If you have updated your OS to Windows 10 Anniversary Update, you may have noticed the Windows Ink Workspace feature. What’s the function of this feature? Can you disable it? In this post, MiniTool will show you answers to these questions.

Windows Ink Workspace

What Is Windows Ink Workspace? Windows Ink Workspace is a new feature in Windows 10 Anniversary Update, displayed as a pen-shaped icon. This feature makes digital pen input more usable for every PC user. To speak it more clearly, with this feature, you can use a digital pen to create sticky notes, draw on a whiteboard or a screenshot via Sketchpad or Screen sketch.

Windows Ink Workspace on taskbar

How to enable Windows Ink Workspace? To use this feature, you need to click the pen-shaped icon on the taskbar.

How to customize pen experience? You can also customize pen experience in Windows Settings. To do that, please navigate to Settings > Devices > Pen. Now, you can choose quick actions for a single click of your pen, a double click, or a long press.

If you want to remove this feature from your PC for some reason, you can disable it. In this post, there are two ways about how to disable Windows Ink Workspace. Keep reading and figure out what they are.

Way 1: Disable Windows Ink Workspace via Group Policy

This way is not available on Windows 10 Home. If you use Windows 10 Home, you can try the next way.

Step 1: Press Windows + R to call out the Run window. Type gpedit.msc on the Run window and click the OK button.

Step 2: On the Group Policy window, navigate to the following path:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Ink Workspace

Note: If you notice two Windows Ink Workspace entries, you need to choose to configure the second one. If not, this way will fail to disable Windows Ink.

Step 3: Click the Allow Windows Ink Workspace setting on the right-pane.

click Allow Windows Ink Workspace

Step 4: Select the Enabled option and then select Disabled from the drop-down menu under Options. Click Apply and OK.

disable Windows Ink Workspace in Group Policy

Step 5: Restart your computer and there should be no Windows Ink Workspace icon in the taskbar. And the Show Windows Ink Workspace button on the taskbar context menu will become unavailable.

Way 2: Disable Windows Ink Workspace via Registry Editor

Note: Any improper changes in Registry Editor can lead to irreversible damage. Therefore, please follow the steps below carefully and it is highly recommended that you back up your computer first in case something goes wrong.

Step 1: Press Windows + R key to call out the Run window. Type regedit on the Run window and then click the OK button.

Step 2: On the Registry Editor window, navigate to the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsInkWorkspace

Note: If you don’t see the WindowsInkWorkspace folder, you can create one. To do that, you need to right-click the Microsoft key, select New > Key, name the key as WindowsInkWorkspace, and click OK.

Step 3: Create the AllowWindowsInkWorkSpace key.

  • expand the WindowsInkWorkspace key;
  • right-click the empty space in the right pane;
  • select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value;
  • name the key as AllowWindowsInkWorkspace and then set its Value data to 0. Click the OK

create a key named AllowWindowsInkWorkspace

Step 4: Reboot your computer to apply the changes. You should receive the same result as Way 1 displays.

Receive Windows Update Error code 0xc1900107 – What to Do?
Receive Windows Update Error code 0xc1900107 – What to Do?

There are different Windows update error codes. This post helps you address 0xc1900107 with 6 solutions. You can check what they are if you run into this code.

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