Each badge requires you to play a set number of puzzles and games. Even though the badges don’t mean anything in the grand scheme of life, I still love knowing I’ve achieved something, even if it’s an inanimate app congratulating me.

The app is split into three main sections, revolving around games, puzzles, and tests. Games can be picked at random and filtered based on what type of brain training they achieve. These games have a surprising variety, and, thanks to their simplicity, are amazingly addictive.

At the end of each game, your statistics are presented, including how you compare to others. This further provokes the competitive lion inside of me. I don’t like being told that a large percentage of people are better at something than me, so I play the game again and try to outdo not only myself but all these other users that I’ll never have the pleasure of ever meeting.

Impulse Brain Training App

(Image credit: Future)

Games can be given either a thumbs up or down, depending on your experience with them. I love the ability, at this point, to suggest improvements to each game. This devotion to improvement shows that the app developers want to make the app as engaging as possible.

In the puzzles section are 188 games, but must complete each one to unlock the next. Did I mention that I was competitive? This scratches all those itches and makes me want to solve puzzle after puzzle in pursuit of completing all 188 of them.

Impulse has captured my and the imagination of 50 million other users. It owes its popularity to its simplicity and rewards-based system, which keeps its users coming back for more. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed changing my app habits and certainly feel better for it.

Download Blossom on iOS or on Android

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Tags App, scrolling, smarter, tired, woke