Microsoft says itâll make Windows 11 a calmer OS with fewer upsells or ads, as it tries to win back users
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Microsoft has now confirmed itâs scaling back âupsellsâ (or ads/recommendations) in Windows 11 as part of its efforts to make the operating system a bit âcalmer.â On March 20, Microsoft announced a major update for Windows 11 that focuses on performance and quality-of-life improvements. Microsoft said itâs making File Explorer faster, moving the Start menu to WinUI 3 from React, adding an option to pause Windows updates for as long as you want, and even cutting back Copilot in apps like Notepad. The big release with the movable taskbar is being tested because Windows 11âs reputation has been at an all-time low for various reasons. For example, this yearâs first Windows update triggered BitLocker recovery, affected the performance of games, caused boot issues, and even crashed some PCs with a Black Screen of Death. However, these bugs arenât the only problem hurting Windows 11âs reputation. The primary reason is that the company has been adding Copilot to all areas of the OS, including the Start menu and even Notepad. The Copilotification of Windows has pushed back Microsoftâs loyal audience, including enterprises, and some upset users have coined the term âMicroslop.â Microsoft plans to reduce ads in Windows 11 The company is in damage-control mode, and itâs taking steps to win back Windows 11 usersâ trust, including plans to roll back the requirement for a Microsoft account during OOBE. That broader reset also appears to include Windows 11âs built-in promotions. As first spotted by Windows Latest, in a post on X, Scott Hanselman, one of the engineering leaders spearheading Windows fixes, said a âcalmer and more chill OS with fewer upsells is a goal,â which is one of the clearest signs yet that Microsoft is at least aware users are tired of being nudged toward its own services across the OS. Scottâs statement was in response to a userâs complaint that Microsoft employs âborderline malware tacticsâ to push things like Edge, Bing, and ads into the Start menu. And itâs actually true. For those unaware, Microsoft previously tried to show Bing Chat (now Copilot) pop-ups when it detected the default browser was Chrome. Bing pop-up ad in Google Chrome showing after some server-side update | Image Courtesy: WindowsLatest.com Microsoft also tried to automatically reset default browser settings and installed the Bing extension when you clicked on the Bing Chat pop-up. The pop-up was rolled back after outrage, but itâs just one of the many examples of how ads have ruined Windows. Thankfully, Microsoft is considering reducing these upsells, but it doesnât look like the ads will disappear entirely. âYes, a calmer and more chill OS with fewer upsells is a goal,â says Scott Hanselman, VP, Member of Technical Staff at MSFT. Itâs not a formal product announcement, but it does suggest the company wants Windows 11 to feel less noisy and less pushy. Windows 11 has an upsell problem Microsoft has a history of promoting its own products as âsuggestedâ apps in Windows 11, and those efforts have multiplied with Windows 11, where there are ads for Microsoft 365, OneDrive, and even Copilot during the first setup screen (OOBE). Likewise, if you use Chrome as your default browser, Microsoft often uses full-screen alerts to nudge you to use Edge instead. Itâs true that you can turn off some of these ads, including the âsuggestedâ apps in the Start menu from Settings > Personalization > Start, but I wouldnât call that a real solution. The real solution is simple: Windows shouldnât have ads because youâve paid for it when you bought the operating system or the device that came pre-installed with it. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. The post Microsoft says itâll make Windows 11 a calmer OS with fewer upsells or ads, as it tries to win back users appeared first on Windows Latest
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