AllowWindowsInkWorkspace 0: turning off Windows Ink Workspace
Short answer
UpdatedWindows Ink Workspace is the pen menu with sticky notes, sketchpad and suggested apps. The AllowWindowsInkWorkspace policy set to 0 turns it off. In the registry it sets AllowWindowsInkWorkspace to 0 under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsInkWorkspace.
HKLMSOFTWARE\
AllowWindowsInkWorkspaceYour previous value0
What it does
Windows Ink Workspace is the pen menu with sticky notes, sketchpad and suggested apps. The AllowWindowsInkWorkspace policy set to 0 turns it off.
In the app the switch is called "Disable Windows Ink Workspace", described there as: Turns off the pen workspace and its suggested apps.
When it helps, and when it hurts
When it helps
- PCs without a pen: one less taskbar feature.
When it hurts
- Pen users lose the workspace and its shortcuts.
What it writes
Exactly what the switch changes, read from the app's source. Switching it off is what the app writes when you turn the tweak off again.
| Key and value | With the tweak | Switching it off |
|---|---|---|
| HKLMSOFTWARE\ | 0 | Your previous valueSaved before the change, or deleted if there was none. |
From the app's source (pack_extra.hpp), app 2.0.0, checked .
The same change by hand
You do not need the app for this one. These commands make the changes from the table above. Run them in a Command Prompt opened as administrator, and make a restore point first.
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsInkWorkspace" /v "AllowWindowsInkWorkspace" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /freg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsInkWorkspace" /v "AllowWindowsInkWorkspace"How to undo it
In the app: Yes
Switching it off puts back exactly what was there before, value for value.
Switch the tweak off in Frozen Tweaks. The app saved what each value was before the change and writes exactly that back, or removes the value if it did not exist.
Changing several settings at once? The app's Make a restore point button, on every plan, makes a Windows restore point before you start.
Verdict
Safe without a pen.
Questions
- What does the "Disable Windows Ink Workspace" tweak change in Windows?
- In the registry it sets AllowWindowsInkWorkspace to 0 under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsInkWorkspace.
- Is "Disable Windows Ink Workspace" safe to switch on?
- Safe without a pen. The main cost: Pen users lose the workspace and its shortcuts.
- How do I undo it?
- Switch the tweak off in Frozen Tweaks. Switching it off puts back exactly what was there before, value for value.
- Is "Disable Windows Ink Workspace" free in Frozen Tweaks?
- Yes. It is one of the free tweaks, with no time limit.
In the app
- Switch
- Disable Windows Ink Workspace
- Category
- Debloat
- Plan
- Free
- Undo
- Yes
Related guides
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More tweak explainers
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Written by
Frost LIVEFounder of Frozen Tweaks, based in Hamburg, Germany. Publishes settings guides for competitive games on his YouTube channel, Frost LIVE.
In the app
- Category
- Debloat
- Plan
- Free
- Undo
- Yes
Frozen Tweaks
Free for Windows 10 and 11
58 tweaks free, each with an undo switch. Never edits game files.
v2.0.0 · 6.4 MB · Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit · free account, no payment details
Or type frozentweaks.com on your PC.
The free Windows app for competitive games.
58 tweaks free, each with an undo switch. Never edits game files.
v2.0.0 · 6.4 MB · Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit · free account, no payment details
Frozen Tweaks runs on Windows. Send the link to your PC and download it there.
Or type frozentweaks.com on your PC.