Alex Ruben
How To Eliminate Evaluation Copy Watermark on Windows 11 Preview Builds
If you’re running a preview or eval version of Windows 11, chances are you’ve seen that annoying “Evaluation Copy” watermark sitting proudly on your desktop. Yeah, it’s kinda distracting, especially if you’re just trying to make things look clean. Here’s the deal: a lot of folks use the Universal Watermark Disabler (UWD) to get rid of it. But, fair warning—this isn’t official Microsoft stuff, so proceed with caution, especially if you rely on Windows Insider builds for testing or whatever.
Step 1: Grab the Tool
You’ll want to download the UWD first—because without it, good luck removing that pesky watermark. Just hit up the GitHub page. It’s usually a zip or a batch file, so be ready for that. Honestly, it’s kind of weird, but this tool is one of the few that actually works to hide that watermark without messing up your system too much. Just make sure you run it as admin—because Windows likes to make it harder than necessary.
Step 2: Run the Program
After you’ve downloaded the file, find it in your downloads folder. Double-click to run. If it doesn’t open right away, right-click and select Run as administrator. The tool should pop up pretty quick. You’ll probably see some command lines flash by; don’t worry about it. It’s applying system tweaks underneath.
Step 3: Install & Apply
You should see an option to click Install or Enable watermark removal in the UWD window. Hit that. On some setups, you might get a Windows UAC prompt—just agree so the tool can do its thing. It’ll probably restart a few system processes or cause a quick flash of a black or gray screen. Not sure why it works, but on some machines, it takes a couple of tries or a reboot to fully stick.
Extra tip:
If nothing changes after the first run, give it a reboot and run the tool again. Sometimes Windows just refuses to let go of the watermark on the first try, especially if you’re on some flaky Insider build or custom system. Also, ensure you’re signed in as an administrator—without those privileges, the tool might fail silently, and you won’t see the watermark vanish.
Step 4: Sign Out and Check
Once you’ve successfully run the tool, sign out of your account and log back in (or do a quick reboot). Look at your desktop—if all went smoothly, that “Evaluation Copy” text should be gone. If it’s still hanging around, try the whole process again or restart your PC. Sometimes, the system needs a nudge.
Extra Tips & Common Troubles
Here’s what I found that might help:
- Make sure your Windows 11 version is supported by UWD. It’s mainly for preview builds, but sometimes it works on stable ones, too.
- Run the tool with admin rights—can’t stress this enough.
- If the watermark still won’t go, check your system locale and language settings. Sometimes, weird regional configs cause hiccups.
- If nothing works, sometimes a clean install (or at least a clean reboot) is necessary, but that’s kind of a last resort.
Important caveats:
This isn’t officially endorsed by Microsoft, so don’t come crying if something breaks—like your system or your warranty. Also, depending on your build or updates, this might stop working after Windows gets patched. So, keep backups and be prepared for a possible re-do later.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is the Universal Watermark Disabler?
It’s a handy little tool that tweaks Windows files to hide system watermarks—mostly those tiny overlays that tell you it’s an eval or insider build. Sometimes it’s the only thing that works without messing too much with your OS.
Will this work on other Windows versions?
Mostly, it’s aimed at Windows 11 preview builds. Might work on some Windows 10 setups, but don’t count on it. Always check the latest info on the GitHub page before risking it.
Is it safe or risky?
Yeah, generally safe if you download from the official link. But of course, you’re messing with your system. Backup important stuff just in case. Because of course, Windows has to make it harder than necessary.
Summary
- Download UWD from GitHub and run as admin.
- Apply the watermark removal; expect a quick system flicker.
- Reboot and verify if the watermark’s gone.
- Repeat if needed. Sometimes it takes a couple of tries.
Hopefully this shaves off a few hours for someone. Just something that worked on multiple machines, so give it a shot if you’re tired of the watermark.