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Windows 11 Start menu ads are now rolling out to everyone (www.theverge.com)

submitted 7 months ago by ForgottenFlux@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

426 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Microsoft is starting to enable ads inside the Start menu on Windows 11 for all users. After testing these briefly with Windows Insiders earlier this month, Microsoft has started to distribute update KB5036980 to Windows 11 users this week, which includes “recommendations” for apps from the Microsoft Store in the Start menu.

Luckily you can disable these ads, or “recommendations” as Microsoft calls them. If you’ve installed the latest KB5036980 update then head into Settings > Personalization > Start and turn off the toggle for “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more.” While KB5036980 is optional right now, Microsoft will push this to all Windows 11 machines in the coming weeks.

Microsoft’s move to enable ads in the Windows 11 Start menu follows similar promotional spots in the Windows 10 lock screen and Start menu. Microsoft also started testing ads inside the File Explorer of Windows 11 last year before disabling the experiment and saying the test was “not intended to be published externally.” Hopefully that experiment remains very much an experiment.

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[–] Nougat@fedia.io 84 points 7 months ago (2 children)

You know, I get if they want to do this to Home editions, but why in the world would they do this to all editions? At the very least, this should never apply to domain-joined computers.

[–] Dagamant@lemmy.world 64 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Money

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 38 points 7 months ago (3 children)

Seems short sighted to annoy the people who pay you the most money already.

[–] ptz@dubvee.org 38 points 7 months ago (1 children)

What are they going to switch to?

Most orgs will just put up with it because of inertia: existing software that has to work, employee's having to learn new skills, "sysadmins" who only know Microsoft, etc.

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 19 points 7 months ago (1 children)

... "sysadmins" who only know Microsoft, ...

HEY

[–] ptz@dubvee.org 21 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Nothing personal, lol, but I stand by my quotes.

I feel like sysadmins need to be comfortable in multiple environments. I also work with some really crappy ones who only know how to reboot a faulty system or crawl to Microsoft for support. No reviewing logs, no digging in at all, just "welp, a reboot didn't fix it. Gonna submit a support ticket and make no further effort".

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 9 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

There's a lot to be said for a good generalist, but at some point, specialization takes you farther. I ended up with Windows server and Active Directory, as well as Exchange (lots of other stuff, too, but those are the main things). Apart from mass workstation management, or when a help desk person asks for a hand, I haven't dealt with non-servers in a loooong time.

No reviewing logs, no digging in at all, just "welp, a reboot didn't fix it. Gonna submit a support ticket and make no further effort".

My last few experiences with Microsoft support (spread over many years) have been "If I can't figure it out, Microsoft probably can't, either." For a smaller company, with a limited IT staff, having someone who is able to efficiently interface with vendor support without necessarily having all the answers themselves can be a useful thing. But I totally get what you're saying.

[–] Dagamant@lemmy.world 17 points 7 months ago

Profits now are all that matter. The future is a problem for after dividends and bonuses get paid out.

[–] bigkahuna1986@lemmy.ml 2 points 7 months ago

But they could be paying the most money even more.

[–] tourist@lemmy.world 13 points 7 months ago (1 children)

how soon do you think ms gets hit with a lawsuit because a malicious ad infected BlackRock or Deloitte or some shit

[–] russjr08@bitforged.space 6 points 7 months ago

If there's anything that I've learned, it's that lawsuits are more often than not, just a joke to the large companies.

Hell it's often easier for them to just classify whatever fine they get slapped on the wrist with as a business expense, than to do the right thing, it seems.