this post was submitted on 24 Aug 2024

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Microsoft is bringing annoying Windows 11 Start menu ads to Windows 10 (www.neowin.net)

submitted 2 months ago by lemmee_in@lemm.ee to c/technology@lemmy.world

288 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Let's put it this way; when Microsoft announced its plans to start adding features to Windows 10 once again, despite the operating system's inevitable demise in October 2025, everyone expected slightly different things to see ported over from Windows 11. Sadly, the latest addition to Windows 10 is one of the most annoying changes coming from Windows 11's Start menu.

Earlier this year, Microsoft introduced a so-called "Account Manager" for Windows 11 that appears on the screen when you click your profile picture on the Start menu. Instead of just showing you buttons for logging out, locking your device or switching profiles, it displays Microsoft 365 ads. All the actually useful buttons are now hidden behind a three-dot submenu (apparently, my 43-inch display does not have enough space to accommodate them). Now, the "Account Manager" is coming to Windows 10 users.

The change was spotted in the latest Windows 10 preview builds from the Beta and Release Preview Channels. It works in the same way as Windows 11, and it is disabled by default for now because the submenu with sign-out and lock buttons does not work.

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[–] andros_rex@lemmy.world 15 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I have to use a windows 11 machine for work, and it genuinely surprises me how terrible it is. I don’t understand the opposition to local accounts - if I’m working somewhere with public WiFi/capture portal, I have to use my phone as a hotspot first.

The PIN log in seems to roll a random number and decide each morning whether it is going to work or not.

I also got a laptop with 11 on it for gaming. So much spyware I’ve had to uninstall, configuring anything is a nightmare. I was trying to adjust my mouse sensitivity/figure out why the scroll wheel is either 0 or to the moon, but even when you dig into the control panel, half the settings are missing.

I also had to turn off my WiFi and google commands to make a local account, because otherwise Microsoft accounts are mandatory.

Every change seems to make the experience actively worse for the user.

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[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 15 points 2 months ago

Finally they are actually using there brains. They need to make Windows 10 as bad as possible to get people to switch.

[–] auroz@lemmy.sdf.org 14 points 2 months ago (4 children)

On machines where I have to use windows I run start10 to replace the start menu with something a little more bearable. I imagine there's a FOSS equivalent but I bought a license years and years ago so I've never bothered to search.

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[–] InternetUser2012@lemmy.today 14 points 2 months ago (15 children)

Every time I see crap like this makes me even happier I ditched it a year and a half ago. If you switch to Linux and started with mint but don't like it, give PopOs a test drive. It's been flawless for me.

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[–] FlavoredButtHair@lemmy.world 14 points 2 months ago (5 children)

Everybody should learn about pihole.

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[–] yesman@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago (4 children)

If you're a person who prefers to type commands than click through menus then you should try the "run" program in the "powertoys" suite from Microsoft.

It a launcher program that's superior to Start in every way. You can type in plain English system commands like "shutdown"; a search that actually works; you can pass queries into your browser's search engine; and of course launch programs by typing in their names. You can even enter entire registry addresses to open regedit at the desired location.

This is a complete replacement for the Start Menu.

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[–] Telodzrum@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago (1 children)

These ads are what finally got me to pull the trigger and move to Linux. Arch is great, zero issues to report.

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[–] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 11 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Anybody remember Litestep (http://litestep.net/)? It was an open source shell alternative to the default Windows shell.

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[–] EmperorHenry@discuss.tchncs.de 10 points 2 months ago

they've already been doing this on windows 10 though.

Adguard for windows!

Sorry I have Tourette's

[–] 01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 10 points 2 months ago (4 children)

If you MUST use windows for work or something, at least install OpenShell. Otherwise, use Linux. It's so easy to switch for most use cases. Even gaming on Linux has come a very long way.

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[–] Teknikal@eviltoast.org 9 points 2 months ago (8 children)

Queue everyone downgrading to Windows 8 in 3, 2, 1.

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[–] ATDA@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago

Hold on let me check my start menu.

Oh this is gnome lolololol.

[–] rickdg@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I can't believe they'll put this on windows 10 pro.

[–] thermal_shock@lemmy.world 14 points 2 months ago (2 children)

that's what's kicking me,why would a professional license used primarily for business need ANY kind of advertisement/popup/nag from their OS? fuck off Microsoft

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 11 points 2 months ago

Microsoft don't hold back from the ads and crapware in the Pro versions of Windows. The Enterprise versions tend to be where you get some control over it.

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[–] Blackout@fedia.io 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

"lol" -- classic shell

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[–] superkret@feddit.org 8 points 2 months ago

[–] Kyrgizion@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Is there a way to pre-emptively block this? Something in hosts.txt? Registry?

The very first day I see those ads in my Win10 will be the day I uninstall Win and go Linux.

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