If you’d ask a 100 Windows users whether they wanted ads displayed to them on a regular basis, chance is that the vast majority would answer with “no”.
This is not keeping Microsoft from pushing the boundaries and introduces more ads in Windows. While Microsoft uses terms such as recommendations, many of them are at their core still ads.
Up until now, most recommend to use Microsoft services, including Game Pass, OneDrive, or Microsoft 365. These are all subscription-based services. While they offer value, it is clearly not for everyone.
Microsoft is already pushing OneDrive via the recently introduced Windows Backup feature. This is not a full backup solution, as it limits backups to a few folders and some data.
While free to use, apart from the Microsoft account requirement, Microsoft is pushing two services with its recommendations:
- Microsoft accounts, as these are required to make use of the OneDrive backup feature.
- Microsoft 365 and OneDrive subscriptions, to increase the default 5 gigabytes of storage.
The first is obvious. You need a Microsoft account to use it. Microsoft has not made it a secret that it prefers this account type over local accounts. Among the reasons are better customer retention and that it gathers more data about customers.
The default 5 gigabyte limit is shared across several services, with backup being one of them. It is relatively easy to get near the limit, considering that Pictures, Music, and Video folders can be backed up.
Add the fact that backups will run automatically starting with Windows 11 version 24H2, and you end up with lots of customers who need more storage for the backup solution. This in term brings in revenue for Microsoft, as subscriptions increase.
Backup ads in the Notification area
Reports suggest that Microsoft is pushing a rather scary sounding notification to user systems. It states “Your PC is not fully backed up” and shows a yellow exclamation-mark image.
It is interesting to note that Windows Backup will never fully back up the system. Microsoft’s notification may lull some users into a sense of security when they activate the “back up now” button.
These backups won’t help if Windows fails to boot, for instance after a botched security or Windows update.
You need a full backup solution for that, and that is something that Microsoft does not offer.
While you can dismiss the notification, it will reemerge eventually. There does not seem to be an option to turn it off entirely, at least not in the Windows Settings or in the Backup app.
Closing Words
The recommendations seem to generate enough revenue or other positive effects for Microsoft to ignore the criticism surrounding them. Whether there will be a breaking point remains to be seen.
For now, expect more recommendations / ads in Windows going forward.
Do you mind this on your systems, or are you unaffected?
