Ads in Windows 11 are becoming the new normal and look like theyre headed for your Settings home page

Date:
Mon, 13 May 2024 16:48:57 +0000

Description:
Microsoft looks to integrate Xbox Game Pass ads into Windows 11 settings, and this wont be popular.

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Microsoft looks like its forging ahead with its mission to put more ads in parts of the Windows 11 interface, with the latest move being an advert introduced to the Settings home page.

Windows Latest noticed the ad , which is for the Xbox Game Pass , is part of the latest preview release of the OS in the Dev channel (build 26120). For
the uninitiated, the Game Pass is Microsofts subscription service that grants you access to a host of games for a monthly or yearly subscription fee.

Not every tester will see this advert, though, at least for now, as its only rolling out to those who have chosen the option to Get the latest updates as soon as they're available (and thats true of the other features delivered by this preview build). Also, the ad only appears for those signed into a Microsoft account.

Furthermore, Microsoft explains in a blog post introducing the build that the advert for the Xbox Game Pass will only appear to Windows 11 users who actively play games on their PC. The other changes provided by this fresh preview release are useful, too, including fixes for multiple known issues, some of which are related to performance hiccups with the Settings app.
(Image credit: Shutterstock/Standret) Pushing too far is a definite risk for Microsoft

While I can see this fresh advertising push wont play well with Windows 11 users, Windows Latest did try the new update and reports that its a significant improvement on the previous version of 24H2 . So thats good news at least, and the tech site further observes that theres a solution for an installation failure bug in here (stop code error 0x8007371B apparently).

Windows 11 24H2 is yet to roll out officially for all users, but its expected to be the pre-installed operating system on the new Snapdragon X Elite PCs that are scheduled to be shipped in June 2024. A rollout to all users on existing Windows 11 devices will happen several months later, perhaps in September or October.

Im not the biggest fan of Microsofts strategy regarding promoting its own services - and indeed outright ads as is the case here - or the firms efforts to push people to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Unfortunately, come next year, Windows 10 users will be facing a choice of migrating to Windows 11, or losing out on security updates when support expires for the older OS (in October 2025). That is, if they can upgrade at all - Windows 11s hardware requirements make this a difficult task for some older PCs.

I hope for my sake personally, and for all Windows 11 users, that Microsoft considers showing that it values us all by not subjecting us to more and more adverts creeping into different parts of the operating system. YOU MIGHT ALSO
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Windows 11? This free app might be just what you need



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/ads-in-windows-11-are-becoming-the -new-normal-and-look-like-theyre-headed-for-your-settings-home-page


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