There are multiple ways to add or remove all or specific optional features in Windows 11. And this guide shows you how.

How to Add or Remove Optional Features in Windows 11

You can add and remove Features on Demand (Optional Features) in Windows 11 and earlier editions of the Windows OS as often you need. It comprises language resources, .NET Framework, graphics tool, Microsoft WebDriver, and more. We had covered the use and working of optional features in Windows 10 as well. That said, depending on the edition of Windows 11 you are running, the availability of these features for your computer may vary.

Whether you want to add additional features or make the apps list less cluttered by removing additional components, there are a few ways to install and uninstall optional features in Windows 11.

1. Turn On Optional Features in Windows 11 via the Settings

Windows 11’s settings app is your gateway to access most system properties, including optional features. Here’s how to do it.

Press Win + I to open the Settings app. Next, open the Apps tab from the left pane. Under the Apps section, click on Optional features. Next, click on View features. Windows will populate the screen with the available features. You can scroll through the features or search for a specific add-on. To install, select the add-on and click Next. Click the Install button. You can view the progress under the Recent actions section. Once installed, it will appear under the Installed features section.

Turn Off Windows 11 Optional Features via the Settings

If you want to turn off the optional features again, here’s how to do that:

Go to Settings > Apps > Optional Features. Scroll down and click on the feature you want to uninstall. Click the Uninstall button. Restart your PC if required to apply the changes.

2. Enable Optional Features Using the Windows Features Dialog

Microsoft has migrated a lot of Control Panel features to the Windows 11 settings app, but the large-scale migration is yet to happen. As a result, some critical features, including a few optional features such as Hyper-V, are still only available in the classic Windows Features dialog.

To install optional features using the classic Windows Features dialog:

Press Win + I to open Settings. Open the Apps tab from the left pane. Scroll down and click on Optional Features. Scroll down to the Related settings section. Click on More Windows features. This will open the classic Windows Features dialog. Here, scroll through the available components. Expand the section and select the feature you want to install. Click OK to proceed. Windows will look for the required files and install the feature.

You can also access Windows features using the classic Control Panel. Here’s how to do it.

Press Win + R to open Run. Type control and click OK. In the Control Panel, go to Programs > Programs and Features. From the left pane, click on Turn Windows features on or off. Here, you can enable any component from the list.

If you don’t see some components appear in the apps list despite a successful installation, try restarting your PC. Some features may require a system restart to start working.

Disable Windows Optional Features Using the Windows Features Dialog

To disable Windows optional features again:

Press Win + R to open Run. Type optionalfeatures and click OK. In the Windows Features dialog, unselect the component you want to remove and click OK. Wait for the process to complete and then restart your PC.

3. Install Optional Features Using DISM

DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) is a command-line utility primarily used to service Windows images. However, you can also use it to install and configure additional Windows features.

To install Windows 11 optional features using DISM:

Press Win + X to bring up the WinX menu. Select Windows Terminal (Admin) from the left context menu. In the Windows Terminal window, type the following command and hit enter: dism /Online /Get-Capabilities The above command will display all available optional features. If the State shows as Not Present, it means the feature is not installed. Scroll through available features to locate the component you want to install. Next, copy the Capability Identity (name) for the component. For example, if you want to install the Microsoft WebDriver component, then the Capability Identity will look like this: Microsoft. WebDriver0. 0. 1. 0 To install the feature, enter the following command: dism /Online /Add-Capability /CapabilityName: Microsoft. WebDriver0. 0. 1. 0 Once installed, close the Windows Terminal and restart your PC to apply the changes.

Uninstall Optional Features using DISM

To get rid of optional features again:

Open Windows Terminal as administrator. Type the following command and hit enter: dism /Online /Remove-Capability /CapabilityName:NAME Make sure to replace NAME in the above command with the feature name you want to uninstall.

4. Add Windows 11 Optional Features Using PowerShell

You can use the Get-WindowsOptionalFeature command to install optional features using PowerShell. Here’s how to do it.

Type powershell in Windows search. Right-click on Windows PowerShell from the search result and select Run as Administrator. In the PowerShell window that opens, type the following command to view available features for your computer: Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online Features that are not installed will show the State as Disabled. Scroll through the list and copy the name of the feature/component you want to install. Next, type the following command: Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature –FeatureName “NAME” -All -Online In the above command, replace NAME with the name of the component you want to install. For example, if you want to enable the DirectPlay feature, the command will look like this: Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature –FeatureName “DirectPlay” -All -Online Hit enter to execute the command and install the feature.

Remove Windows 11 Optional Features Using PowerShell

To remove Windows 11’s optional features again:

Open PowerShell as administrator. Type the following command and hit enter to execute: Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature –FeatureName “NAME” -Online In the above command, replace NAME with the component name you want to remove.

Many Ways to Add or Remove Optional Features in Windows 11

Whether you want to enable Hyper-V for virtualization or .Net Framework to install third-party apps, Microsoft Windows 11 makes it easy to enable or disable features on demand. If the settings app is not working, opt for the classic Windows features dialog or use Windows Terminal to install optional features in Windows 11. While you can enable all the features, doing so can cause performance and security issues. If you don’t know what features do what, leave them in their default state.