Win 8.1 icons

Hello
Can I remove icons like weather, travel, sports, health fitness, etc.. from the screen that I will never use?

I see them in my firewall and are always checked which I would prefer they not even be there. If they were not in the metro screen would they also not be in the firewall?
Thank you
Peter

 

hi peterr

The Start screen icons are simply shortcuts so you can delete any you don't want but also add any you do want. That way you can get back to something not that different from the old Start menu, but just looking different.

You can remove the check marks from anything in the firewall and that will prevent it from communicating with the its server. I'm sure there will be a way of actually removing apps like Sport but at present I don't know how.

 

When I set the firewall to default all the extra or new apps appear like sports etc. I figured there are 2 ways of removing them as they keep checking the public box, Either remove the app from start or remove it from the firewall.

I know this is relatively new to everyone and am thankful for your reply. I will work on it.
Peter

 

As I said, the Start icons are simply shortcuts and removing them has no effect on the apps themselves which will still appear when you show everything on the Start screen, and if you set the firewall to default they will still appear there as well. To stop the apps communicating with the outside world just remove their ticks.

 

I only brought this up b/c I noticed that even if you set default, those unwanted apps appear and further even if you click "allow an app or feature....., you will notice after a while that they are ticked as public. I have not forgotten to ok when done. It is not something I want to pursue with you , don't worry.
I was just surfacing this behavior of the firewall which to me does not do what it is supposed to.
I will keep an eye on it.
Enjoy and thanks for replying. Consider it closed.
Peter