“This was an experimental banner that was not meant to be released externally and was turned off,” Microsoft’s Brandon LeBlanc told The Verge a few hours after this article was published. In the beginning, we had this storey:
Have you ever wished there were more advertisements in the Windows File Explorer? Most likely not, given the absurdity of the idea. Even yet, it seems that Microsoft isn’t in sync with the rest of us.
The problem has been reported by Windows Insiders (via XDA) and seems to be present in build 22572 of Windows 11’s beta. Please be relieved to learn that these are not advertisements for new products or services. Ads for Microsoft Editor, an AI-powered spelling and grammar checker, seem to be needless self-promotion.
There have been further reports of PowerPoint template and Office.com marketing from other users.
Despite the fact that the ad isn’t that invasive, it doesn’t alter the fact that Microsoft is integrating self-promotion into File Explorer in the first place. Even if this isn’t the first time Microsoft has done this, it doesn’t mean we have to like it.
Ads have remained a part of Windows 8 since it was released, despite the controversy. It’s not only on Microsoft-owned applications that you’ll see ads. While using Windows 10, for example, my settings menu urged me to complete setting up my laptop even though I’ve had it since 2018.
Windows suggested I join up for Office 365 and OneDrive storage after clicking this window, but I declined. Then Windows tried to force me into using Microsoft’s “recommended” browser settings. My default browser was changed to Edge as well.
However, even after ignoring that option, my settings menu still displays a message encouraging me to cease using Google Chrome.
A lot of establishments have a lot of advertising. It’s often used to help pay for applications or services that don’t really cost anything to use. Indeed, ad-free access to a certain product is included in many popular memberships.
There is no doubt that Windows is an expensive product regardless of whether or not it was pre-installed on your computer when you purchased it. Windows 11 Pro users, like me, should not be bombarded with requests to use or test more Microsoft services.
Many questions remain concerning the advertising that appear in File Explorer for certain Windows Insiders. However, they are still in the testing stage until they appear in the public edition of Windows 11. As a result, Microsoft could go back to its present strategy of promoting Windows without making any changes. We can only hope that this decision is made as quickly as possible.