Microsoft is rolling out new Start menu ads to all Windows 11 users despite backlash

midian182

midian182

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Facepalm: It seems Microsoft has decided that contrary to popular belief, people really do like ads. The company is rolling out Start menu advertisements to all Windows 11 users after testing them at the start of the month, suggesting the negative user feedback didn't outweigh the benefits for Microsoft

It was only a couple of weeks ago when Microsoft started testing more Start menu ads in Windows 11 – something it experimented with a year earlier – in the latest Windows Insider build.

The ads appear in the Recommended section of the Start menu. They consist of recommendations for apps from the Microsoft Store that the company says come from a small set of curated developers.

The ads are now part of the optional KB5036980 update being made available to all Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2 users. The update is a preview of the Patch Tuesday update for May, so everyone will get it soon enough.

The ads are the first element of the update that Microsoft covers in its release notes. The Redmond firm writes that the feature will help users discover some of the apps and games available on the store.

Any Windows feature that appears on Insider Channels isn't guaranteed to make it into the full version of the OS, especially if there's a lot of pushback from users. But despite nobody wanting ads embedded into Windows, here we are. It seems Microsoft really wants developers to build more Windows apps that can fill up its store.

Microsoft's reasoning could be that the ads can easily be disabled. Just go to Settings > Personalization > Start, and turn off the toggle for Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more.

The update does add some useful features, including the Start menu's Recommended section showing your most frequently used apps. The Widgets icons on the taskbar are also being improved so they're no longer pixelated or fuzzy. Widgets on the lock screen are being made more reliable and have improved quality, too. Still, it's unlikely that this will appease irritated users.

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Microsoft is rolling out new Start menu ads to all Windows 11 users despite backlash

 
"Giving the people what they don't want"
Story of Microsoft since Windows 7.


It shouldn't be hard to remove it.
 
I had noticed my PC had updated and restarted over night while I was gone (which is personally fine with me as I knew I was going to be gone so didn't have anything important running/open) and just went to check to see just how truly awful this update must be, and nothing there but the programs I had already pinned to my Start menu like always.

Then I remembered that I had disabled "Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more." while setting up the install.
Lot of fuss being made for something that's easily disabled with a GUI toggle and nothing else.
 
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Funny, my linux box doesnt have ads. Hmmmmm......

My windows box runs in steam big picture mode. I dont even see the UI of the rare weekend it gets turned on.
 
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yRaz said:
10 posts, generic name, are you a bot or shill? I also think I've only seen you post in windows related threads, too
Click to expand...
I'm not a bot, it's just that the sheer amount of win10-4life post on this webpage cracks me up everytime, darn thing used to reset every single system setting after applying an update, don't know how anyone considers Win10 even usable to anyone except gamers...
 
Skjorn said:
Name necessary reasons to switch from 10 to 11 for the average person.
The only one that really comes to mind is the thread scheduler for hybrid architecture.
Click to expand...
More consistency all over the place, finally leveraging tpm+secure boot properly that motherboard makers insanely defaulted to "off" in bios settings for ages (like it's the year of linux)... Also Win10 had a ton of built in Microsoft apps that were useless without Microsoft account - but most people have it, they just refused to sign in, also signing in now automatically applies BitLocker, another nice thing nobody used before.
 
user478318 said:
I'm not a bot, it's just that the sheer amount of win10-4life post on this webpage cracks me up everytime, darn thing used to reset every single system setting after applying an update, don't know how anyone considers Win10 even usable to anyone except gamers...
Click to expand...
Well "mercifully", you'll never have to listen to" "Windows 10 - 4Life", from me.

But tell me, how does "Windows 7-4Life" strike you?
 
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More consistency but less visibility and control - simplified interface with less options is not what most of us want. Deactivating registry edits that brought back the older interface where power uses wanted it during updates is churlish and unhelpful. Can't even move the task bar to the side or top anymore. Changing the default programs away from MS options more often than not breaks that function and then these reset with any major update. The icon based right click is fecking annoying and the reg hack to bring back the old one as alluded to above no longer works in the latest version. Win 11 is a downgrade from 10 in most ways so much so that the only way to get a useful file explorer back is to pin the Windows Tools to the task bar and use that link as you would file explorer from windows 3.11 for workgroups.
And even though the feedback hub is full of complaints the feckwits at MS are more focused on adding adverts to the menu than doing anything useful.
 
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user478318 said:
More consistency all over the place, finally leveraging tpm+secure boot properly that motherboard makers insanely defaulted to "off" in bios settings for ages (like it's the year of linux)... Also Win10 had a ton of built in Microsoft apps that were useless without Microsoft account - but most people have it, they just refused to sign in, also signing in now automatically applies BitLocker, another nice thing nobody used before.
Click to expand...
The system menus are still just as inconsistent in11 as 10, with the same issues revolving around control panel.

TPS+secureboot leverage? LMFAO. Name a consumer app that leverages these in ANY way other then forcibly locking you out of stuff.

Those same windows apps are in 11, and still require a MS account. Dont forget, now 11 will constantly pester you to make MS accounts with ads in the SETTINGS MENU.

Bitlocker enables itself automatically in 10 as well, has since 2019.

If you're not a bot, you're hilariously misinformed.
 
Start menu? You mean the thing I see for 0.00001 seconds between tapping the windows key and typing the next character?
 
Yeah, I'm holding my breath and waiting for our "good hackers" out there to tear it apart and make those "features" removable ...... the sooner the better!!!!!!!
 
Start menu.
Right-click select Start settings
Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more.
Toggle to off.

I already have that turned off and I would bet most here do too.

Wow, that was close. Now we can be sure the geeks won't be polluting us with more

tenor.gif
 
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The opt-out switch is genius. The small group that would have made the most noise and caused the most problems will hear about it and use it. While everybody else will still get the ads, which will start small and grow steadily more annoying until there's no more frog to boil.
 
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brucek said:
The opt-out switch is genius. The small group that would have made the most noise and caused the most problems will hear about it and use it. While everybody else will still get the ads, which will start small and grow steadily more annoying until there's no more frog to boil.
Click to expand...

Indeed. I work in IT support and the average Windows user don't change settings. Most are unable or unwilling to remove crap from their computers, and just move along like there are no escape from that small hell.

Things are so bad that I had witnessed PCs with 3(!!!) anti-virus software installed. The strength it takes to not burst out laughing when people ask you if that was wrong...
 
Microsoft, how about adding back the ability to dock the taskbar on the left, right, or top of the screen instead of adding adds to the start menu?
 
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