Tag: windows 11

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?

O&O Software’s free AppBuster app for Windows was one of the first programs that I reviewed on this site.

The latest update introduces several important changes and features that deserve to be mentioned here o this site.

If you have used AppBuster in the past you know what the program is about. It lets you uninstall many built-in or user-installed programs on Windows devices.

O&O AppBuster 1.4.1345 is now available. The application is still free to use. Here are the three core changes introduced in the new version:

• O&O AppBuster is now compatible with Windows on ARM devices.
• The app makes recommendations now regarding the programs that you may want to consider for removal.
• It detects new apps and programs that were installed since the last run of the application.

Let us take a closer look at one of the new features.

Recommendations

Tech savvy users know which apps to remove from their devices and which not. The same may not be true for users who are not that interested in tech.

The recommendation system is for these users. It highlights apps that the users may want to take a closer look at when it comes to picking apps for removal.

Recommendations may either suggest to remove a program or may highlight an app as optional.

On a test Windows 11 system, it recommended to remove the Feedback Hub, Game Bar, and Microsoft 365 (Office) apps among several other Microsoft apps.

It listed other Microsoft apps as optional, as well as non-Microsoft apps, including Adobe Acrobat Reader.

AppBuster does not reveal why it is making a recommendation. It is certainly possible that it recommends removing apps that the user uses frequently or even regularly.

It would be great if the program could take into account last use dates or other information to improve recommendations.

The other changes

Support for ARM platform starting with Windows 11 version 24H2 is a welcome addition, considering that Microsoft is pushing Windows on the platform.

For now, it is the only Copilot+ PCs ready platform, but this will change once AMD and Intel release new silicon.

Detection of new apps can also be useful. It makes it easier to spot new apps that Microsoft sneaked-in, and also user-installed apps.

Closing Words

O&O AppBuster continues to be an excellent piece of software. Yes, there are other programs out there that can also remove apps in bulk. It is perfectly fine to continue using those.

My favorite is winget right now, as it is easy to use and very powerful.

You can download the latest AppBuster version from the official website.

Do you use programs like AppBuster to remove apps and programs that you do not need? Let us know in the comment section down below!

Microsoft stopped the distribution of the latest preview update for its Windows 11 operating system a few days ago. Back then the company said that it is pulling the update because of a critical issue it detected.

Tip: you can control optional updates via the Group Policy or Registry in Windows.

Here are the key points again:

• Affected devices might enter a boot loop, which meant that Windows would not start anymore.
• The culprit, according to Microsoft, was virtualization software.
• Windows needed recovery operations.

Microsoft has now enabled the update again for most devices. The company notes on the updated Release Health website:

Availability of this update via Windows Update and Windows Update for Business was paused for a couple of days, but is being resumed today for most devices. This update offering is now paused only for devices affected by the issue. As a result, this update might not be offered to Hyper-V virtual machines running on hosts that utilize certain processor types.

In other words, Microsoft is blocking the update on affected machines to prevent the boot loop issue.

Taskbar woes confirmed

Microsoft has confirmed a second issue that is affecting the preview update. This issue may be rarer even, but it is still noteworthy.

According to Microsoft, the taskbar may not be shown or may not be interacted with on affected devices.

Here is what we known:

• The issue affects so-called Windows-N editions only. N-editions of Windows do not have certain Media Features by default.
• The issue affects non N-edition systems, if Media Features are removed on the devices. This can be done under Control Panel > Programs > Programs and features > Turn Windows features on or off.

Affected users may want to block the update from being installed on their devices. Since these updates do not install automatically, it is usually sufficient to avoid its manual installation.

Closing Words

Microsoft says that it is working on a resolution for both issues. It remains to be seen if it gets a fix out before the July 2024 Patch Day on July 9th.

Users affected by either issue may want to keep an eye on the Release Health dashboard to stay up to date. Unlike optional updates, Patch Day cumulative updates install automatically on most devices.

When do you install updates? Do you install optional updates, or prefer to install stable updates only? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

Microsoft has paused the rollout of the June 2024 preview update for Windows 11. The company says that it may cause booting issues on affected devices.

Good to know: preview updates are optional updates. These should be considered beta. All included fixes and features are included in the coming month’s cumulative update for the operating system.

A new entry on the official Windows Health Dashboard website confirms this.

Here are the main points:

• Windows 11 devices with the preview update installed may fail to start.
• The device may restart multiple times.
• Recovery operations may be required to fix the issue and restore booting into Windows.

Microsoft says that the issue is “more likely to affect devices utilizing virtual machines tools and nested virtualization feature”. Engineers analyze and debug the issue to “determine the precise conditions under which this issue can trigger”.

Rollout of the update KB5039302 is paused

Microsoft has paused the update while it is investigating the issue. Pausing means that users who seek for it won’t get it offered on their devices.

Windows Home devices are less likely to be affected according to Microsoft, as virtualization is less commonly used.

While it is still possible to download the preview update from the Microsoft Update Catalog website, it is not recommended because of the issue.

Affected devices may have their functionality restored either through automatic repairs or by manually removing the update from the operating system.

Closing Words

It is usually a good idea to skip any preview updates that Microsoft releases. While it may sometimes be tempting to be “first”, they tend to introduce bugs and issues frequently.

The next cumulative update is just a few weeks away, and all fixes and features are included in those as well.

There are just a few cases where it makes sense to install a preview update:

• If they fix a critical issue that is experienced on a device.
• For testing purposes.

What about you? Do you install optional Windows updates, or do you prefer to skip those?

Your data is getting backed up automatically, if you sign-in to a new Windows 11 PC using a Microsoft account.

Windows setup is taking longer and longer to complete. Microsoft is adding new screens to the setup process on a regular basis. Besides ads, for testing Game PC, setup has other pitfalls that many users may want to avoid.

The upcoming Windows 11 version 24H2 makes another change that is going to hit users full in the face once they realize what is happening. Problem is, it may take a while before they realize it.

Here is what has changed: when you sign in using a Microsoft account, your data is automatically synced using OneDrive. That is to be expected, but Microsoft is now also backing up certain folders from the new Windows installation that reside outside the OneDrive folder automatically.

In other words, files may get backed up that you do not want to end up in the cloud. By default, Documents, Pictures, and Desktop folders are getting backed up. If you place the wrong file(s) there, you risk having your account disabled. Even worse, files that you do not want in the cloud may be uploaded to it automatically.

Note: we are still talking pre-release version. There is a chance that Microsoft is changing the behavior before public release.

OneDrive backs up files to the cloud automatically

Neowin was the first to report about it, but they provided no source. I downloaded the latest official Windows 11 version 24H2 to put this to the test.

Fired up a virtual machine using VMWare and started the installation. I kept everything set to the default values, which is probably what most Windows users do. I signed-in using a Microsoft account, as this is the one requirement to get OneDrive up and running.

Tip: you can check out my guide on bypassing the Microsoft account requirement in Windows 11.

It took a while for setup to finish, but the Windows 11 desktop loaded eventually. I noticed that OneDrive was starting to sync files from the cloud storage to the local system. This is also an automated process, which can push device storage to the limit.

When things settled down, I checked OneDrive > Settings > Sync and backup > Manage backup to find out if OneDrive was configured to back up certain folders automatically.

The next screen confirmed this. OneDrive was backing up Desktop, Documents, and Pictures automatically. It never asked whether it could do that.

While it is somewhat okay to get data that is in the cloud synced to the local PC, backing up files automatically without getting consent is a whole new dimension.

What you can do about it

• Skip signing in to a Microsoft account during setup. If you have troubles, try using Rufus to prepare the Windows ISO image.
• If you sign in with a Microsoft account, consider creating a new account.
• Once setup completes, go the OneDrive settings and turn the backup option off.
• Another option is to create a local account after setup completes and use it from that moment on. You can delete the Microsoft account.

Closing Words

With Microsoft making it difficult to set up Windows without a Microsoft account, it appears that many Windows 11 users will have data copied to the cloud once Windows 11 version 24H2 hits.

What is your take on this? Do you use OneDrive or other file syncing services?

Last week, Microsoft unintentionally explained why offline accounts are better in Windows. It does not seem to have taken long for Microsoft to realize that listing instructions to switch to local accounts was not the best strategy for a company that is doing everything in its might to make the creation of local accounts as awkward and irritating as possible.

What you need to know: local accounts are device-specific. They are not known to Microsoft and no data gets synced. Microsoft has a vetted interest in getting customers to use Microsoft accounts. This binds them to Microsoft and gives Microsoft more data.

Microsoft updated the support page recently. While it still lists the benefits of local accounts as well as Microsoft accounts, it no longer reveals to users how to create one or switch to using a local account.

Now, that support page is focused almost entirely on Microsoft accounts. (via Neowin)

Here is an overview of the page’s content after the update:

• Explains the differences between local and Microsoft accounts.
• Lists the benefits of Microsoft accounts.
• Lists the benefits of local accounts.
• Explains how to switch from a local account to a Microsoft account.
• Links to another support page entitled “What is a Microsoft account”.

The instructions to switch from a Microsoft account to a local account were removed.

How to switch from a Microsoft account to a local account in Windows 11

Thankfully, the Internet rarely forgets. Here they are again:

1. In the Settings app on your Windows device, select Accounts > Your info, or use the following shortcut: Your info
2. Select Sign in with a local account instead. You’ll see this link only if you’re using a Microsoft account
3. Type the username, password, and password hint. The username must be different than any others on the device
4. Select Next, then select Sign out and finish. Sign back in with your new local account

Closing Words

Here is a funny idea: maybe it is time to give customers what they want. Restore the option to create a local account during Windows setup and let customers decide. It is fine to make the Microsoft account the default.

This alone would make lots of Windows users happy who want to use a local account. It means that they won’t have to go to Settings to switch the Microsoft account to a local account, cursing Microsoft all the way of the process for being anti-consumer in this regard. The vast majority of users would still select a Microsoft account, giving Microsoft what it wants.

What about you? Do you prefer using a Microsoft account or a local account?