Windows Ink, or Microsoft Ink or Pen & Windows Ink, is a suite of software that allows you to use a digital pen or finger to write and draw on your computer screen. You can edit text, write notes, and, draw, capture a screenshot of your desktop, mark up, crop, and share your creations. There’s even an option to use Windows Ink from the Lock screen so you can use the feature even if you aren’t logged in to your device.
This is a really cool feature that gives users the ability to handwrite on their computers or draw on their computers. For some users, though, it isn’t a feature they will ever use. Can you disable Windows Ink, and if so, how do you disable Windows Ink?
How to Use Window Ink
To access the built-in apps that come with Windows Ink, tap or click the Windows Ink Workspace icon on the right end of the Taskbar. It looks like a digital pen. This will open a sidebar. There are three options: Sketch Pad (to free draw and doodle), Screen Sketch (to draw on the screen), and Sticky Notes (to create a digital note). Click the Windows Ink Workspace icon on the Taskbar and from the sidebar to choose:
- Click Sketch Pad or Screen Sketch.
- Click the Trash icon to begin a new sketch.
- Click or tap a tool from the toolbar like a pen or highlighter.
- Click the arrow under the tool, if available, to choose a color.
- Use your finger or compatible pen to draw on the page.
- Click the Save icon to save your drawing, if desired.
- To create a Sticky Note, click Sticky Notes and type your notes with a keyboard or a compatible Windows pen.
Windows Ink is compatible with many popular Microsoft Office apps and lets you perform tasks like deleting or highlighting words in Microsoft Word, writing a math problem, writing in OneNote, or marking up slides in PowerPoint.
What if, as mentioned above, you want to know how to disable windows ink workspace?
How to Disable Windows Pen Ink
Follow the steps below to disable Windows Ink in Windows 10. These steps are easy and will allow you to disable the Windows Ink workspace in just a few seconds.
If you don’t have a digital pen or you want to remove the Windows Ink Workspace icon from your taskbar, there are two very simple ways to disable Windows Ink Workspace in Windows 10. Here they are:
Solution 1: Disable Windows Ink Workspace in Windows 10 Using Group Policy
- Open the Local Group Policy Editor. Navigate to: Computer Configuration ->Administrative Templates ->Windows Components ->Windows Ink Workspace.
- In the right pane, double-click Allow Windows Ink Workspace to open its properties.
- Check the Enabled option. Next, select Disabled from the drop-down menu under the Options section.
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Click on Apply and then OK. Restart your PC to make the changes to take effect.
Solution 2: Disable Windows Ink Workspace in Windows 10 Using Registry Tweak
- Press Windows Key + R to open the Run command
- From the run utility window, type Regedit and click Ok to open the registry.
- Next, navigate to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft
- If you can't locate the WindowsInkWorkspace folder, then do the following:
-Right-click the Microsoft key in the left pane, and then select New -> Key.
-Name the Key as WindowsInkWorkspace and click OK. - Right-click empty space in the right pane, select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value.
- Name the DWORD value as AllowWindowsInkWorkspace. Leave its value data as 0.
- Restart your computer. Once signed back in, you should see Windows Ink Workspace disabled.
To enable Windows Ink Workspace again, just follow the steps above and change the DWORD AllowWindowsInkWorkspace value from 0 to 1, and restart your computer.
The Windows Ink workspace feature is a cool feature to use, but if you want to disable it, use one of the methods above and you will have no problem getting it done.
If you are using Wacom tablets and want to know how to disable Windows Ink Wacom features, simply uninstall the Wacom software. That is a program and hardware that is separate from Windows 10. It is an ink and art program that comes in many different styles. You can read the manual for uninstalling these devices individually or visit the Wacom website to learn more about their various programs and devices.