If Windows keeps popping up “back up your PC” messages after you have already said no, you can silence them. On current versions of Windows 11, the quickest fix is the more button on the notification itself, then Turn off all notifications. The trade-off: muting the reminder backs nothing up, so have another plan in place before you turn it off.
What the reminder is and what you give up
The prompts come from Windows Backup, the built-in app that saves your folders, settings and app list to your Microsoft account and OneDrive. Windows nudges you in a few different places, which is why turning off one of them often is not enough:
- Toast notifications in the bottom-right corner and in the notification center.
- A full-screen “finish setting up your device” style page after some updates or sign-ins.
- Maintenance messages from Security and Maintenance in Control Panel.
- Prompts in Settings or File Explorer may also suggest backing up to OneDrive.
Silencing these does not delete anything and does not turn off a backup you already set up. It only stops the reminders. If you have no backup at all, a failed drive or a lost laptop takes your files with it, and Windows will no longer warn you about that. Many people solve this by setting up a backup they are happy with (Windows Backup, OneDrive, or an external drive) and then turning the nags off.
Pick the right fix
| What you see | Best fix | Where |
|---|---|---|
| A Windows Backup toast or banner | Turn off notifications from that sender | The notification’s more button, or Settings > System > Notifications |
| A full-screen setup page after an update | Try clearing the two Additional settings checkboxes | Settings > System > Notifications > Additional settings |
| A message in Security and Maintenance | Uncheck Windows Backup under maintenance messages | Control Panel |
| Prompts keep coming because no backup exists | Set up or adjust Windows Backup so it is satisfied | Settings > Accounts > Windows backup |
Working through the list in order usually covers every prompt. Each step is reversible.
Turn it off from the notification itself
This is the fastest route because Windows already knows which app sent the message.
- When the backup notification appears, or after you open the notification center by selecting the date and time on the taskbar, point to the notification.
- Select the more button (three dots) on it.
- Select Turn off all notifications for that app.
That turns off notifications from that one sender only. Other apps keep notifying you as before. If the menu offers no such option, or the notification has already gone, use the Settings method below.
Turn off Windows Backup notifications in Settings
- Select Start > Settings > System > Notifications.
- Scroll to Notifications from apps and other senders.
- Look for Windows Backup in the list and turn its switch off.
- If you would rather keep the messages but make them quieter, select Windows Backup instead and adjust Show notification banners, Show notifications in notification center or Play a sound.
A sender usually appears in this list only after it has sent a notification, and Microsoft does not document Windows Backup as a named entry. If you cannot find it, check the list again right after a reminder shows up, or move on to the next section, because some backup prompts come from Windows itself rather than from the app.
The same Settings page is where you can manage every other noisy app. The approach is much the same on older systems; see how to turn off notifications in Windows 10 for that version’s screens.
Stop the setup and suggestion prompts
Full-screen pages that suggest backing up or turning on OneDrive after an update are part of the Windows welcome experience and suggestions, which two checkboxes control.
- Open Settings > System > Notifications.
- Scroll to the bottom and expand Additional settings.
- Clear Show the Windows welcome experience after updates and when signed in to show what’s new and suggested.
- Clear Get tips and suggestions when using Windows.
These checkboxes also stop other “get the most out of Windows” tips, which most people who reach this point will welcome. Bluetooth Add a device pop-ups have a separate switch; the fix for Add a device notifications in Windows 11 covers those.
An extra sign-in setting to try
If the setup page keeps returning after updates, you can also try turning off Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up my device after an update or restart under Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options. Microsoft’s support pages do not tie this setting to backup prompts, and the label may differ on your PC, so treat it as an extra step to try only if the setup page keeps returning after updates.
Uncheck Windows Backup in Security and Maintenance
Control Panel still has the old maintenance message list that Windows 7 called Action Center. Microsoft’s current support pages do not describe this check box, so the labels below may vary. This list belongs to Control Panel, so it may not affect notifications from the newer Windows Backup app; use it alongside the Settings steps.
- Select Start, type Control Panel and open it.
- Go to System and Security > Security and Maintenance.
- In the left pane, select Change Security and Maintenance settings.
- Under Maintenance messages, clear Windows Backup if it is listed. If File History is also listed and its messages bother you, you can clear it too.
- Select OK.
The box may be checked again after a major update, so recheck it if the messages return.
Or set up Windows Backup so the reminders have nothing to say
The reminders exist because Windows thinks your PC is unprotected. Configuring Windows Backup may quiet them and gives you a real safety net.
- Open Settings > Accounts > Windows backup to see what is backed up now. You can also select Start, type backup and open the Windows Backup app.
- Under the folders option, choose which of Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos and Music go to OneDrive. Turn off any you do not want stored online.
- Choose whether to remember your apps and your settings and preferences, such as Wi-Fi networks and personalization.
Folder backup uses OneDrive storage, and a free account has limited space. If you want files kept only on the PC or on an external drive, turn the folder backup off; the steps to stop OneDrive backing up your folders explain what happens to files already uploaded. An alternative that stays offline is to back up files automatically to an external hard drive.
If you change your mind about settings already saved to the cloud, Microsoft explains on its Windows Backup page how to remove them from your Microsoft account’s devices page with Clear stored settings.
A worked example
Picture a family PC whose photos already sync to an external drive every night. The household does not want a second copy in OneDrive, and the reminders keep appearing. The cleanest result here is to turn off notifications from Windows Backup in Settings, clear both Additional settings checkboxes, and leave folder backup off in Settings > Accounts > Windows backup. Windows stops asking, and the nightly drive backup carries on untouched.
Windows 10 differences
Windows 10 reached the end of support on October 14, 2025. Consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) keep security fixes coming until October 12, 2027 for enrolled PCs. The ideas above carry over, with a few label changes:
- The notifications page is Settings > System > Notifications & actions, with the app list under Get notifications from these senders.
- The suggestion checkboxes sit near the top of that page. One older wording is Suggest ways I can finish setting up my device to get the most out of Windows; clear it along with the welcome experience and tips options.
- Some Windows 10 PCs show a “choose backup options to protect your pictures and documents” style toast. Its Turn off reminders choice may only pause it, so use Settings or the Security and Maintenance box as well.
- Security and Maintenance works the same way as in Windows 11.
Windows 7 (legacy)
Windows 7 has been unsupported since January 14, 2020. On a PC that still runs it, open Control Panel > System and Security > Action Center, select Change Action Center settings, clear Windows Backup under Maintenance messages, and select OK.
The screen above is Windows 7. Because the system no longer gets security fixes, a backup matters even more there; the guide to back up Windows 7 shows how to copy files off before silencing the message.
If the reminders come back
- After a feature update: updates can reset suggestion settings and maintenance messages. Recheck the Additional settings checkboxes and the Security and Maintenance box.
- Windows Backup is not in the notifications list: the prompt is probably a setup page or a Windows tip rather than an app notification. Use the Additional settings checkboxes.
- A work or school PC: an administrator may manage notifications or OneDrive backup through policy, and your changes may not stick. Ask your IT team.
- You only need quiet for a while: turn on Do not disturb from the bell icon in the notification center. It is a temporary fix, not a way to stop backup prompts for good.
- Prompts mention OneDrive by name: they may come from the OneDrive app rather than Windows Backup. Check OneDrive’s own settings, or turn off notifications for OneDrive in the same Settings list.
Avoid registry edits or group policies that disable the whole notification center. They are undocumented for this purpose, hide alerts you want (security warnings, for example) and are harder to undo than the steps above.
Backup notification questions
Will turning off the notifications stop my existing backups?
No. Notifications and backups are separate. Folders already set to back up to OneDrive keep syncing until you turn that off in Settings > Accounts > Windows backup or in OneDrive.
Do I lose anything by clearing the tips and welcome checkboxes?
You stop seeing the post-update “what’s new” page and general Windows tips. Updates themselves, security alerts and app notifications are not affected.
Can I turn the reminders back on later?
Yes. Switch Windows Backup back on under Notifications from apps and other senders, check the two Additional settings boxes again, or recheck Windows Backup in Security and Maintenance.
Is a restore point a backup?
Not of your files. A restore point rolls back system files and settings, which is handy after a bad driver or update, but it does not protect documents and photos. It works well alongside a file backup; see how to create a restore point in Windows.
Microsoft’s notifications and Do not disturb page lists every per-app option if you want to fine-tune more than backup messages. Once the reminders are gone, check your backup every month or so, since Windows will no longer do it for you.
Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He is an IT specialist with over 20 years of experience, from a university help desk to small-business IT, IT management and his own consulting practice, and has written tech guides full time since 2020. Steps are checked against the current software on a real device or the maker’s official documentation. More about Kermit.