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?
I have no need of Microsoft backup since I create system images and save them to external storage. I don’t like cloud storage at all, even more so since the Cloudstrike fiasco.
Similarly, I don’t login with a Microsoft account. It doesn’t bother me one iota that I can’t download stuff from the Microsoft store. As regards all their ‘Recommendations a.k.a Ads they can stick those where the sun don’t shine. 😀
Totally unaffected! Sort of like moving into that “flow” moment when the only thing that matters is what I am doing, which requires focus and concentration. My boyfriend could come in at any time, “advertising” his presence and desire for an accommodating weekend; I wouldn’t notice–just like I have never noticed an advertisement/promotion using Windows. It sounds like users aren’t using the Windows OS; they are roaming about aimlessly, really doing nothing other than looking for yet another reason to complain.
As I’ve said before, any and all unsolicited advertising should be illegal. Not just on Windows but everywhere, real and vitural. Everyone goes shopping and the locations they do so are the proper place for ads.
One of the issues people don’t bring up is how dishonest most advertising has become. Once upon a time citizens would tar and feather someone they found to be selling products under false pretenses.
We need to also create laws to prohibit false and misleading advertising.
@Violet
I’d like to ‘reccomend’ you watch the movie “Ready Player One”. It showcases the advertising practices M.$ is using now on a small but ever increasing scale.
I don’t have the issue and am assuming it’s something that happens with Windows Update, which I have software running to prevent from happening. I have Windows 11. I would not want ads of any kind and do not use OneDrive, and use a local account.
I will click on that when it will make a complete backup of my whole system, programs, settings and personal files, to the cloud every day. For free. Without a Microsoft account. Without affecting the performance of my computer while doing so. The backup will of course be encrypted and only accessed by me, using a password. Kinda like an online system restore point.
Not gonna happen?
F**K OFF then.
@Bobo
To be completely honest, I do not know any program that will do a complete system backup without affecting performance. Usually modern systems have enough processing power not to see a performance difference, but even a good solid hard drive will have to be used at maximum read/write capacity, which will slow the system considerably if you want a full hard drive back and encryption on top.
The simple solution is to take a break at whatever time the system backup is working. I just do not know how much my hard drive would deteriorate if I did system backups daily. Anyway. If anybody knows freeware or open source software that can do a complete system backup once in a while and has already tested it and used it successfully to restore your system, please post the software name. I used some software for a full system restore (I do not remember the name) a while ago, but it failed when I needed it.
Basic Windows System Restore works just fine for system files. There is no need for additional stuff from Microsoft. I also use external hard drives and a program called SyncFolders for media and document backup.