I have good news and bad news about Windows 11 24H2s new update: it
introduces nifty features and fixes... but also includes another ad

Date:
Wed, 26 Feb 2025 12:09:12 +0000

Description:
Tired of ads in Windows 11 yet? I know I am, but Microsoft looks to be bringing in yet another, and this time its referrals for PC Game Pass.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Windows 11 24H2 just received a new optional update It has some interesting new features and fixes, but also brings in an advert That PC Game Pass ad in the Settings app will very likely be coming to all Windows 11 users next month with the March patch

Microsoft has deployed a new (optional) patch for Windows 11 24H2 and it does some important work, introducing some useful touches and critical fixes but theres a catch in that an advert has strayed in here.

I say advert, Microsoft would doubtless call it a recommendation, but its all about pushing other services from the firm, whatever label you pin on it. And in the case of this new KB5052093 preview update, its for PC Game Pass , and youll see it in the Settings app.

Microsoft explains : Some of you might see a new referral card for a PC Game Pass subscription on the Settings home page. With it, you can invite friends and family to try PC Game Pass for free. If you qualify, the card only
appears when you sign in to your PC using your Microsoft account.

Other additions will prove much less controversial, such as a useful ability to be able to share files from a jump list on the taskbar. (If you right
click an app on the taskbar, the menu that pops up is the jump list, allowing quick access to various useful functions in a context-sensitive manner).

Theres also some laudable work in the accessibility stakes, with Narrator getting fresh bits of functionality with its scan mode, such as a shortcut to skip past link which will take you straight to the text after a link, and another that lets you jump straight to a list in a document.

Microsoft has also changed Windows 11 to allow multiple apps to access a webcam simultaneously. As the company explains, this has been developed for people with hearing disability to allow video streaming for both a sign language interpreter and the end audience at the same time.

There are a bunch of bug fixes here, too, with a lot of tinkering going on with File Explorer (the windows that show your folders and the files in
them). Some of the more important cures include ensuring the context menu invoked with a right click doesnt appear in a sluggish manner when working with cloud files, and improved performance when opening folders that have a large quantity of media files.

Problems with scanners not being properly recognized by Windows 11 have also been fixed, and a bug that caused the system volume to be ramped up to
maximum when the PC wakes from sleep has been squashed (an unwelcome
intrusion that doubtless woke up the owner of the computer on a few
occasions, as well as the system). Indeed, Windows 11 has suffered a number
of audio-related bugs in the recent past. (Image credit: Future / Jasmine Mannan) Analysis: Optional becomes mandatory next month, and that likely includes this new ad

As I outlined earlier this week , its apparent that File Explorer does need some considerable work in its Windows 11 incarnation, and its good to see
some of that happening here. And the accessibility changes are obviously welcome, with this being an area Microsoft continues to score well in, too,
so thats all good.

The not-so-good is that advert, of course. The Game Pass ad was recently spotted in beta builds of Windows 11, when I went on a bit of a rant about it
and sadly, it appears to be motoring very swiftly through onto the release version of Microsofts OS. This preview update for February is not something you have to install its optional but it will transform into the March patch for Windows 11 next month. At which point, you will have to download it (and its unlikely the advert will be removed at the last minute).

True, the ad wont appear for everyone, only those signed into a Microsoft account who are PC Game Pass subscribers. And arguably, you might even want
to give your friends a free trial of the service (for two weeks), so they can join you in tackling some of the best coop games , perhaps. But still, I cant help but feel frustrated with Microsoft continuing to push its own services
in parts of the Windows 11 interface, when this is an OS that people have already paid quite a chunk of money for.

If Windows 11 was completely free (not just for Windows 10 upgraders), then ad-supported would be fine and perfectly understandable but it isnt free, so instead users are kind of getting the worst of both worlds. And Ive never quite understood why Microsoft doesnt get this.

Clearly, though, things arent going to change for the foreseeable, as integrated ads in the form of recommendations or suggestions is an angle Microsoft seems intent on exploring more often these days. You may also like... Windows 11 fully streamlined in just two clicks? Talon utility promises to rip all the bloatware out of Microsofts OS in a hassle-free way Are you unable to get security updates for Windows 11 24H2? Heres the likely reason why, and the fix to get your PC safe and secure again If Microsoft's Windows 11 24H2 issues continue like this, I'll fully convert to SteamOS for gaming



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/i-have-good-news-and-bad-news-abou t-windows-11-24h2s-new-update-it-introduces-nifty-features-and-fixes-but-also- includes-another-ad


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