3 Ways to Turn Windows Features On or Off: Easy Guide

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Plus, a list of features you can (and should) enable in Windows
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In addition to the software that came preinstalled on your PC, you can enable or disable hidden Windows features if you know where to find them. Some of these features (like Notepad and Microsoft Print to PDF) are on by default, while others (like Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer mode) must be turned on manually. In this guide, we'll teach you where to find hidden Windows features in your Windows 10 and Windows 11 settings and in Control Panel, and show you how to turn them on or off as needed. We'll also list the features you're likely to find, and recommend some cool features to turn on.

Turn Features On or Off in Windows 11: Quick Steps

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Click System.
  3. Click Optional features.
  4. Click View features.
  5. To turn off a feature, check the box and click Remove.
  6. Click See available features to view features you can turn on.
  7. To turn on a feature, check its box, then click Add.
Section 1 of 5:

Turn Features On or Off in Settings (Windows 11)

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  1. Step 1 Open your Windows Settings.
    You can add or remove additional features in the Windows Settings app. To open Settings, click the Start menu and select Settings (the gear icon) or use the keyboard shortcut Windows key + i.
  2. Step 2 Click System.
    You'll find this option in the left panel.
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  3. Step 3 Click Optional features.
    You'll find it at the bottom of the right panel. You may have to scroll down a little bit to see it.
  4. Step 4 Click the View features button.
    This opens a list of optional features you can install and uninstall.
    • If prompted, click Yes to give the app permission to open.
  5. Step 5 Uninstall optional features.
    On the "View features" window, you'll see a list of optional features that are already installed in Windows 11. If you want to remove an installed optional feature, check the box next to its name, then click Remove.[1]
  6. Step 6 Click See available features to view all optional features.
    If you want to see which optional features are available to install, click this link at the top of the window.
  7. Step 7 Install an optional feature.
    You can search for a specific feature using the search bar or scroll through the options. Check the box(es) next to the feature(s) you want to install. Once selected, click the Add button, and follow the on-screen instructions.
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Section 2 of 5:

Turn Features On or Off in Settings (Windows 10)

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  1. Step 1 Open your Windows Settings.
    You can add or remove additional features in the Windows Settings app. To open Settings, click the Start menu and select Settings (the gear icon) or use the keyboard shortcut Windows key + i.
  2. Step 2 Click System.
    It's the outline of a computer in the Settings window.[2]
  3. Step 3 Click Optional features.
    You'll see this in the left panel.
  4. Step 4 Remove an optional feature.
    You'll see a list of installed optional features on the "Optional features" window. If you see a feature you want to remove, select the feature, then click Remove to uninstall it.[3]
  5. Step 5 Click + next to "Add a feature" to see more features to install.
    This expands the entire list of optional features you can add to Windows 10.
  6. Step 6 Install an optional feature.
    Scroll through the list, or search for the feature(s) you want to install. Select one or more features, then click Add to install them.
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Section 3 of 5:

Turn Features On or Off in Control Panel

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  1. Step 1 Open the Control Panel.
    In earlier versions of Windows, the only way to turn Windows Features on or off was through the Control Panel. The Settings method is now preferred for both Windows 10 and 11, but you can still use the Control Panel if you prefer. To open Control Panel, type control panel into the Windows search bar, then click Control Panel in the search results.
    • Control Panel provides access to fewer Windows features than the Windows Settings app. For example, you won't find supplemental font packs or facial recognition support in Control Panel. However, you will find some much older legacy features you can enable, such as telnet support, IIS (Microsoft's web server), and the ability to turn off some built-in features like Microsoft Print to PDF here.
  2. Step 2 Click the Programs category.
    If you don't see this option, skip to the next step.
  3. Step 3 Click Programs and Features.
    A list of installed programs will expand.
  4. Step 4 Click Turn Windows features on or off.
    It's in the left panel. This opens the "Windows Features" window.
  5. Step 5 Remove an installed feature.
    If any optional Windows features are already installed, you'll see a blue and white check mark next to their names. To uninstall a feature, uncheck its box, then click OK.
  6. Step 6 Install a Windows feature.
    To install a feature, check its corresponding box, then click OK.
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Section 4 of 5:

Optional Windows Features List

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  1. Optional features vary by Windows version and hardware. Certain versions of Windows have more available optional features than others, and certain PC manufacturers may limit which optional features can be installed. Here's a general list of optional features you may find on Windows 11 and Windows 10:[4]
    • .NET Framework 3.5 & NET Framework 4.8 Advanced Series - .NET support
    • EMS and SAC Toolset for Windows - Adds the ability to control a non-responsive PC via a com port
    • Extended Theme Content - Wallpapers and other theme support
    • Facial Recognition (Windows Hello) - Authentication tools
    • Graphics Tools - Adds DirectX Graphics Tools support
    • Internet Explorer 11 - Legacy web browser
    • Internet Explorer Mode - Adds IE mode support to Microsoft Edge
    • Internet Information Services - Legacy web server
    • Legacy Console Host - Adds legacy command line tools to Windows 10
    • Math Recognizer - adds Math Input Control and Recognizer
    • Microsoft Paint - Classic MS Paint to Windows
    • Microsoft Web Driver - Automated testing for web developers[5]
    • Mixed Reality - Support for MR devices
    • Networking Tools - RAS Connection Manager Administration Kit (CMAK), RIP Listener, SNMP
    • Notepad (system) - Default text editor
    • OneSync - Syncs Windows Mail, Calendar, and Contacts (legacy)
    • OpenSSH Client - Adds an SSH client to Windows
    • Print Management Console - Print management tools
    • Print and Document Services (Internet Printing Client, LPD Print Service, LPR Port Monitor)
    • Quick Assist - Allows screen sharing with tech support
    • Steps Recorder - Screenshot individual steps to save and share
    • Supplemental fonts (Arabic Script, Bangla Script, Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics, Cherokee, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Devanagari, Ethiopic, Gujarati, Gurmukhi, Hebrew, Japanese, Kannada, Khmer, Korean, Lao, Malayalam, Odia, Pan-European, Sinhala, Syriac, Tamil, Telugu, Thai)
    • Telnet client / TFTP client - Allows telnet and TFTP support
    • TPM Diagnostics - TPM troubleshooting tools
    • Virtual Machine Platform - Enables virtual machine support
    • Windows Fax and Scan - Faxing and scanning capability
    • Windows Hypervisor Platform - 3rd-party virtualization support
    • Windows Identity Foundation 3.5 - legacy .NET SSO support
    • Windows Media Player - Install the legacy Windows Media Player app
    • Windows PowerShell 2.0 - PowerShell environment
    • Windows PowerShell ISE - PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment
    • Windows Projected File System - Adds support for virtual file creation
    • Windows Storage Management - Various storage-related tools
    • Windows TIFF IFilter - Adds OCR support for .TIFF files
    • Wireless Display - Gives the PC the ability to act as a wireless display for other PCs
    • Wordpad - Simple word processing app
    • Work Folders Client - Sync files from a central server
Section 5 of 5:

Which Windows features should I turn on?

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  1. 1
    Enable Internet Explorer Mode to access older IE-only websites. If you're having trouble accessing work or school websites in Edge because they were designed for Internet Explorer, enabling Internet Explorer Mode restores IE compatibility without the security risks.[6]
  2. 2
    Enable Windows Media Player to watch videos and listen to audio. While Windows Media Player is considered a legacy app, Windows hasn't exactly provided users with a replacement. If you want to use Microsoft's original media player to watch videos, listen to music, and even burn audio CDs, turn on the Windows Media Player feature.
  3. 3
    Add supplemental fonts to type characters in different languages. If you need to be able to type in Hindi, Thai, or another language, you can install regional font packs as optional Windows features.
  4. 4
    Turn on Windows Hello Facial Recognition to quickly unlock your PC. Windows Hello allows you to use a PIN instead of a password and use a fingerprint scanner to sign in to Windows by default. If you also want to be able to unlock your computer using facial recognition, enable this feature to add facial recognition support to Windows Hello.[7]
    • This feature is enabled automatically in Windows 11.
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References

  1. ↑ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/client-tools/add-remove-hide-features?tabs=gpo&pivots=windows-11
  2. ↑ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/client-tools/add-remove-hide-features?tabs=gpo&pivots=windows-10
  3. ↑ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/client-tools/add-remove-hide-features?tabs=gpo&pivots=windows-10
  4. ↑ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/features-on-demand-non-language-fod?view=windows-11
  5. ↑ https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/tools/webdriver/?cs=1873324239&form=MA13LH
  6. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/internet-explorer-mode-in-microsoft-edge-6604162f-e38a-48b2-acd2-682dbac6f0de
  7. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/configure-windows-hello-dae28983-8242-bb2a-d3d1-87c9d265a5f0

About This Article

Stan Kats
Reviewed by:
Stan Kats
Professional Technologist
This article was reviewed by Stan Kats and by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Stan Kats is a Professional Technologist and the COO and Chief Technologist for The STG IT Consulting Group in West Hollywood, California. Stan provides comprehensive technology solutions to businesses through managed IT services, and for individuals through his consumer service business, Stan's Tech Garage. Stan holds a BA in International Relations from The University of Southern California. He began his career working in the Fortune 500 IT world. Stan founded his companies to offer an enterprise-level of expertise for small businesses and individuals. This article has been viewed 5,351 times.
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Updated: May 25, 2026
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